I'm not asking for a ring.

Nearing the one month anniversary of my arrival in Budapest, I could not think of a better way to celebrate than with a shiny new residency permit. So I spent most of today trying to convince various individuals behind their glass walls that Budapest and I really do belong together. It took piles of paperwork, new passport photos, 18,000 forints, photocopies of every card in my wallet, a new Hungarian health care policy, and hours of sitting on my bum to begin the process of acquiring the necessary permit. After the first three flirtatious weeks, the city and I are hitting a rough patch. We are not official yet, but hopefully by October 2 I will have the magic little paper securing the next 3 months of my life with Budapest.