November 22st, 2023. I landed in Budapest the day before. My bags landed in Munich.

This is the first recording — made in a quiet flat in the second district on a grey November morning, jet-lagged and slightly bewildered. I'd been thinking about doing a daily audio dispatch since before I left Los Angeles. This is where it starts.

In this one: the checkout lady at the grocery store asks me something in Hungarian. I stare at my receipt until I figure out what to do. A human rights film festival opens in Budapest that evening — first day in the country, first coincidence. And a houseplant metaphor that I'm still not sure entirely works.

Afternoon update recorded at 3:45 PM: dusk already, banking headaches, lunch with a friend and her dog, and a nap before the screening.

Day 1 of what turned out to be a long, strange, worthwhile experiment.

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