By then I was studying visual communication at the university and I guess I needed to break free from the regional ties to find my way in the world. So I went for a semester to study Electronic Design and Interactive Media in Melbourne, Australia, followed by 5 months traveling and working my way up the west and down the east coast.

I met my future husband (English) in North Queensland and after getting my university degree went to life and work in England.

Four years and two kids later we moved to Berlin, Germany, where we stayed 3 years. I worked for an online retailer there and enjoyed the urban life in the centre of a vibrant city.

Now we are in Budapest since 2010, enjoying the quieter life on the edge of a vibrant city.
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1. When did you arrive in Hungary and what brought you here?
I landed on the 16th July 2010 without ever seen the place where I would life (trusting my husband, who found a really nice patch up in the hills, where we still are). We came here for my husband’s job.

2. Have you ever been an expatriate elsewhere?
I lived in England for four years but as my husband is English I don’t know if that counts…

3. What surprised you most about Hungary?
Having lived in the Eastern part of Berlin there were some familiar post communism sights, so the culture shock was bearable. I think what most surprised me was the weather! And it still does! It is so often so nice and we have proper seasons!

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
I have a list for them, I guess it is the usual stuff: look down at the city from the citadella, take a boat trip on the Danube, go to the baths, have a meal in one of the great restaurants in the city or a cake at Szamos, hiking up Janos hegy or take the chair lift… but in the summer especially, they are often quite happy enjoying the weather and the peace at the pool in our garden!

5. What is your favourite Hungarian food?
Well, it must be a well cooked goulash soup with peppers and tejföl!

6. What is never missing from your refrigerator?
Fresh fruit and vegetables, yogurt and milk for the tea (not very fancy I am afraid…)

7. What is your favourite Hungarian word?
Barát (it was the only one I could remember in my lessons after hearing it the first time: I just always have to think of the movie “Borat”!) Guess it is a nice word to know, although I don’t really need it very often…

8. What do you miss the most from home?
Which home? England or Germany? I miss a bit of everywhere I have lived so far ;-)

9. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
Landscape gardener, but I dread to have to learn all the plant’s Latin names! So I better stick to the other best option, which is what I do anyway!

10. What's a job you would definitely never want?
I think I would give everything a go, I am deadly curious! Although if I was an employer I would not stick me in front of a lot of numbers on a screen all day, that might end in a disaster!

11. Where did you spend your last vacation?
The last one in Croatia (we ended up in the same place as the year before and I love it!), before that we went to Thailand which was a long dream of mine coming true. Unfortunately we had to be evacuated because of a tsunami alert one night. The tsunami didn’t come, fortunately.

12. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
England for Christmas (I love the roasted bird, the fun, the crackers and paper crowns – although I make sure we do some “contemplative German Christmas carols”, too!). Probably Croatia again next summer as we still have so much to explore there. Not sure where it will take us otherwise… we are always looking for opportunities!

13. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
To be honest I was never really a “fan” type. I liked a lot of movies and bands. The first record I bought was Midnight Oil, “Beds are Burning”. And I did love Dirty Dancing, like every girl back then!

14. What can't you resist?
Is there something I should resist? OK, I need to look after myself but otherwise – life is short, if there is something you want to do and it doesn’t hurt anyone else, do it!

15. Red wine or white?
Red in the winter, white in the summer, but always dry.

16. Book or movie?
Come on, I don’t have to decide that: One night a good movie, the next a good book!

17. Morning person or night person?
Well, I used to work in pubs and cafes late at night when I was a student, but those days are definitely over: A morning person I am.

18. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
That will be Racism and Fascism, it was a personal issue when I was a teenager and I get very worked up about it. But I feel strongly about environmental issues, poverty, education and a lot more. I guess I just feel strongly about a lot of things ;-)

19. Buda side or Pest side?
Living in the Buda Hills, going to Pest occasionally: perfect for me!

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
The tag line of my design business is “Up in the Air and Down to Earth” which is reflected in my logo with the deer and the bird. I don’t have a personal motto.