“A cozy café. Friendly faces. Sunshine. Long conversations.” – It was autumn 2014, and during a break between two lectures at the Faculty of Law at ELTE in Budapest, Adri, Manu, and I found ourselves deep in a conversation about our futures.
Becoming lawyers felt like a distant idea to us. We each had our own plans – ideas that would eventually be shaped not only by our choices but also by the twists and turns of life.
Now, in February 2022, I’m sitting on the balcony of Waldschlössl in Schneedörfl. The sun is shining, and though there’s still snow on the Rax nearby, the first hints of spring are in the air. We might live in a little castle, but I never became a princess.
On May 19, 2021, we opened our little guesthouse in Reichenau an der Rax. Since then, this balcony has been a place for long talks with both old friends and new acquaintances, where we’ve breathed in the fresh mountain air and soaked in the peace after long hikes.
Downstairs, in the café area, our new coffee machine is already in place, waiting for the grand reopening. On this cool afternoon, my cup of coffee warms my fingers. One of this year’s projects is to renovate the inner courtyard and add a shaded terrace on the first floor. Since this will also involve reinforcing part of the café’s ceiling, we’ll need to finish this work before reopening. The tables are already partly done.
“Did I really have to become a lawyer? Was it worth earning that Austrian diploma?” I catch myself wondering from time to time. But, yes – every step, whether big or small, has brought me closer to a dream slowly coming true. To this moment – where I can truly savor this cup of coffee, surrounded by friends and familiar faces on this balcony.
Do we still have dreams? Countless.