Tiffani

For those of you who don't know, Tiffani (or Tiff, more often) is my bicycle.  And I love her.  She's not much of a bike, really.  I got her used and have since used her hard.  Granted, I did just buy her new tires, lights, and brake and gear lines.  So now she's like new again.  But still.  She has some rust patches and chipped paint, and horrible 90s font writing for which she was named.  But she's just my favorite possession.

Every morning I wake up 20 minutes before I need to leave for work, pull on some sweats, tie my stuff onto Tiff's back rack, and am out the door.  I strap on my helmet and fly down the big old hill I live on.  After a quick journey through the tunnel, I burst out into the sunshine.  One tricky intersection later, I'm on bike path for almost the entire rest of the way to school, cruising north along the Danube.  I travel under the famous chain bridge, then the Orthodox church flashes by on the right.  I have time to enjoy the view of Parliament before Margaret Island blocks it.  And then just a few minutes later, I'm at work.  It takes me 30 minutes instead of the 45 that public transit demands, and I get to be inside my head the whole time.

I get to work steaming and change my clothes, then teach for the day.  At the end of the day, I change back into the sweats, or just ride home in my work clothes.  The trip home is the best, because I'm relaxed and never in a hurry, and as I take the corner around Margaret Island I get to see the greatest view of Budapest: Parliament to the left, the Danube curling away to the left in the center with the Citadel above, and the Castle and Fisherman's Bastion to the right.  It's gorgeous.  Every day, it is beautiful.

I just love biking in Budapest.

Also, Happy Birthday Dad!