BULGARIA: Harbor View Reunion!

22 pages from my journal condensed into this....

As expected, my weekend in Bulgaria was CR-A-ZY!! Anna picked me up at the airport in Sofia, and we hopped in the taxi for a 2-hour ride to Blagoevgrad.

Bulgarian towns seem to be few and far between. The architecture is very different than that of Italy. Most of the buildings were made during the years of the Soviet Union, and appear to be somewhat run-down. They appear to exist solely with the intent of living, not aesthetic appeal, which is different from Italy. I am used to walking down the street and seeing elaborately and intricately decorated buildings, that, while hundreds of years old, still have a charming, welcoming look about them.

The landscape was beautiful, though. Most towns are nestled in the valleys. Donkeys, goats, horses and sheep graze while forsythia and apple trees burst into bloom around them - all with this perfect backdrop: snow-capped mountains. I had great weather the whole weekend, too: 75º and sunny! :)

FRIDAY

Friday night, Anna and I hit The Piano Bar around 1:00 a.m. There was some great live music, and I got to meet some of her friends while sipping on my vanilla vodka. It's a cozy little place, I can see why she enjoys going there for the music and atmosphere of it all.

Next up: The Sand Bar. This reminded me more of an American club - but with better music and dancing. While dancing, Anna and I ran into Shpat, a guy I worked with on the Vineyard. He did a double-take before asking, "What are you doing in Bulgaria?!" To which my response was, "Visiting Anna and surprising people." :)

Last on Anna's itinerary for our night: Underground....a dance club that was just that: underground. before entering, the only thing Anna had told me was, "It's better if you're drunk." I wasn't, but that was okay. The dancing was great! I could have done without all the smoke in my face (you're allowed to smoke in there) but hey, it's Europe. I think it's one thing I can never get used to though....

After dancing until 6:00 a.m., on the way back to my hotel, we stopped and bought some traditional Bulgarian bread which was basically the equivalent of home-baked rolls with some sort of Bulgarian cheese on top (Bulgarians sure do love their cheese!). On the walk home, the sky was already starting to lighten with the anticipation of sunrise....but I managed to hop into bed before the sun actually hit the horizon.

SATURDAY

Anna showed me the "Old Town" which reminded me of Old Sturbridge Village or Williamsburg, y'know the places where they recreate past settlements? The only difference was, this was the original town - not some recreation. Off to lunch, and then did some shopping while Anna was in play rehearsal. The exchange rate was in my favor, both for euros and USD, so I didn't feel too bad buying a dress and 3 cute shirts. :)

I met Anna at her play rehearsal. Nadiya, who also worked on the Vineyard, was in the cast. Anna said, "Look who's here!" to Nadiya. A double-take and jaw drop later, she ran over and hugged me exclaiming, "Katie!!!! What are you doing here??!!"

Next surprise: dinner with Laila. Anna made a dinner-date with Laila for Saturday night, saying it was about something important, but not mentioning anything further. We were a little late, so Laila was already sitting at the table. Anna first walked around the corner, Laila already starting to greet her. Then I walked around the corner and Laila's jaw dropped and eyes got wide: "KATIE!!! I can't believe my eyes!" haha. I enjoy surprising people. :) We caught up on the last 8 months of our lives - Laila will be going to Georgetown for grad school with a full-ride scholarship. Smart, talented and motivated girl.

Then it was back to Underground for a 2nd night....complete with an invitation for drinks. VERY fun and crazy night....we're just gonna leave it at that. ;)

SUNDAY

Unfortunately I had to leave Bulgaria. At the beginning of the weekend, I was missing Italy. But, at the end - I had fallen in love with Bulgaria, or at least the night-life, and craziness of the college town of Blagoevgrad. :)

A bus to Sofia, a taxi to the airport, and a plane over the Adriatic Sea, and I was back on Italian soil. All too quickly, things turned to chaos when I realized I had gotten off at the wrong train station to catch the last bus from Rome to Siena for the night.

My options were limited. By 8:00 a.m. Monday morning I was finally in my apartment in Siena - just in time for my 9:00 a.m. Italian class. Missing my bus resulted in me traveling either by plane, bus, taxi or train OR being in an airport, bus station, or train station for over 18 straight hours . And, "travel sleep" (sleeping on the plane or train) just doesn't cut it....especially after 2 late nights in a row. I was warned about the sketchiness of the Pisa train station when a group of girls from our program were stuck there for the night, so before I even got off the train, I had devised a game-plan in the event of sketchy people/situations. I've found that traveling by myself is dependent on having problem-solving skills, good common sense, and a humor to get you through it all when things go awry.

In addition, traveling alone as a young, college-aged woman has taught me:

** If you walk confidently and with conviction no one has a reason to hassle you. Meaning: I always try to look like I know where I'm going, even if I don't . If I appear lost, unalert, unaware, or unconfident, I know I could easily become a target/victim.

** Young women traveling alone did not appear to be a common occurrence in my travels to Dublin or Bulgaria. All the more reason to heed the prior bullet-point. However, it does turns heads and cause guys to whisper on the plane, thinking you don't notice. haha. :)

** I've learned that my problem-solving skills are good, and getting better with every trip. I have been able to alter travel arrangements (both domestic and international) at a moment's notice. And, I am learning that, in fact, I am very capable of that.

** Patience is a necessity when traveling. I always have a book, my journal and things to ponder about life whenever I travel.

** Traveling alone also grants me the opportunity of meeting new and interesting people. In the last two weekends I have met and talked with people from Texas, New Zealand, and a woman from Portugal who was hosting a high school student from Argentina...they were traveling abroad in Italy for the weekend. I like being approachable - even by Italians. I may have limited Italian language skills, but I am still answer why I am journaling in a train station in Pisa at 3:00 a.m. in the morning.

I am looking forward to my future travels and learning more about myself, other people, and the world in general.

Next trip: Meeting Dad in ICELAND for Spring Break on Saturday!