New Year’s Eve in Hungary: Szilveszter in 2025
New Year’s Eve in Hungary always sounds simpler than it is. But after eight of them here, Andrew and I have learned that Szilveszter rarely follows a script. We’ve done it all. Properly dressed-up nights out. Quiet evenings at home. Loud Karaoke nights. Plans changed...
Hungary Property Market: What 2025 Really Told Us
It’s 19 December, and Budapest has slipped into that familiar pre-Christmas state where everyone seems to be doing three errands at once. Andrew and I are trying to wrap things up before the pace slows. Christmas Eve will be at my mother’s, as it always is, and...
New employment rules in Hungary: Family Reunification Update
A few days ago, I posted a short video on social media about the new employment rules in Hungary. It was filmed quickly, between meetings, after reading the announcement and trying to interpret what it meant for families already here. I promised I would follow up with...
2026 Hungarian Motorway Vignettes: Prices, Changes and Savings
Last weekend’s XpatLoop Charity Gala had that unmistakable community energy I’ve grown to love here. Andrew was DJing, so we arrived early, and by the time the room filled, it felt as if everyone had brought half their village with them. We saw friends who had driven...
I’m Anikó Woods, a Canadian-Hungarian who’s been knee-deep in life here since 2017 - bureaucracy, culture, and everything in between.