Well, folks, I've survived my first-ever transatlantic flight in exemplary fashion, thanks be to God! I departed Charleston on Wednesday around 12noon, arriving in Newark for my overseas connection. In classic New Jersey fashion, my layover included a nice long walk through a crowded terminal, a steamy shuttle bus ride, and the privilege of being ushered with about six other passengers up a sketchy, parking-garagesque back stairwell into the international departures terminal. I then overpaid for a nice travel pillow and a new pair of headphones, grabbed an early dinner, and boarded my flight to Vienna just before 6pm. I sat next to a lovely couple who didn't speak very much English but shared our mutual cheers with the clicking of our plastic cups throughout the flight. God bless the Austrian Airlines crew for their attentive hospitality. I believe I slept about 90 minutes in total as we raced toward the sunrise, landing safely in Vienna around 8:30am local time, while my internal clock read 2:30am. After a short layover and a short 40-minute connection, I was as last safely in Budapest. After a quick drive to the hotel, I gratefully accepted an early check-in and enjoyed a series of power naps before meeting my dear friends Kitti and Mike for dinner. I wasted no time sampling the local fare, and I tried a traditional Hungarian stew with paprika served with dumplings, sour cream, and a couple of spicy peppers (absolutely delicious, highly recommended) followed by a lovely chocolate mousse and cappuccino. Kitti and I then stepped out on the pedestrian streets just behind our hotel and caught our first full glimpses of the stunning architecture throughout the city. Despite our sleepy state, our brief walk whetted our appetites for the beauty of the days to come, and we turned in for an early night of blissful, blissful sleep.