XpatLoop Interview: Eva Kisgyorgy

  • 17 Jan 2017 11:00 AM
XpatLoop Interview: Eva Kisgyorgy
Eva Kisgyorgy was born and raised in Budapest, and lived in New York for two years to do an MBA. She started her professional career as an auditor at Arthur Andersen, and served as head of reporting for Hungarian Telecom between 1997 and 2011.


She quit her professional career at the end of 2011 and started to concentrate on her travel blog (travellina.hu) that she started in 1996. It was one of the first private websites in Hungary at its commencement and became a leading travel blog over the years. She traveled in 112 countries and apart from her blog, publishes travel stories in various online and print magazines.

She is the author of "Világutazók kézikönyve", a comprehensive, essential handbook on how to explore the world.


1. Where did you grow up?

Budapest

2. If you could be an expat anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
New York. I lived there for 2 years to do an MBA and fell in deep love with the city.

3. What would you miss most if you moved away from Hungary?
Deep conversations with childhood friends and home cooked Hungarian food.

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
Just walk along the Danube and take in the view. Enjoy leisurely breakfasts in lovely cake shops (e.g. Rojt and Bojt).

5. What is your favourite food?
Fish-soup.

6. What is your favourite sport / form of exercise?
Zumba.

7. What is your favourite place in Hungary?
Balaton-felvidék, i.e. the gently rolling hills on the northern bank of Balaton

8. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
I was dreaming about becoming a travel journalist for ages. And one day I woke up and realized that I became one :-)

9. What’s a job you would definitely never want?
I would be willing to do any legal and ethical job to make money for traveling.

10. Where did you spend your last vacation?
Alaska. I celebrated my 50th birthday with an epic, 6-week long trip.

11. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
Colombia.

12. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
I loved Hungarian underground bands (Kontroll, Europa Kiado) as well as the Rolling Stones. I must have seen the Hair about 15 times.

13. Apart of temptation what can't you resist?
Cakes. I must have one every afternoon.

14. Red wine or white?
White.

15. Book or movie?
Oh, that’s a tough one, I love both! No kindle, though, just real books.

16. Morning person or night person?
Night person, for sure.

17. Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
There are too big differences between rich and poor and we do not take care of our environment.

18. Buda or Pest side?
Buda to sleep in peace, Pest to enjoy life.

19. Which achievement in your life are you most pleased about?
I wrote a book about travel which was sold out in 10 days.

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." (Mark Twain)

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