A Day in Bulgaria

These ruins of a basilica were discovered in 1967 and date back to the IV century

Last Friday I had the opportunity to travel to Bulgaria with my host family. They originally wanted to go to Thessaloniki or Solun as it's called here, but at the last minute, they changed their minds and decided to go to Bulgaria. I was fine either way and was just excited to get to see a brand new country!

After receiving permission from the Peace Corps, I began to research Bulgaria as much as I could. Of course it was already really late when all the plans came through and I had no idea what city we were even going to but I learned that they are not on the Euro and have their own money called lv. I knew that being the first volunteer from my group to leave the country was an extremely special opportunity. Volunteers are required to stay in country for the first 6 months of service and I am only in my 4th month of service. Peace Corps here encourages travel with your host family so PC was thrilled to discover that my family wanted to travel to Bulgaria.

I was so excited I could hardly sleep the night before. We woke up early and were on the road by 7:15. While driving, my host parents pointed out wineries and churches, factories and different towns and villages that we past or drove through. My host sister was asleep for most of the car ride and my host brother was in Croatia for a karate tournament.


We made it to border control and of course I had to get out of the car and take a picture to document this moment! It only took about 2.5 hours to drive to Sandanski which included a 30 minute stop at border control. I was excited to see the differences between the two countries. Although they used to be connected during the former Yugoslavia era, Bulgaria is now a member of the European Union and has a different language.

Upon my first observations in Bulgaria, it truly resembled Macedonia. The houses looked very similar with exposed brick and stone houses with red roofs, clothes hanging from clothes lines on the porches, vegetable patches in every open area of land, terraces full of grape vines and many roaming animals. When I took a closer look, I was able to notice some differences. The main difference I noticed almost immediately was the roads. The European has strict regulations on the roads such as that there cannot be any trees in the center area of the highway. This is one of many reasons some Macedonians are reluctant to join the EU, they don't want their ancient trees cut down. The roads in Bulgaria were very smooth with few potholes, there were much more traffic lights and even speed bumps. It's hard to explain but it had a modern feel with bigger grocery stores and restaurants. As I think more of my time in Bulgaria, I know that my view is biased because I was really only in one city which is a popular tourist destination so of course this is going to appear very modern. They even accepted the Euro in this town!

The town we visited is called Sandanski and is located in south western Bulgaria and is only 20 km away from the Bulgaria-Greece border. It lies at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. These mountains were covered with snow and looked perfect for skiing. Many teachers at my school told me that Bulgaria has the best mountains around for skiing. It is known for it's natural hot springs and mineral water.

A photo of the mountains I took while in the car 

Of course when we first arrived in Sandanski, we had to stop for coffee. Well I ordered tea but that's besides the point! If there is one thing you should know about Macedonians, it is that they love their coffee. They can't understand how I can even function without drinking coffee! They typically drink at least 2 or 3 cups a day. Now I know you might be thinking that this sounds like a typical America, but hold that thought. The coffee here is totally different from any coffee you would find at Starbucks. It is much stronger and is not made with a coffee maker. It is made by boiling water with the coffee grounds inside. They do not put any milk or creamer inside. Usually all the grounds sink to the bottom if you let it sit for a bit. My host sister ordered an "Irish coffee" and claimed she had no idea that it had whiskey in it!

I was so excited to discover that this town is known for it's natural hot springs. The town was full of many pools and even had a fountain that sprayed out the hot mineral water. It was 76 degrees C or 168 degrees F. I even got to run my hands underneath it and of course it was unbearable for more than a second! We climbed on a bench so we could get a better look at the pools at the hotel. They were beautiful! We could see many people swimming!

Above the door says "Mineral Bath"

 The nicest hotel and spa in Sandanski with natural hot spring pools and fountains 

We walked around the town park and this was beautiful and totally different from any park in Macedonia. There were signs around the park that said it was completed in 2008 as part of a Bulgaria-Greece cooperation. The park had 4 outdoor pools and there was a real outdoor competition. This was the first one I have seen since arriving in the Balkans, complete with diving blocks, flags and lane lines. This lit a small spark of excitement as I thought of my swimming days. But for now, running is my outlet. There were murals created by children that lined the banks of the Sandanska Bistritsa River. There was a frozen lake with ducks, multiple playgrounds, running trails and even exercise equipment! The sun was shining and it was a truly beautiful day.

My first view of the Bulgarian flag!

This tree is 300 years old!

We stopped for lunch at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant and I was so excited to see that they even had a vegetarian section on the menu. Now I really knew I wasn't in Macedonia!! I ordered roasted vegetables and my host parents insisted that I order a traditional Bulgarian dessert called Melba. This is gelato ice cream mixed with fruit and topped with whipped cream and a chocolate stick. It was absolutely wonderful and I was glad they insisted I order this!

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Melba

Our last stop in Bulgaria was to a German grocery store. This may sound strange to be excited about a grocery store but with the limited selection in Macedonia, it’s exciting to have the opportunity to buy a new spice or a special snack that reminds me  from home. Now I can begin to understand why some volunteers cry when they return back to America and go into a supermarket. The choices are overwhelming with so much variety. I do feel incredibly blessed with how much Macedonia does have compared to many other Peace Corps countries but there are still things that I miss and the variety is not very big. At the store I was able to purchase some things not found in Macedonia such as chili beans, cottage cheese, oreos, my favorite breakfast crackers and even Bulgarian chocolate. You really begin to appreciate the small things that we easily take for granted back home. I wanted to buy so much more but I only had a limited amount of Bulgarian lv left!

With Bulgaria being so new to the EU, they still use their local currency. Maybe one day they will switch to the Euro 

Before we returned back to Kavadarci, we stopped in a town called Strumica. My host father wanted to meet up with a friend he hasn't seen in a long time for coffee (see what I mean about the coffee!). My host mother, sister and I went into a giant mall that had an indoor market. This was quite the experience and I have never seen anything like that here!

The market inside the mall in Strumica 

As I reflect on today, I feel incredibly blessed for my wonderful host family. This is only one of the many examples of how they can gone out of their way to make me feel not only welcomed but apart of their family. Peace Corps continues to teach me life lessons each and every day and the lesson for day was generosity. I know I will never be able to repay them for everything and I have to learn to accept continual love, warmth and generosity. This was a day full of laughter, smiles and the strengthening of a family bond. After writing this post, I feel that they should no longer be called my "host family" for truly they are my second family. Although we don't speak the same language and can't hold deep conversations, we have a bond that goes deeper then words. I look forward to the many more memories I will create with my family. They continue to remind me that one day soon they are going to take me to Greece! I will forever cherish this memorable day.

Macedonian Christmas

Last week was Christmas in Macedonia. It seemed to be a never ending Christmas season for me with advent starting in early December and then the season continuing, well after our Christmas, with the Macedonian Christmas on January 7th. Christmas is a 3 day event here in Macedonia. 

The day before Christmas Eve, it is a tradition to have a big bonfire with family and friends. There were people gathering around different bonfires all throughout the town. I could see glimmers of light among the sea of darkness in Kavadarci. My host parents invited me to their bonfire which was right near the river and very close to our house. We were welcomed by their friends with homemade wine and  Rakia (a very strong brandy type of drink)and snacks. It was not your typical bonfire food but consisted of pickled vegetables, salami and cheese. Later they set up a little grill and grilled sausages and some other meat. 

Cheers to friendship and homemade wine!

The grill they set up to roast the meat 

 A group of local singers came over to our bonfire and began playing their instruments and singing traditional Macedonian songs. Everyone in our group began dancing the traditional dance called the Oro. Macedonians are very passionate about their traditional music and can listen to it for hours upon end and can dance the Oro the whole time. (Now just imagine how long weddings are here!) My host parents insisted that I dance the Oro with them. If you know me, you know how much I hate dancing but thankfully the Oro is not complicated and I was able to follow along!

Another Christmas tradition is to make homemade bread and put a coin in it. Each person takes a piece of the bread and whoever gets the coin, has good luck for the year. One of friends made homemade bread with a coin in it. At first I thought it was mini cinnamon rolls from my first glance! (Can you tell what treat I am missing?!) One of my host dad's friends got the coin. 

The guy on the far left is the one who got the coin!

It is also a tradition to burn old furniture in the bonfire. (there is no such thing as bulk trash pickup so something needs to be done with it!) One of the locals brought an old wardrobe and added that to the fire! 

Christmas Eve in Macedonia, or Бадник as it's called here, consisted of a family meal. My host mom spent the previous day making a lot of the food and continued making the rest on Christmas Eve when she got home from work. I watched her make some of the dishes so I could learn how to make typical dishes. It is a tradition that the meal is completely vegan with no meat or anything from animals. This was the perfect meal for me! The meal consisted of mashed beans, Tavče gravče (a baked bean dish), boiled then roasted butternut squash, Ajvar (a relish like spread made from dried red peppers and garlic), roasted chestnuts, dried fruits (prunes, dates, apricots), sarma (rice and mushrooms rolled in cabbage and baked), a sauce for the sarma made from some of the cabbage juice, nuts and 2 puff pastry dishes, one filled with pumpkin and one filled with leeks. Of course wine was served. 

Look at all the homemade vegan food! 

The most exciting part of the meal was the homemade bread with the coin. My host grandmother made the bread and it was heavenly! Seriously the best homemade bread I have ever eaten! It was so fluffy and light. My host mother got the coin and my host brother was so upset that he cried and left the dinner and wouldn't come back. He got the coin last year and was hoping for it again. My host mom will now have a year full of happiness as per the tradition! 

The bread with the coin hidden inside 

One thing that perplexed me was that I was really the only one that ate. Игор (pronounced Egor), my host brother left the table and didn't eat and then my host sister Емилија (pronounced Emelia) usually doesn't eat much and my host parents ate very little. They were happy to keep feeding me but I felt awkward being the only one eating! 

Another tradition is that all of the food needs to be left out on the table all night and can only be removed in the morning. Apparently this brings good luck or happiness for the home. 

Christmas day was much calmer then I am used to. My host mother worked most of the day and my host dad was out with friends. I told my brother "Merry Christmas" in Macedonian and he told he didn't even know it was Christmas! We went to the church around 4:30 to light candles and say a quick prayer but we did not attend a service. This was a little disappointing. I really wanted to see an Orthodox Christmas mass. 

We went to my host Grandmother's house around 5 for dinner or ручек (which is really translated to lunch). They eat dinner around 9 or 10 PM here. My host grandmother even made me my own meal since I couldn't eat the main meal. I was so touched! Once again I was really the only one who ate along with the Grandpa. Everyone watched me eat for most f the meal so I felt like I had to eat my whole plate even though I was stuffed. 

My host uncle came over with his kids but apparently there wasn't enough food for everyone so they went to a friend's house for dinner! 

After dinner we listened to traditional music and they brought out photo albums of when the Grandpa was in a rock band! Visiting my host grandparents is one of my favorite things to do here in Kavadarci. They have huge hearts and we always do so much laughing and story telling when we are together. 

My host grandparents along with my host mom and host brother and sister, I am wearing the sweater my host mom got me for New Years

The celebrations didn't end there. On Friday was the Christmas party in Kreactiv, which is my fellow volunteer's organization. 2 volunteers, Glenn and Max, came to visit from the neighboring town for the party. There was many traditional desserts, chestnuts, fruit and even mashed beans and sarma again. We had the bread with the coin in it and it was still warm when we ate it. On of the main volunteers got the coin. Of course traditional music was played and we danced the Oro. There was a white elephant gift exchange. 

Max, Glenn, Jasmine and I after the Kreactiv Christmas party 

Seeing how a different country celebrates Christmas makes one realize just how deeply rooted some traditions and customs are in a culture. Having the opportunity to see how Macedonian celebrates Christmas helped broaden my cultural lens and gave me a deeper appreciation for the Christmas traditions celebrated with my family back home. I look forward to seeing how Macedonians celebrate each of the holidays in this upcoming year. 

Reflecting on 2014

2014 was by far the biggest year yet for me. From graduating college to leaving my family and friends behind to move to a brand new country, I want to take some time and reflect on this year. It was full of new challenges, blossoming friendships, emotional goodbyes and so much more. It was a year to remember and one I will never forget. I can't put everything in this post or I would need a novel but here are so highlights of the year that made it so memorable.


In January, I had my senior swim meet. It was my last home swim meet as a Bearcat at St. Vincent. My parents and friends came out to watch me one last time in my home pool.

In February, I had my last competitive swim meet EVER! After swimming on a swim team since I was 4, this was a very monumental day! It was a great end to a huge chapter in my life and a very proud accomplishment. Swimming will always hold a special place in my heart, although I am enjoying retirement! 

Also in February, my dear friend Br. Joao Marcos came to visit all the way from Brazil! He has a big heart and it was a really special time being reunited with him. 

March was a life changing month for me. On March 28th, I received my unexpected official invitation to serve in the Peace Corps in Macedonia. I was on my way to Buca di Beppo with the Italian club and checked my email and after that, everything changed! The next day I ran my first ever half marathon in honor of my cousin Peyton and got 3rd place in my age group. It was also the farthest I have ever run. 

April was a busy month, preparing for graduation and finishing student teaching. Student teaching was a lot of work both in and out of the classroom. I learned so much about myself as a teacher with new ideas and techniques to use with my students. I also signed the Job Board at St. Vincent as an "English Teacher with the Peace Corps in Macedonia." 

Next came the much anticipated month of May and it was full of many goodbyes. It was finally time to graduate after 4 years of studying, projects, tests and student teaching. I was sad to say goodbye to the many friends I made along the way and the place I called home for 4 years but I was excited to start the new chapter in my life and begin preparing for the Peace Corps. 

I had to say goodbye to the good friends I made, Aron and Tamas, who would travel back to Hungary after a year at St. Vincent. I had the opportunity to tutor them in English and introduce them to many new American things such as s'mores and root beer floats!  I am planning on visiting them in the near future since they live so close to me now. I know they want to show me some traditional Hungarian food!

Then at the end of May, one of the biggest highlights of my summer was when my friend Emma traveled from London for a visit. As if being reunited with one friend from study abroad wasn't enough, my friend Kaitlin (who I haven't seen since I studied abroad 2 years ago) surprised Emma and drove 9 hours to my house so we could all be reunited. It was a weekend full of many laughs and reminiscing on the memories from our time studying abroad in London. 

In June, we had another big graduation to celebrate. That's right, 2 graduations in basically one month! My younger brother Connor graduated from The Church Farm School and I couldn't be more proud of him for getting into his dream school, Muhlenberg. 

We celebrated his big day with our family and friends

July was very busy, working 55 hour weeks as a nanny to save up for my time in Peace Corps. Those student loans won't pay themselves! Thankfully after some rearranging, I was able to go to the Omni in Bedford Springs with my mom for one last girls weekend. We ate the homemade granola I dream of, made s'mores by the fire pit and ate quinoa burgers while relaxing by the pool. I also met a great friend named Stephanie while there. We continue to keep in touch and she has a beautiful heart rooted in Christ.

As if one vacation wasn't enough, my old neighbors, who moved to North Carolina, invited me to go with them to Disney and Universal. I was beyond excited because the brand new part of the Harry Potter world opened and I got to ride the new ride TWICE and it was amazing! I even got to see The Blue Man Group. I tried Dim Sum for the first time and ate some Harry Potter chocolates. We even went to Epcot! I am so blessed to have a second family!

As if that wasn't one of the greatest vacations, I even got to meet up with my friend Anna in the beautiful town of Savannah only a couple days after she got engaged to the most amazing man I know. We met in London while studying abroad and I cherish the many memories we have shared since. We had lunch in one of the coolest hipster restaurants in Savannah. She is one of my favorite people and I feel so blessed to have gotten to see her one last time before I left for Macedonia.

August came and finally it began to feel real that I was leaving for the Peace Corps. There was so much to do to prepare and so many people to see with goodbye tears. The month started off when one of my best friends, Marykate, got married to an amazing man. The weekend was full with many laughs. 

We then took a weekend vacation to Georgetown to spend one last time as a family before Connor left for college and I left for Macedonia. I got my wish of eating Georgetown cupcakes and we stayed at the Omni in DC. It was a great bonding weekend and we were blessed to have the time together. I still dream about the food we had there. We went to a few hipster restaurants and it was honestly the best food I have eaten!

On the Eve of Connor's last night home, my amazing mom prepared a whole Thanksgiving feast so we could celebrate all together as a family. We even had sweet potatoes with marshmallows! Who needs to wait until November to come together and give thanks and share a delicious meal together. 

Then came the hard part: moving Connor into college. My little brother was growing up and it was time for him to create a path for himself and follow his dreams. It was sad for me knowing I wouldn't be there for him, but would be thousands of miles apart. This was one of the hardest goodbyes I had to say. Thankfully FaceTime was invented! 

September the month of departure, goodbyes, new friends and a new chapter. It started off with a birthday celebration for my dad and the day ended with a final goodbye to Connor filled with many tears. We got one last family photo together. 12 days later, my bags were packed and it was time to start my 27 month journey to serve in Macedonia. 

One last picture with my parents before I left for Macedonia

Had to say goodbye to my favorite little dog and this was the hardest goodbye

I landed in Macedonia and spent the week at the Woodrow Wilson School. It was the start of new friendships and an answer to a lot of my worries. 

I discovered my training site for the next 3 months and moved in with my new host family. 

Veles

October was an extremely busy month. I was beginning to get adjusted to life in Macedonia and becoming more comfortable with my host family. My days were long, full of Macedonian language and many other training courses. I hiked my first Macedonian mountain and went on a church pilgrimage with my best friend Susie. I taught my host family how to make some traditional dishes and went to my first National Macedonian soccer or football game against Slovakia. I also found out my permanent site placement in the town of Kavadarci where I would be living for the next 2 years and working in a school, teaching English. 

 November was a proud month. I was sworn in as an official volunteer along with 43 other volunteers. I finally achieved my lifelong dream of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer. I finished 3 long months of language training. I had my site visit to Kavadarci and had a huge welcoming by the students and teachers in the school. I spent Thanksgiving surrounded by my fellow Veles volunteers and we even made traditional American dishes with turkey, cornbread and so much more!

My school in Kavadarci welcomed me with these posters!

My language class in Veles at the Swearing In Ceremony 

December was a challenging month in many ways. I had to move to a different host family after facing many challenges with my previous host family. I had to spend my first Christmas away from my family which was a very emotional time. There were some really positive things to celebrate in December though. I began teaching in the school and felt like a celebrity each day when the students would race up to me each morning to say "hello" or "good morning." I taught them about Christmas traditions in America and a group of students sang Jingle Bell Rock at the school concert. I got to go to my school's teacher Christmas/New Years dinner and learned to dance the Oro. Even the director, a very serious man, was dancing! It was a night to remember. I was able to spend New Years Eve with my fellow volunteer Jasmine baking a delicious snack. We then went to the EVS (European Voluntary Service) volunteers apartment and spent the night laughing and playing games. It was like the United Nations with volunteers from Lithuania, Estonia, Wales, Portugal, Belgium, Macedonia and America.

The staff at my school

My two counterparts and I at the school dinner 

My director dancing the Oro!

New Years Eve!

This year has taught me so much about myself, my faith, my life goals and who I want to be as a person, daughter, friend, teacher and volunteer. I have faced what seemed like impossible challenges and made difficult decisions but I am so thankful that each and every decision has led me to the path I am on right now. I could not have had this amazing year without the love and support I have received from my family and friends. I cannot wait to see what 2015 has in store for me as a volunteer and I look forward to continuing to grow each and every day. Please continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers in this new year!