Bulgarian Road Tripping with Dad

As you may be aware, I recently had to cancel a trip to Seattle (where I had hoped to catch up with my family and friends after a year and a half away) because of a serious medical condition. Although I have been out of the hospital for several weeks now and I am feeling much better, it's still dangerous for me to travel for long periods of time. That's why I won't be visiting my family for a while. :(

Dad's first Bulgarian meal

Luckily, my Dad was able to come visit me and also see Bulgaria for the first time. It was so great having him here, and really brightened my mood. During his two weeks here we were mostly at home, as I find myself getting tired easily and needing more rest. But we were also able to take him on a short trip around the country, our final destination being the Black Sea. With Kiril driving and Dad in the front seat, I was able to stretch out across the back seat and keep my leg elevated while on the road.

The southern highway to the Black Sea (Sofia-Burgas, or Thrakia Highway) passes close to Plovdiv, one of Bulgaria's oldest and largest cities. We spend a little time walking up to the Roman amphitheater and then having lunch in a former Dervish monastery that was constructed atop one of the old city's Roman walls (visible downstairs and from the patio outside).

Me and Dad in the center of Plovdiv

Our next stop was a Thracian temple and royal tomb, recently discovered near the village of Starosel. The temple, which dates back to the 4th century B.C., is the largest one found so far on the Balkan peninsula. A tour guide explained that the temple was used for worshiping the three dimensions of sky, earth and underworld. Three natural colors were painted in a repeating pattern around the walls and are still visible today. After that we stopped in nearby Hisarya, a town famous for its mineral water and Roman history. There are many resorts there where you can try out the healing properties of the famous water for yourself. It took us longer to find the southern gate of the late Roman wall, nicknamed "The Camels" than we spent looking at it, but it was getting very hot so we kept driving to our next destination.

In front of "The Camels" southern fortress wall in Hisarya

We spent the night in Veliko Turnovo, but on the way passed through the Shipka Pass. This landmark is an important part of Bulgaria's independence period, and a fierce battle was fought there between Bulgarian rebels and Ottoman soldiers. Last year I visited the monument and museum on top of the peak, but this time we just drove through on our way to Bulgaria's medieval capital. Our hotel was located right next to the Tsarevets fortress in the old town, which would have been perfect for watching an evening light show on the fortress walls. However, after a long day of driving and waiting a long time to eat, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant and went to bed early before starting another day of sightseeing.

The Holy Forty Martyrs Church in Veliko Turnovo

The next morning, after exploring the ramparts of Veliko Turnovo's medieval fortress walls and church (I opted to wait on a shady bench while Kiril and Dad made the hike), we drove down to the Holy Forty Martyrs Church on the banks of the Maritsa River. This church has an interesting history, and has also borne witness to some of Bulgaria's historical milestones. Tsar Kaloyan, one of Bulgaria's most legendary rulers, is buried in the church. Under Ottoman rule, the church was refashioned into a mosque, and many of its paintings and murals were destroyed. In 1908, Tsar Ferdinand declared the independence of the whole territory of Bulgaria inside the church. There is one remaining section of the church with original foundations and the rest has been restored. The newer interior is bright with white painted walls, which is uncommon for Bulgarian churches but has a very airy and calming feel.

Foundations of a pagan temple and first Christian Basilica at Pliska

After leaving Veliko Turnovo, we headed east towards Shumen and eventually got to Pliska, the capital of the first Bulgarian Empire from the year 681. It was founded by Khan Asparuh, who established the first Bulgarian Empire. Not a lot is left of the original buildings in the complex, as many of them were made from wood, but the stone foundations of a pagan temple, two basilicas, the royal palace, a bath house and several outlying buildings remain. A small museum describes the site's history and provides reconstructions of all the original structures.

On the Black Sea in Sozopol

Finally, we reached our end destination and checked into our hotel in Sozopol, just a half hour south of Burgas. Incidentally, we stayed at the same hotel as the first time I visited the Black Sea almost three years ago. I love staying in the old town because it is so charming and peaceful. And Sozopol is easily my favorite town on the coast, as it boasts small, charming cobblestone streets, two beaches, ancient walls and ongoing archaeological investigations. A recent one was the reported discovery of some relics of St. John the Baptist, which were probably transferred to the island of St. Ivan (St. John in English), just a kilometer from Sozopol's public marina, by a Christian monk in the 5th or 6th century. The relics are on display in the restored Church of Saints Kiril and Metodi, and the waterproof container likely used to transport them is in the regional historical museum. That museum also currently houses one vampire skeleton, part of another exciting and fascinating recent find near the town.

Medieval ruins of a monastery on the island of St. John the Baptist

We were able to visit the island by boat, and the roundtrip only cost us 40 leva, or roughly $9 per person. Our captain Dimitar told us that he has worked with the archaeologists working on the island, and that his boat actually transported the relics to the mainland. The island is small, and today mostly a nature preserve. We saw lots of young seagulls getting ready to take their first flight. A lighthouse built in the late 19th century still stands there, and the ruins of two churches can be viewed easily by tourists. The older one is where the relics of St. John were found, buried under the altar, in the summer of 2010.

Me and Kiril, on the boat ride back to Sozopol

We didn't make any more stops on our return trip to Sofia, so it was much faster, and Dad had just enough time to get his bags packed up before heading home to Seattle the next day. He was very happy at the end of our trip that he got to see so many parts of Bulgaria. But still, there are many more to see so I hope that he will come back again soon!

Finally Spring

This post has been a long time coming, but I've felt less inclined to blog this year for some reason. It has been a long, although mild, winter here in Sofia and yesterday was supposedly the first day of spring. Accordingly, the weather was beautiful and sunny, even hot for March! Then today it just rained for most of the afternoon. Oh, well...

Summer cannot come soon enough. Kiril and I are going to be visiting Seattle for about a month, and I will stay a couple of weeks longer to spend some quality time with the family. I am really looking forward to it is as it seems like forever since I've had a real vacation!

In other news, I took the written exam for the Foreign Service again (for the third time, in case you haven't been reading for long). I am happy to report that I passed and completed my essay responses for the second stage of the selection procedure. I will find out sometime in May whether or not I am invited to an interview in Washington, D.C. this summer.

There have also been some very difficult times for my family over the last few months. My aunt, who had been battling cancer for two years, passed away in early Feburary. Since I went back to Seattle in December 2011 for Christmas, we said our more personal goodbyes then. It was heartfelt and deep, and I don't think I realized how much I would miss her until she was gone. Then my uncle unexpectedly died of a heart attack just three weeks later. It was a huge blow to my Mom and her siblings, and everyone is still reeling from the shock. These moments are when I feel very far away and helpless against the things I cannot control. I want to be home but I am here, and the distance seems to magnify as time goes by.

But still, there are good reasons for me to be where I am now. My project, Learning Through Our Differences, is finally taking off and we will visit the first high school on our workshop list this weekend in Shumen. I haven't been there before, but I know that it is a medium-sized town not far from the sea, and still remote enough to suffer from the same regional underdevelopment that exists in so much of the country. The workshop will focus on individual and group identities, breaking down stereotypes and bridging cultural barriers. There is also a component that will require participants to create their own "community action plans," which are projects aimed at addressing specific local problems related to intolerance. I have a lot of nervous energy about it, but I am really excited to see my ideas, and those I've collaborated on with others, finally put into action.

Stay tuned for Shumen pictures and another big project update, including a soon-to-be-live website, soon!

коледа в българия (Christmas in Bulgaria)

This year I stayed in Sofia for the winter holidays. We have two weeks off from school (yay!) and, lucky for me, I got to spend Christmas with my Bulgarian family. Kiril's folks are absolutely amazing and have welcomed me into their lives in every way.

For Christmas Eve (Budni Vecher in Bulgarian) we arrived early to help his mother, Mimi, prepare the meal. This mostly entailed making two large banitsas (homemade layered pastry filled with cheese and eggs) with fortunes wrapped in foil inside. These fortunes are a very special part of the tradition, as they tell you what kind of luck you will have in the coming tear. Kiril and I also made desserts ahead of time, which was my American contribution to the meal. We made one of my holiday favorites, peanut brittle, and toffee-nut blondies, which were a big hit.

In the Bulgarian Orthodox tradition, very much like the Catholic one I grew up with, Christmas Eve is the bigger event and is always spent with the family. Unlike the Christmases I know from my childhood, however, in Bulgaria the meal is always vegetarian. There must also be an odd number of dishes on the table, and at least 7. I think we had 11 dishes total (more dishes are supposed to bring more good luck). Usually, the dishes are fairly simple with a few traditional meatless favorites making an appearance. We ate stuffed peppers with sultanas, lutenitsa (roasted red pepper spread), fresh sheep and goat cheese, banitsa, pickled vegetables, dried fruits and nuts, and a special bread called pogacha which Kiril's brother Kalin prepared. The bread also had fortunes inside, as well as a hidden coin. When the meal begins, the oldest member of the household breaks the bread and gives it to the youngest member. And of course, the meal wouldn't be complete without a glass of delicious homemade wine.

From left to right: Kiril, me, Mimi and Kalin

On Christmas day we went over to Kiril's father's apartment for lunch. He had prepared a very hearty dish called kapama, which is made in a big clay pot and slow-cooked for at least 8 hours. Inside of the pot were layers of sauerkraut, pork, beef, chicken, two kinds of sausage, red wine, bay leaves and other seasonings. We ate this with another big pogacha, more cheese and a dried sausage called lukanka. I was the person to find the coin in the bread that time, so I should be very lucky this year. After two days of eating so much delicious food (and drinking spectacular homemade wine), I was exhausted! The rest of the week was rather a blur, and I'm happy to report that I've caught up on some very much-needed rest and relaxation. 

Photos I found online of the food- this is pogacha (bread)

And kapama, cooked in a clay pot

Hiking in the Polish Tatra Mountains

As I wrote in an earlier post, this summer I visited Zakopane with my cousin. Zakopane is a small touristy town nestled at the foot of the Polish Tatra Mountains, which are part of the Carpathian Range. It was a fun trip, and relaxing for the most part- except for the day when we got stuck on the mountain in a storm. That was a bummer. I should mention that I have a very low threshold for discomfort, and previous travel companions of mine (you know who you are) will confirm that I can get a bit *something* when things aren't going the way I expected. So when we ended up hiking for seven hours up some very steep slopes in the wind and rain, you can imagine the temper tantrum I wanted to throw. But everything turned out alright in the end. We found our way back down and made it into town for dinner after sunset (zurek- a delicious soup made from sour barley, sausage and boiled eggs).

Here's a view of the mountains from one of the city parks- the peak you can seen is named Giewont, and it's supposed to resemble a sleeping warrior. Can you see his head in the middle of the frame?

Going up the ski lifts to the peak where we started our hike. By the way, the line for the lift was huge so if you're going to Zakopane for hiking I'd recommend getting there early (before 9am) on a weekday if you can. When we got to the top if was too foggy to see much, but the view was still impressive.

When the rain started coming down- I wanted to take a photo at the Slovakian border. The whole time we were hiking my cell phone kept going in and out of range between Polish and Slovak phone services. Also, the look on my face sums up how I felt about most of the hiking adventure (not thrilled). But I think it was worth it for the experience, and spectacular views (once the fog lifted, of course).

This is the backside of Giewont from a neighboring peak. Now the warrior's head is on the left side!

In retrospect it probably would have been a good idea to check the hourly weather forecast before going up the mountain. It's really difficult to plan anything up there because at that altitude the conditions can change drastically within minutes. That being said, we both survived and it was a good bonding experience. My family in Poland are always trying to show me something different, and since there isn't much left that I haven't done in Warsaw it's nice to travel to new places, too. Next time, however, I'm going to suggest a less strenuous excursion.

Searching for pre-war architecture in Warsaw

A little over a month ago I was in Warsaw visiting my relatives on my mother's side. I've been making pretty regular trips to Poland over the last several years, at least since I've been living in Eastern Europe. I wrote about my visits during my first year as an ETA in Pleven, again that summer as well as during the fall of my second year. Over the course of these visits I have become more and more interested in my family history. And this time I got to do a little more research on putting together the puzzle pieces of that story.

My Polish grandfather was born in 1909 in a small town in the south called Częstochowa, most famous for its shrine to the Virgin Mary which is believed to have saved Poland from Swedish invasion in the 17th century. We don't know much about his life there because the family moved to Warsaw when he was still a young man. His father was an auto mechanic, I imagine a lucrative profession in the first decade of the 1900s. Back then Poland was still partitioned into three sections by the Prussian, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires. My great-grandfather used to travel to Russia often on business, but mysteriously disappeared on a trip there in 1914 at the onset of the First World War. His family never heard from him again and he was presumed dead, leaving his wife with four children to look after. After the war ended Poland was re-unified and became an independent country, but this was to be short-lived; in just over twenty years Nazi Germany would invade Poland and set off the beginning of World War II. At some point between the wars my grandfather's family moved to Warsaw, where they lived in an apartment on Puławska Street. I found the address on my great-grandmother's German identification document issued under Nazi occupation and while I was last in Warsaw my aunt and cousin took me to visit the building. We weren't even sure if it would still be there, but it was!

The exterior wasn't very remarkable (although it did have a fresh coat of paint, something lacking in most of the older Warsaw buildings outside of Old Town or New Town) and the ground floor on one side is currently occupied by a supermarket chain and a gym. One surprising detail was that there is a pharmacy which has been standing there since 1930. They even have a display case full of antique medical equipment. Going inside of the inner courtyard, however, was the biggest highlight. Tall, cream-colored walls surrounding curved balconies with wrought-iron railings and an open patio decorated with bright red geraniums awaited our discovery. Although I don't know the floor or apartment number where my family lived (or if the building has ever been remodeled or changed) it was still an exhilarating experience to stand there and imagine my grandfather walking into that building every day as a university student. 

After finishing his degree as a mechanical engineer at the Politechnical University, my grandfather enlisted in the air force. Just a few years later he would become one of thousands of Polish airmen who fled occupied Poland to the United Kingdom, where they were incorporated into the Royal Air Force as a separate Polish division. I recently came across military archives from his service there and found out that my grandfather was promoted twice and awarded the Polish silver cross medal of valor. Due to political reasons he was never able to return to Poland permanently after the war. I also know that he didn't like talking about what had happened; it must have been difficult leaving his life and family behind. His mother actually died on Victory Day in 1945 without knowing the fate of any of her four children (one son had been arrested as a prisoner of war and summarily executed, another had joined the Warsaw underground resistance army and her daughter was also working with the underground). There are so many stories from that turbulent time that have probably been forgotten, but as I put together details and facts that I come across it makes me feel like I'm making our family story more complete. 

On a related note, I also visited a former vodka factory that was recently converted into art galleries and loft space. It's located on the right bank of the Vistula River in the Praga District, one of the least damaged areas of the city after its destruction at the end of the war. You can still find old brick buildings left standing from the 18th and 19th centuries there, a rarity in a city that was made 90% rubble just over 60 years ago. The outside walls are covered in colorful graffiti, and inside the main building is a temporary exhibition of old photos from Praga before the war. The Museum of Praga is temporarily located in the old Koneser factory until the original building (formerly a Synagogue) reopens after restoration.  

David Bowie Nostalgia Rush

I love David Bowie. So does my family. I bought his Greatest Hits album years and years ago and we still listen to it on repeat in the car. Listening to it now reminds me of growing up in Seattle, singing in the car with my mom or riding the bus in high school with my walk-man at full volume (I'm still pretty much a late adopter to technology, though I have upgraded to an Ipod since then). I've been collecting his earlier albums, too, and I love some of the tracks you don't normally hear on the radio, like "Kooks" from Hunky Dory. One of my favorite directors- Wes Anderson- used a lot of his music on the soundtrack to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) as well as some cover versions of his songs by a Brazilian singer, Seu Jorge, who sang them in Portuguese. His cover of "Life on Mars" is incredibly beautiful. I've seen Bowie live in concert once. He came to Seattle for his (probably) final performance when I was 16 . He definitely hasn't gone on tour again since. My mom surprised me with tickets and him being my favorite singer EVER, I was very excited to go. It's still my favorite memory with my mother. She would always do cool stuff like that with me and my brother, and made a lot of our dreams a reality. That's how I was able to travel abroad for the first time when I went to El Salvador. While I was in Seattle over the holidays somehow this music and the memories it stirs up, combined with the familiar cityscapes we passed while driving around, really made me nostalgic and miss that place in a way I rarely feel. While I don't really identify with it anymore, there are so many parts of my life that are intertwined with my hometown and I know that wherever I go in the world, there is a place I can always go back to that pulls me in like gravity. It's a very comfortable feeling. 

Back in Bulgaria... and post-holiday blues

My three weeks in Seattle ended up being a whirlwind of social activities, which is actually how most of my trips back home tend to go. I visited three other cities (Bellingham, Portland and Tacoma) to see family and friends, went to an awesome flash-mob style dance party, spent New Year's Eve with some of the best people I know, met one of my stepbrothers for the first time ever and spent lots of quality time with my (large) extended family. The 8th of January definitely sneaked up on me, and I was exhausted by the end of the trip just trying to fit everything in. I never manage to accomplish everything I want to in such a short period but I did cover most of my bases, catching up with old friends and visiting far-away relatives. Now that I'm back in Sofia it's sort of a bittersweet mixture of being excited about the new school term (and seeing my students) and getting together with friends here, but also feeling homesick and pretty sad that I won't get a chance to see my family again for a long time. And the weather outside doesn't help much. Yesterday I was feeling this way more than usual, probably because I stayed at home by myself most of the day. Meeting friends in the evening made a huge difference. So I'm still getting used to the time difference, going to bed earlier and picking up my routine again... Tough life, right? Here are some photos from home that are making me smile.

In Seattle for the Holidays...

Greetings from Seattle! After a long plane ride (made all the more pleasant by my travel buddy L.) and two nearly-missed connections in Amsterdam and Minneapolis I finally met my dad and brother at the airport. The first thing we did was meet my stepmom at the Greenlake Grill where I ordered my first real cheeseburger in over 6 months. It was glorious! I told my mom the other day that while I'm happy to see everyone back home, one of the most exciting reasons for me to visit was the food. I'm half-joking, maybe. So far I haven't seen too many of my friends but I have been catching up a lot with my mom and brother, which is good. Yesterday my mom and I drove two hours north to see her sister in Bellingham, a familiar road trip that brought back a lot of memories. Sometimes coming home can be hard because of how people and places change in ways that are beyond our control, but I'm staying positive and just enjoying the time I have here as much as I can. It's weird to think that tomorrow night is Christmas Eve already. So many people to see! I hope that everyone reading has a fun, safe holiday spent with loved ones. Merry Christmas! 

Happy First Day of Snow!

Well, almost the first day of snow. If you recall, it did snow for about an hour way back in October, but this afternoon it started snowing in earnest, enough to actually cover the ground, so I am declaring this the official first day of snow in Sofia.

Today brings back sometimes funny but mostly embarrassing memories from last year when I fell down on my butt not once, not twice, but three times in the snow. This year I feel more prepared: I've got my ugly snow boots for very cold days, nice sturdy knee-high leather boots and a new pair of "authentic Bulgarian leather" booties with a warm fuzzy lining. I also picked up a long winter coat from a charity second-hand shop (for five dollars!) and a puffy marshmallow coat with a fake fur collar. Although I can't say I really enjoy trudging slowly across wet pavements in winter for fear that I'll injure myself, I do like dressing up in winter clothes (hats, mittens, scarves, thick socks... I even bought a pair of leg-warmers!). I also like staying in bed with the radiator on, drinking lots and lots of tea and watching the snow fall outside my window.

Another reason to look forward to winter: I'm going back to Seattle for the holidays in about ten days. I am very, very excited to see my family and friends for a little while. After missing out last year, I am feeling a lot of nostalgia for the Christmases of my childhood. I'm even listening to Christmas music voluntarily! When I worked at Starbucks I used to start hating it after the first week or two of non-stop Christmas tunes. But today in my classes I did a lesson on holiday songs that ended in the whole class enthusiastically singing the chorus to "Jingle Bells." So I am definitely getting into the holiday spirit. I hope that you are, too! 

Farewell, Seattle!

Well, my month-long stay in Seattle is almost at an end. The time really flew by (doesn't it always?) but I'm feeling alright about how much socializing I managed to fit in. Having spent my college years about 800 miles away from home, my family has gotten used to me being gone most of the time. On this trip I tried to visit as many relatives and friends as possible in my limited time, and I covered most of those bases. However, there's always something else that could have been done and I inevitably end up feeling like I forgot someone or something. But I just have to let these things go, as I can't do everything and this is supposed to be my summer vacation! I really appreciated being able to see my grandparents. I feel very lucky to have them. I also made a new friend, a one-year old puppy named Thor who I took on walks a few times a week.

He's huge and extremely cute, which made him very popular on the Burke-Gilman trail. I missed dogs and it was fun to go outside and enjoy the sunshine with a bouncy new puppy. I also spent some quality time with my friends from high school and college who live in the area. We've all grown into such different people, which is weird when you start thinking about the future and how everyone will end up. I don't think anyone has got it "all figured out" just yet, which is great because neither do I! I've noticed a lot of changes around the city since last year, mainly with new buildings and businesses opening everywhere. It looks like Seattle is experiencing a bit of growth right now, which is a good thing in this economy. The weather could have been better (it was unseasonably cold this summer- July is usually perfect but there were precious few sunny days). It has been improving recently, of course, in my last week here. Tonight I'll be celebrating with some friends on Capitol Hill at an impromptu bon voyage party. And next Wednesday I'm flying down to sunny San Francisco, California (my other home) to spend a couple of weeks exploring my old haunts with my amazing friends. After that, it's back to Sofia to kick off another school year! 

Polish breakfasts will be the end of me…

This was my sixth trip to Poland in the last five years, which sounds like a lot! I definitely feel a lot more familiar now there and I am trying to make a plan to find work or study for a couple of years in Warsaw. Having family there helps a lot, and I’ve slowly been learning a little bit of Polish. Apparently, my pronunciation is good- my aunt keeps telling me I have a natural ear for the language. I’m not so sure, but I can read with relative accuracy, count to ten, and I know the names for every meal (very important). My aunt always prepares a lot of delicious food when I visit, and it’s hard to turn down, but I worry about all the pork, potatoes and sweets that are the staples of my diet here. Luckily their apartment is right by Lazienki Park, the biggest one in the city and a beautiful place to go jogging.   

When my cousin Andrzej found out I would be visiting for a longer time he started planning a trip for us to the Baltic coast, which was great because I’d wanted to see Gdansk for years. We took the long train ride to the sea and spent two nights there, also visiting the seaside resort town of Sopot. Gdansk (Danzig in German) has a very interesting history, as it functioned as an independent city up until the Second World War. The architecture is striking, and reminded me of both Amsterdam and Prague. Its position on the Baltic Sea made it into an important center for trade and shipbuilding, and before the war the majority of its residents were German-speaking merchants. On September 1, 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland, an event which officially started the war. The first shots were fired at Westerplatte, the Polish naval base next to Gdansk. On a ferry trip to Sopot we passed by the memorial dedicated to the lives lost that day which stands on the small peninsula there. Gdansk was also where the Solidarity labor movement was born in the 1980s at the Lenin Shipyards. Solidarity leaders organized a mass strike there against the totalitarian government and formed the first independent labor union in the Soviet bloc. It was instrumental in the downfall of the communist system; one leader, Lech Walesa, became Poland’s first democratically elected president in over fifty years in 1990. Today you can visit the shipyards (which have been renamed) on a tour to learn more about their history and role in the Polish economy and political consciousness. Unfortunately, the English interpreter on our tour didn’t translate everything the guide said, so you’re better off if you speak Polish. There is another exhibition located outside the shipyards called “Roads to Freedom,” which is more of a museum to life under communism and martial law in Poland. Because the Solidarity movement was the subject of a major paper for me in college, it was very satisfying to see these places in real life.

The rest of the trip was spent lazing about by the Baltic Sea, drinking Polish beer and sampling delicacies such as pickled herring with cream and white kielbasa. We also met a German man at our bed-and-breakfast who was on a cycling trip across Poland, and had some very interesting conversations with him (imagine a Pole, a German and an American discussing the legacy of WWII or the future of social welfare in Europe and the United States).  I also appreciated having more time to talk with my cousin over the course of the trip, and I’m sure that we know each other much better having spent a few days together. I feel very lucky to have my family here, and to have had so many opportunities to see them over the years. As I learn more about my grandparents’ life during and after the war I am increasingly aware of all the risks they took, and I wonder at all the ways things could have turned out differently for them (and, by extension, me). And learning more about my family here makes me proud to be a part of their life and very happy to have them in mine.

As I pack up to leave Poland (I know it won’t be the last time) I can’t believe how much has happened this year. The first day I arrived in Sofia seems like such a long time ago but it was less than a year before now. Adjusting to life on my own wasn’t always easy, but it was a very rewarding experience and I feel that I’ve grown a lot personally. I’m looking forward to going home, seeing my family and friends, and catching up on all that I’ve missed since I’ve been away. And hopefully new adventures await me next year!

England!

Last week was sort of a marathon, visiting cousins throughout England (in London, Yorkshire, Buckinghamshire and Sussex). But it was a great trip, with surprisingly sunny weather most of the time and no rain! Conor and I left early last Tuesday morning for a 6AM flight and then spent the next 5 days wandering around London, catching up with my relatives and experiencing the relief that comes along with actually being able to speak the local language.

We checked out Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, the Imperial War Museum and most of the usual sights... On Wednesday my cousin showed us this amazing bar at the top level of the only skyscraper in central London (Centre Point). The view was incredible, although a bit scary if you're afraid of heights, which I am slightly. Thursday and Friday I spent in Buckinghamshire and then Yorkshire to visit more cousins and my great-aunt, who was celebrating her 85th birthday. My grandmother was English and it's her family I visit there. Because I never met her, it's really special for me to be able to see her sister and all of the cousins. Even though she moved to America after the war, the family kept in touch and we still do today.     

My cousins who live outside the city are so lucky to have vast open spaces like this one. It's surprising that only an hour away from London you can find these quiet, pretty countryside villages. For being such a small island, Britain has a vast rail network that makes it easy to get anywhere. Because we spent a lot of time on trains, we got to see a lot of the English countryside, which is gorgeous. Driving through some of the villages in Sussex was like being transported to a movie set (and lots of them actually have been featured in films and television shows). 

We were definitely shocked at the prices, though, especially for trains but also for food. After living in a country where most things are relatively cheap compared to back home it was strange to realize just how little our American dollars could buy. But we still managed to have a good time. We also drank lots of tea, good English beer, got some fish and chips and even a nice curry.

The original reason for going to London was a basketball game. Conor had tickets to see the Nets vs. Raptors at the O2 Arena, which is this huge events center in Greenwich. It was awesome to see a live NBA game, something I hadn't done since I was a kid. The game went into triple overtime, which was very exciting. One funny part was that the announcer kept explaining the rules to the audience (the idea being that UK fans might not know all the specifics). Anyway, it was a sold-out event and definitely worth the trip. 

This was my fourth visit and I know now that I can never get enough of London. There's so much to see and do, and of course I love the fact that I have such a wonderful extended family there. For now, I'll be happy to relax after running around all week, but I'm sure I'll be planning a return trip someday soon.

I love Warszawa

Me and Aunt Zofia in Warsaw

I spent this past weekend in Warsaw, Poland, with my family. It was a wonderful trip and I wish I could have stayed longer. I left on Friday morning at 9am and arrived around 5pm. It takes such a long time to travel even a short distance! To get to the airport I had to take a bus to Sofia and then a taxi from the bus station. The flight only lasted 2 hours, about the same time to fly from San Francisco to Seattle.  I stayed in Warsaw until Tuesday morning, not a very long trip but I will definitely be back soon.

My cousin took me to a concert of Russian music and the Chopin Museum, and we went to the 30th floor observatory of the Palace of Science and Culture (pictured above), which is the tallest building in Warsaw. My aunt Zofia's father was one of the builders back in the 1950s. We walked around the city center a lot and visited the contemporary art museum at Ujadowski Castle. We also talked a lot over glasses of rakia I brought from Bulgaria (they called it "southern vodka"). I love hearing family stories and getting to catch up on things with them. I don't see my aunt and cousin often and we normally only communicate via snail mail so it's great to have some face time.

This was my third visit to Warsaw and after walking around the city a little more and doing some exploring I've decided that I could really see myself living there one day. There's a lively atmosphere and I felt very comfortable on my own. Maybe one day I will return for a long-term stay. The weather was perfect: mostly sunny and a little bit cold but still pretty decent for late October. And the fall colors in the city parks were beautiful!

Ujazdowski Castle

Now I'm back in Pleven, done with teaching for the week and looking forward to not traveling anywhere this weekend. :) Next weekend begins a long trip with the Fulbright Commission and some friends to Krakow and Amsterdam. There's a day trip to Koprivishtitsa, a training conference in Krakow and then three of us are going to spend a few days in the Netherlands because we have some time off to go. We got a good deal on the tickets but it's going to involve a lot of back-and-forth travel which will not be very much fun. I'm excited for all of these trips but it makes me tired now to think about the traveling part!