To those that actually read this:
Here is an email I sent to a few people. And afterwards I realized, "Wow, that would be a really good post to my blog. To get people back in the loop." So, here it is. My long overdue update of life in Bulgaria.
To start, and to be very general, things here in Bulgaria are going well. I am well into my second year and am happy and healthy. And the countdown has started. Right now is at 8 months and counting. It’s weird to think I am almost done. It’s just the home stretch now. And man, has the time gone by fast!
But to be more specific, let me fill you in on what I have been up to over the last many months. I finished the last school year in June. And shortly after that, my parents and brother came for the big awaited visit. My dad was brave enough to rent a car and managed to get us safely around Bulgaria. The drivers here are nuts, so it’s a lucky thing our car had no bumps or bruises when it was time to hand in the keys. We explored Sofia, Rila Monastery, Stara Zagora (of course), and Shipka Pass and also Veliko Turnovo. It was a short visit in Bulgaria but I know they enjoyed their time here. Unless it was the extremely cheap beer prices they liked more. But I am thinking, the best part of the trip was simply seeing me!
From Bulgaria, we headed to Italy to enjoy the hot Italian sun. And it was H-O-T! From Rome to Florence to Pisa to Venice we enjoyed a bit of shopping, much good food and even better wine by the craft. Oh, the life. I could stay there forever, (but definitely not on my Peace Corps budget.) I can’t even express how nice it was to see some friendly faces from home. But when the goodbyes were said and done, I was ready to go home, my Bulgarian home. Excited to get back to my cat and coziness of my apartment.
During the summer, I simply enjoyed my free time away from my students. I traveled around the country, meeting up with other Peace Corps volunteers, laid out next to the local pool and even made it out to the black sea.
With another volunteer, I helped an environmental NGO release 20 storks. I even held the stork in my arms and released it in the water myself. What a cool feeling.
The next big excitement of the summer was when my two best friends came out to visit. That was just crazy fun. It was also nice to spend some time with the girls... We headed to Greece and Turkey for a few days each. In Greece, we only managed to get to Thessaloniki and Khalkidhiki. The beaches there were absolutely gorgeous and the water, amazing and warm. In Turkey, we did the whole tourist thing in Istanbul. That city is really, a very unique city. It is definitely on my top 5 of favorite cities that I have traveled to. It is unlike any city I have ever been. So much rich culture and beauty. Wow. I can’t even put it into words and pictures don’t do it justice. Let’s just say, I am planning another trip there before I leave.
So, those were my summer adventures. And now, school is back in session. I am much more prepared this time around which is always a good thing. I even created a course curriculum text book for my classes. It is just a compilation of different lessons put into one book. Everything from the Rwandan Genocide to Tobacco Use to Poetry to Short Story writing and more. And my students each happily bought a copy. On top of my super busy schedule of almost twice as many classes as last year, I am still working on the implementation phase of the grant I wrote. We have the library and multi media room underway and hopefully able to be used by the start of the New Year. It is really a great addition to the school. I am also busy with other Peace Corps projects. I am on a committee to review other volunteer's grant proposals. So I am getting a lot of new useful skills in grant writing and review. It is hard work but fun. I really enjoy it.
As the weather continues to drop, I am trying hard to brace myself for the cold winter that will be here any day. It is also very evident in the town as all the outdoor cafes have disappeared. My small radiator is constantly plugged in keeping only one room of my apartment warm. But I do have one thing to look forward to. As I will not be heading home for Christmas, I will be heading to Madrid for the New Year. I get to get back to my old stomping ground, if only for a week. Also, four of my girlfriends have already bought tickets to come visit. They will be making the long haul to Bulgaria in early June. It is a long way off, but just something else to look forward to.
So, that’s all for now. I hope this wasn’t too much of a bore for you to read. But I thought it was time to send an update. So, come 8 months from now, I will be home...stateside with a big ol' smile!
Costumes included everything from Edward Scissorhands, a shower, jazzersize girl, a bulgarian grandma, an angel and devil, Evil Caneeval, a bulgarian soccer player, a catholic schoolgirl, a couple of cats, and much more.
