And the wonders of the jiu jitsu community

A warm Budapest evening was punctuated by the late arrival of a train from Praque. The train had been delayed by the typical track delays. Rumors had swirled among passengers that there had been an accident just farther up the track, but this was never proven and could hardly be believed.

Finally stepping off the train, I hefted my backpack over my shoulder and attempted to decipher the signs as I searched for our agreed upon meeting place. This meeting had only been a week or so in the making, and the late hour only served to increase my anxiety. I’ve never been one to ask for favors and being picked up from a foreign train station and given a bed to sleep in is high on the list of things I do not enjoy asking for, particularly from a complete stranger. However, the wonders of travel and cross-cultural connections never disappoint.

I had been “introduced” to Dzeko not more than a week before, but thanks to the beauty of the internet, the jiu jitsu community, and Hungarian hospitality I had a place to stay this night. Courtesy of our mysterious delays, I didn’t arrive in Istanbul until about 11pm. Luckily for me, true to his word Dzeko was there waiting for me there under the yellow glow of street lights. A brief handshake, and we were on our way. Over the 20 minute ride, we got to know each other as best as one can in such a short period. A 26-year-old American riding through the Budapest suburbs with a 40ish year-old Hungarian man is an unlikely pairing to say the least, but two friends brought together from a mutual love of non-consensual pajama cuddling is a match made in heaven.

When we arrived at his home he led me around to the back where his wife had not only made up the guest bedroom but had prepared a delicious plate of food for me. I was blown away by how kind this stranger and his family was. With it being so late, we parted ways for the evening and were both up early. His kids had a late start the next day, so I was able to meet them and thank his wife for the hospitality. Off we went to visit his jiu jitsu school, which shared space with a traditional weightlifting gym and he had arranged two of his main training partners to meet us for an impromptu training session. Again, these friends couldn’t have been nicer, we spent about an hour and a half together training and sharing stories.

Despite Dzeko still needing to work that day, instead of just dropping me off at the nearest train station he went out of his way to drive me and my overloaded backpack all the way into the city to the hostel I was staying for the next few days.

The jiu jitsu community is truly a beautiful thing, but humanity is so much more than shared hobbies. Dzeko and his family not only welcomed a stranger into their home, they fed him and interrupted their life to ensure this stranger felt welcome in their country. And even though we were friends for less than 24 hours, I’ll always remember Dzeko as my first introduction to Budapest.