Before I moved to New York, back when I was still in Hungary, sleep used to find me in my medical office. I seldom went upstairs, even though my apartment was just above my practice. More often, I would fall asleep at my desk, with my head resting on my

Yesterday, while witnessing the formation of the new Hungarian Parliament and Peter Magyar’s inaugural address as Prime Minister of Hungary, I sat in my New York apartment and was moved to tears. There are moments when a political speech stops being about politics, when words aimed at an entire nation

You have to want it more than anything else. More than comfort, approval, but most importantly, you have to want it more than the seductive safety of a life that asks nothing extraordinary of you. You have to want it so fiercely that, at times, it borders on madness in

April Normally, I can quickly identify a month and summarize it with a clear sentence, a main theme, and a simple emotional story. However, April didn’t follow that pattern. It was vibrantly chaotic, slightly scattered, impulsive, and unpredictable, and I found myself loving it even more because of its wildness.

For over a month, I’ve been avoiding writing this—my summary of the first year in New York—waiting for the perfect moment to share it. I’ve begun it at least four times. I open the document, face that year head-on, but each time I close it again, as if doing so

Less than twenty years ago—though it feels much longer—being Hungarian would spark a glow around the table. People would lean in instead of falling silent, with Budapest embodying beauty, brilliance, and long golden evenings by the Danube. Someone would always smile and mention the Parliament illuminated at night, the charm

A Substack friend tagged me in a note asking me to share my self-care and wellness routine, and I started to type it in a note, but then I thought, no, that just won’t be enough… As a clinical health psychologist and lifestyle medicine practitioner, I’ve always valued a healthy

This one is for my Hungarian friends and readers who face the most important elections of our history. I want to encourage them to make their voices heard. I could say so many things—painfully too many—but as I have worked as a clinical health psychologist for 16 years, exactly as

I’m nowhere near where you stand, I could never reach that land. Cold between two stars I roam, with no clear path, no steady home, and still I go, though it takes its toll, each step a trade from my fading soul.

My March in New York mainly focused on science. Early in the month, I delivered a talk at the Endometriosis Foundation of America Medical Conference in Times Square, discussing why pain frequently continues even after a “successful” endometriosis surgery, and exploring potential solutions from both the patient’s and the physician’s

The futures of science in the era of AI I’m writing this as I prepare for my panel discussion in a few hours at the recent Neumann Series conference, organized by Tamás Novák at Columbia University’s historic Pupin Hall in New York. We gathered around a Neumann’s compelling question that: Can we survive

To Hungary, from New York Today is Hungary’s National Day — March 15 — commemorating the 1848 uprising when young writers, poets, and students took to the streets, sparking a revolution for freedom, dignity, language, bravery, and the belief that a nation has the right to determine its own future.

Become dangerously overeducated. Gather questions and keep asking beyond the first answer. Learn history to identify patterns rather than panic. Understand neuroscience to realize how quickly your brain defaults to shortcuts. Explore psychology to become aware of your own blind spots. Familiarize yourself with statistics so graphs don’t mesmerize you.

I stayed up until 5 AM writing the first part of this article, the words still pulsing as I finally closed the laptop, convinced the night had taken enough from us — and then Eliott started shaking. Initially, only a flicker in his breath and a tightening in his body—his eyes too

The mornings began before I fully understood what they were doing to me. I couldn’t remember why I agreed to this experiment; I kept reminding myself, ‘remember your why, remember your why.’ But it wasn’t like in an American movie where you recite that into the mirror. We didn’t have

So today I got a message on Substack that went something like this:I Hey, I’m trying to piece together from your Notes what’s actually going on with you. What’s happening in your life? What’s the deal? Are you single or in a relationship? Are you being funny or are you

I recently saw a note on Substack that, at first glance, I was insanely drawn to, almost magnetized by it, because unfortunately I still deeply resonate with those love-bombing, overwhelmingly intense, all-consuming emotions that sweep you off your feet and make everything feel electric and fated and larger than life

The most expensive dust I own Are the ashes of my dreams and hopes. They are smoke and dust on a lonely road, The remains of who I once was. The wind goes wild, a wicked game, It blinds my eyes with fear and shame. My vision blurs, the sky

I want something where we can’t bear a single day without each other, where being apart physically hurts. Where you’d give anything just for my touch, where when we are together the rest of the world fades away. Where desire pulls you toward me instinctively, and where closeness feels magnetic,

Today, I want to discuss how strongly I feel suspicious of those who fear being alone. Because when you’re alone, the world finally lowers its volume around you, the rush ends, and in that quiet, you can finally hear your own voice. You’re forced to sit with your thoughts. I