Sweet home- balcon edition 2021

About Us

Welcome to our little virtual corner! I’m a single mother raising my wonderful son, Ruben, who has grown into a remarkable teenager. For years, I was the sole breadwinner as a Krav Maga instructor, balancing the challenges of parenthood and work on my own.

When Ruben started kindergarten, I embarked on a new journey by studying healthcare management at Semmelweis University, specializing in health tourism management. After graduating, I began working in my field and experienced firsthand the tragic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic while serving as a healthcare manager in a state hospital.

As the pandemic subsided, I transitioned into private healthcare, where I currently work as a practice manager. Meanwhile, our family moved from a small town to Vác, a charming historic Danube riverside city near Budapest.

Here, we embrace the everyday moments and joys of life together. If you want to hear more stories about us, you’re warmly invited to visit the original Daysonpaper blog at S&Ru’s Diary on daysonpaper.blog.hu.

So I decided to try living for a year on an international stage and see if there are other mothers in similar shoes for whom this diary could be a support on the harder days—just as it has been a support for me when I was able to look beyond the difficulties and sincerely believe in my own strength.

Thank you for stopping by!

When you have to create your living space within 56 square meters, you’re forced to make use of every nook to turn everyday life into something livable and to truly make a home out of an apartment. And if a balcony complements this nest, only laziness can limit its cozy use… My balcony spent two summers neglected (last year’s neglect excused by the virus and work overload), and when Ru said he didn’t want to sit out there with me in the morning to read because the whole thing really needed tidying up, I realized he was right.

In fact, it only took a day and a firm resolve to get it organized, and by evening the balcony—which in the morning still repelled anyone stepping out the door with its worn floor, piled-up clutter, and cobwebbed corners—had a new look. After decluttering, pulling up the floorboards, cleaning the subfloor on hands and knees with rags and scrub brushes (in ripped jeans and a stretched tank top—now that would have been worth capturing, but the kid had enough sense not to), hand-sanding the surface (yes, by hand, because I found some sanding sponges and two of those were just enough to channel my frustration and succeed), and some other refinements, by evening we could finally relax there and recover from the day’s work.

With a few cushions, plants, and lights added, this little corner became far more usable than we ever imagined!