My whole life I felt like we were missing pieces to our Hungarian heritage. The only things passed down through the generations were the food and some family stories. After this trip, I feel like I got to fill in those gaps. I have a better sense of what it means to be Hungarian-American and I feel a stronger connection to my great grandfather.

This program has given me the opportunity to have a more thorough experience of Hungarian culture than if I would have traveled by myself. It was incredible exploring Hungary and I really appreciated getting to know my roots and meeting others that were on the same path. I loved the architecture and unique history. Some places were older than any other place I've ever been. Seeing some of my family's last names at the Holocaust Memorial was an extremely moving experience. My identity was reinforced on this journey as I met my family and saw where they lived on our free weekend. I realized citizenship is a real option for me and I look forward to returning.

ReConnect Hungary is an exceptional opportunity to discover aspects of your past with others who have similar roots. The best part is the connections and community you build with other participants, guides and people in Hungary. I loved exploring the streets of Hungary and getting lost with the comfort of having experienced local guides. The diaspora has redistributed Hungarians all around the World, and parts of our Hungarian identities were left behind. If people are willing to learn and discover more about those that came before, they will learn what an extraordinary place Hungary is becoming. ReConnect Hungary is the most effective program to empower young people to start forming the community and then to remain involved.

I went to go see my family across Hungary. First group of family I saw was in Paks, and it was my second Aunt and second Uncle. It was very interesting because they didn’t speak English , so communicating was a bit difficult. We also went to Pécs to see my extended family. We were on a mission to see if we could find our grandfather’s original house, because he grew up in Macedonia and then moved to Pécs. Our Uncle contacted us and told us that our little cousin’s house in Pécs is the house that our grandfather grew up in. And we had no idea, so that hit really hard. It was quite an experience!

The program helped me not only to come close to my ancestry, but find myself and a path for my future. It opens cultural doors and is a once in a lifetime experience. This trip is vital to keep running because it allows young people to find a piece of their Hungarian puzzle. This trip is rich in culture and allows people to understand where they came from and hopefully carry on the customs they learned from this trip. Keeping the Hungarian culture is alive is important no matter where you reside.

The program is an incredible way to familiarize yourself with Hungary and your family's roots, while getting to do many things a typical tourist wouldn't have the chance to do with an incredible group of people. While in Hungary, I loved getting to explore my background with others and staying in Budapest for longer than I probably would have if I came on my own. I was able to learn the very basics of the language, and explore my ancestors home country.

It's an amazing opportunity unlike an others for someone in my shoes. Not only seeing Budapest, but learning the history, the culture, the present. Then getting to eat all the food, drink all teh wine, and live the nightlife. This experience made me feel happy, sad, greateful, and eager all at once. I will carry these memories with me for the rest of my life.

My Hungarian language skills greatly improved on this trip. I was able to interact with locals and make my way around Budapest. I was great meeting other people with similar backgrounds to mine. My favorite day was when we visited Tihany. The ruins and the crazy car ride and then the dinner were great. In Budapest I loved seeing all the old style buildings and learning my way around a new city. The trip was definitely a fantastic experience to learn about my homeland.

It's nearly impossible for me to summarize Reconnect Hungary 2017 in just a few words. Being able to spend two and a half weeks exploring my great-grandfather's homeland and city with my brother in tow was an honor and a privilege. Through a combination of lectures and sightseeing, we were able to explore Hungary's vibrant and diverse culture and politics in a way that would have been inaccessible to us had we visited on our own. Reconnect Hungary was an endlessly valuable experience for me, and my only regret is that we weren't able to have more time there.

ReConnect Hungary is a fantastic way for young adults of Hungarian heritage to learn more about their roots. I found the Program especially helpful as a fourth generation Hungarian with limited language understanding. There is no way I would ever have this experience by myself, and it was an excellent way for me to rediscover my Hungarian roots.

The program provides a network of Hungarian people, who can all connect and share something. It provides a cultural community and allows people to get to know the family history and heritage roots.