What I'll miss most about Bulgaria

There is so much that I'll miss about life here in Bulgaria- people, places, and things.  I will of course miss the people the most.  Bulgarians are, in general, incredibly hospitable and kind.  I don't really like to make generalizations, as it certainly isn't the strict truth for everyone, but I think that this is a fair one to make.  Although some people can seem gruff or prickly on the surface, most are actually very warm and friendly.  I'm not sure how to best describe it, but I've never really experienced the same kind of hospitality in the states as I have here.  The offering of food, drinks, and sweets is a constant when you stop by to visit someone, no matter how brief.  Bulgarians seem to show their affection, for lack of a better word, through food and drink.  On birthdays, holidays, name days, and special occasions, someone will always be offering candy, cake, or liquor.  There are 2 whole aisles of chocolates and boxed candies in our market, and for good reason!

I'm going to miss the combination of city and country living that we have enjoyed over the last few years.  Our neighborhood in Sofia, Druzhba 2, has been a really great place to live.  We could hop on the bus and be downtown in 20 minutes.  We could walk to the grocery store, and just about everywhere else.  We could meet up with friends in the neighborhood for pizza or drinks.  Everything you need on a day to day basis is all right here within walking distance.


I know that we're all going to miss the village house.  Long days spent in the sun, eating, drinking, and temporarily forgetting about the responsibilities of everyday life.  Waking up to the sounds of roosters and barking dogs.  Watching the sun set over the hills.  Looking up to a clear sky filled with stars and picking out the constellations. Those are some of my most treasured memories from our time here in Bulgaria.  

I'll miss the abundance of fresh, delicious food.  Shopska salad just won't be the same without Bulgarian white cheese, and neither will fries.  There are so many dishes that require Bulgarian yogurt, and I'm not sure how we'll go about preparing them in the states.  Luckily, there is a European market owned and run by Bulgarians in our area, so we'll definitely be checking it out and stocking up on essentials when we can.


We haven't even left yet, and I'm already feeling homesick for the people, places, and things that I have enjoyed and loved over the last several years.  Bulgaria will always feel like home (one of a few, at least).  I'm so grateful that I have had the chance to live here and be a part of this beautiful country and culture.

Night at the Museums

Back in May, there was an annual event held in cities across Europe called "Europe's Night of Museums". On this evening, museums and art galleries are open free to the public.  A combination of gorgeous weather and "free" had the city of Sofia out in full force.

Martin and I were able to check out quite a few galleries downtown.  The whole downtown area had a really nice vibe, as people of all ages made their way around the various participating places.  Maps were given out, and at each location you could receive a stamp to keep track of where you'd been.  Some places were even handing out cups of wine.

We got to check out the Crypt Icon museum in the Alexander Nevski cathedral, which houses fragments of wall art from churches dating back as far as the 13th century.  We also visited the National Art Gallery, and had a quick peek at the Ethnographic museum.  Luckily, we had been to the art gallery before, because it was completely mobbed.  

It is incredibly beautiful inside, as it was once the Bulgarian royal palace.

We were going to check out a special exhibit at the Archaeological museum, but the line to get in was massive.  We instead took advantage of the nice weather and just walked and walked around the city.  I love downtown Sofia; I know I'm really going to miss it!

14 days

We are knee-deep in packing and preparing these days.  With just 2 short weeks left here in Bulgaria, it's been a bit overwhelming trying to fit our lives into 4 checked bags. But!  It can be done.  It will be done.

I can't believe that it's been 2 years already.  In some ways, it feels like we just arrived.  I can remember it so clearly, stepping off the plane in Sofia holding my 3 month old, feeling overwhelmed, a little bit homesick, and a lot hopeful, all at once.  2 years has gone by in a flash, yet sometimes it all feels so far away.  But that's life, isn't it?

My time as a foreigner abroad is winding down, and I don't know if or when I may ever have this type of experience again.  That's a strange thought.  I wish I knew how to put all of my thoughts and feelings into words right now, but the truth is that I can't.  I've simply been trying to appreciate all of the little things that make up our days here. There is a mix of gratitude, fear, excitement, sadness, and happiness all rolling around in my head and my heart these days.  2 weeks left...

Holidays, Village days

Somehow it's already mid-May.  I don't know if it's just getting older, having a kid, or a combination of both, but time really does seem to fly by these days.

This month started off with the Easter holiday, followed by St. George's day, which is a pretty big deal name day here in Bulgaria.  Martin and his parents had off for a week, so we had ourselves a nice "spring break", complete with perfect weather.

We started off by going to see Mark Knopfler at the National Palace of Culture.  We found out about the show about a week beforehand, so we ended up with standing room tickets, which was interesting since the venue is a seat-filled auditorium.

In typical Bulgarian fashion, no one had determined where all of the folks without seats would go, because there really is no standing room.  They sold a whole bunch of tickets anyway, cause why not?  When we entered the auditorium, we just sort of planted ourselves near the front off to the right of the stage.  There was no designated standing area at all, so it was more like every man for himself.  The whole scene was a bit chaotic, with people being told to basically press themselves up against the side walls- no organization, no pre-planning, so very Bulgarian.  Someone tried to tell us to move once or twice, but as the concert began, we held our position right behind the press area.  Once the photographers were ushered out after the 3rd song, we couldn't believe our luck!  We practically had a front row seat to the concert, and ended up sitting on a wing of the stage anyway.  Right next to people who had paid a hundred leva for their tickets, whereas we had only spent 40 each.  My first concert experience in Bulgaria, good and memorable.

Tuesday we headed out to the village for a week of badminton, beer, delicious food, and endless sunshine.  80+ degrees everyday.  It was bittersweet in a way, because our time here is really winding down.  I find myself holding on and letting go at the same time.  We can sense that the people around us are growing sad, obviously.  It's hard to feel too excited, because I don't want to be insensitive.  We waited so long and worked so hard to get to this point, and to be this close is a little overwhelming.  6 weeks left...

Still here

See?  Here I am in front of the parliament building

My time away from blogging this month was pretty unintentional.  I thought about writing a few times, but there was always something more important or interesting to do.  But, I'm still here!

After a chilly and rainy start to spring, gorgeous summer-like weather has finally graced Bulgaria with its presence.  We have been taking full advantage- enjoying long walks around the neighborhood, celebrating birthdays, and even venturing downtown.  It's been a fun and busy month.

Our wonderful little lady turned 2!  Her ever-emerging personality delights me to no end.  I look at her everyday and I wonder how it's possible to love her any more than I already do, and yet somehow, it is.  A mother's heart truly knows no limits. 

I paid off my student loan debt, which was a huge personal goal for me this year.  I worked hard to make it happen, and I'm so thrilled that I was able to stick to my original timeline and pull it off.  That alone was another reason to celebrate.  We now have a clean financial slate, and a true fresh start awaiting us in the states.

We booked our flights, and in less than 2 months, the 3 of us depart together.  With so little time left here in Bulgaria, I've been trying to soak it all in.  It hasn't really hit me yet, though.  We are leaving in June with no real plans for when we'll return.  It's bittersweet, a little sad, and a lot overwhelming.  I try to imagine how it will feel when we return to Sofia someday, and how it will feel familiar, but slightly foreign.  It's an odd thought, knowing that I'll eventually be so removed from the place I called home for the past 2 years.

I've been reflecting on my time here a bit, but for now I just want to focus my energy on making the most of these next 2 months.  With such beautiful weather to be enjoyed, as well as the company of loved ones, we can make some great memories in these remaining weeks.

New fountain in front of the bathhouse and people selling honey


Tulips in full bloom downtown


Cobblestone streets and beautiful buildings. Just off to the right, a small protest was gathering in front of the mayor's office. The elections are coming up soon.

Abandoned Amusements

I was checking the weather forecast a few days ago when I got sidetracked by a link for a slideshow of "Creepy Abandoned Theme Parks".  Since I've got a penchant for urban exploring, I quickly fell down the rabbit hole.

Most surprising to me on the list was a Disney water park, River Country, that closed down in 2001.  I had never even heard of it before.  Apparently there were rumors after it shut down that it was because visitors had died from a brain eating amoeba found in the water.  While it's true that it did in fact happen, that isn't why the park closed.  Disney says that visitor numbers were down, so they basically needed to cut their losses when tourism dropped after 9/11.

Bulgaria actually has it's own abandoned amusement park, Sofia Land.  I've known about it for some time, as Martin once pointed it out to me when we were on the bus headed somewhere.  When it opened in 2002, it was the largest theme park in the Balkans.  Unfortunately, it shut down in 2006 after changing owners and has never re-opened.  All of the rides just sit there in the city, rotting away.  I wonder if any of the attractions are even salvageable at this point.  You can see it when you're by the Sofia Zoo or headed to the US Embassy.  It's so sad, but not really surprising in a country with more than it's fair share of abandoned places.

April prepares her green traffic light

and the world thinks Go.   -Christopher Morley

We didn't celebrate Easter here in Bulgaria this past weekend because according to the orthodox calendar, it isn't until May 5th.  I'm not religious, so this is of little consequence to me.  If anything, it gives me more time to mention the Easter bunny, which I just realized 2 days ago I have failed to do at all, so my kid is basically clueless on that front.  Don't worry, I'll be sure to sufficiently freak her out over the next few weeks with images of a life-sized bunny hopping up into our 5th floor apartment and leaving a basket of goodies.

The forecast (which really ought to come with a disclaimer) had promised 70 and partly cloudy, so we packed up and went to the village on Saturday morning.  Not even close! I don't think the clouds could have been thicker through the day, and even with a wood burning stove and 2 heaters going, I still had a blanket wrapped around my shoulders all afternoon.  But Sunday- Sunday was a different story.  We were finally able to warm  up under that big ball of fire, and it was glorious.

Charming teacups in charming cabinets

Salad Fixin's

Fish for the grill

I'm so proud of our little family right now.  Martin completed his master's program last week, our girl will be turning 2 this month, and I'm making strides on a few personal goals.  This is a time that we have been waiting for and working towards for so long, so there's a real sense of accomplishment, and also a fair amount of anxiety because what was once someday is now today.  Despite the uncertainty of the future, things seem to be falling into place, at least for now.  For that, I am so grateful and optimistic.

Hide and Seek with Daddy

Signs of Spring

Noisy neighbor

Renewal