The Tisza and I have a history together. Twenty years ago – or more! – my sister and I swam in it with some friends. We’d done that many times, but that one summer it was no good. A neighboring country dumped a lot of trash, garbage, waste, etc. and the river was badly polluted. Our immune systems were not seasoned and we both spent days dehydrating ourselves. I remembering being really sad because I thought I wouldn’t see my parents again. (It was that bad.) Well, somehow the kids convinced me to check it out tonight, at 7:30pm, and I caved. Of course, I said “feet only!” and “do not drink the water!” But do they listen?! I also asked swimmers if the water was safe now. (Yeah, they looked like they wanted to laugh at me.) and I told them my story. When I mentioned it was twenty years ago, I paused and could not believe my own ears. One, I must have sounded paranoid. And two, Dang, I’m getting old!! I almost corrected myself and said, “ten years ago…” Well, Stinker was being her stubborn self and threw herself into the water (head and all.) And Little Man straight sat in it. There was no bus taking tonight. We walked all the way home, wet and muddy-sandy. Of course, as I take Ilu’s sopping diaper off (the river was not part of my plan), she pees all over her stroller. Daddy, where are you?!? #wemadeithome #anhourlater #summer #travels #szeged