ABOUT ME

Hi, I’m Melinda — but everyone calls me Melì, preferably with a soft Italian ì, just as my dear friends Ele and Simone called me during my years in Tuscany.

I’m a Dutch-Hungarian, Budapest-based writer, photographer, teacher, single mum of two wonderful boys, and a lifelong collector of moments, stories, and slightly chaotic notebooks.

I grew up between languages and cultures, and I’ve never really stopped living between things — between Hungary, the Netherlands and Italy; between teaching and creating; between parenting and daydreaming; between lenses and lines. This in-between space is where most of my work happens.

What I do

I write stories about the things that shape us — identity, parenting, culture, travelling, mental health, emotional patterns, and the wonderful details that go unnoticed unless someone slows down long enough to see them.

I photograph the world the same way I write about it: honestly, gently, and with a small obsession for natural light, human connection, and Budapest’s slightly worn-out beauty.

When I’m not writing or behind the camera, I teach English and intercultural communication, or I occasionally return to my first profession as a perinatal advisor at the local community centre for families. I love all my professions — and somehow they all come together here, in my writing and photography.

What matters to me

To shake up what we think we know and appreciate what we already have. With an open-minded, curious and joyful approach, I love showing new angles and ways of thinking that help us become healthier and, in turn, happier.

Through the power and fun of storytelling, I want to offer the language, information, and peaceful moments we all need to understand ourselves, express ourselves, and grow.

I’m endlessly fascinated by how we inherit emotions and behaviours — and how we slowly learn to rewrite them. I love stories with depth, humour that arrives at just the right moment, and art that makes you laugh and cry within the same minute.

What you’ll find on this website

A little bit of everything — I promise you won’t be bored.

• Essays and reflections about the everyday sorcery of being human — self-development, travelling, family moments, strange school systems, and self-reflection

• Photography — street life, events, everyday moments, hidden corners, and glimpses behind my own lens

• Culture & theatre, written in English for anyone who loves Hungarian arts

• Perspectives — personal, emotional, sometimes messy, always real

This is my digital living room.
Take your shoes off, stay a while, read something, share something, or just look around.
You’re welcome here.

Where to find me

Mostly in Budapest — with my two boys, my camera, a cup of something warm, and an embarrassing number of open tabs.

Online, I’m here on Meli Marvel, and on Instagram at @melisbudapest.

Reach out for conversations and collaborations — I genuinely love hearing from people.