Yummy Yummy Food

Watermelon is the best in the summertime! The best watermelon is with seeds, fresh and sweet!

Mekici (fried dough) 

usually eaten for breakfast along with honey, Bulgarian cheese, or powder sugar

Footprints in the sand, wind blowing in your hair

Souvenir shops were all over the beaches and resorts. The busiest months are July and August.

                                                      One of the resorts called Albena.

Beautiful Beaches!

Bulgaria 2013

Footprints in the sand. My favorite.

Grandma's Vineyard

Grandma's house in the Vineyard.

                     Tomatoes are grown almost in every garden. They are delicious and nutritious! Love them!

                                                                     A cute kitty!

Abritus Archaeological Reserve, Razgrad

Read more about the Abritus here: http://bulgariatravel.org/en/object/74/Arheologichen_rezervat_Abritus

The reserve spreads out on a territory of 1000 decares and is aimed to preserve the remains of the Roman town of Abritus.

A little bit about Sofia

The subway (or metro- in Bulgarian) is a great way to get to places fast and easy. It costs 1 lev for a one way ticket.

Most people live in apartment buildings, especially in Sofia where the city is densely populated. 

Back to Reality

I have finally arrived back in Minnesota, but it is not the same. I miss home. I miss all my relatives, friends, and home. The trip was a great experience, but now it's time to get back to reality. School starts soon, work does as well. To every trip there's a beginning and an end. I was able to learn a ton about the Bulgarian people. How they know so much about America, their interest in America, and their passion to someday visit America. I was able to share my life experience in America, which they were fascinated to hear about. This project has opened doors for others. This project was not only a Cultural Exchange, but it was an Experience Exchange. I was able to learn more about the Bulgarian people, and Bulgarians were able to learn more about the American life. I hope you have found this blog interesting! I strongly encourage you to go out of your comfort zone and visit countries all over the world. The world is fascinating, and being able to be a part of different cultures is life changing.

Time to say Goodbye

The time has come when I have to say goodbye. Goodbye to my country. Goodbye to my relatives. Goodbye to my friends. Goodbye to my memories. Everything has a beginning and an end. The end of the trip has come. I am feel so blessed to have had this opportunity to visit my home country and share my project with old, and new friends and relatives. This was a blessed trip filled with laughter, smiles, and challenges. I will never forget this trip. Leaving home can be quite emotional. Tears, last goodbyes, tight last hugs. All I can say is that I am really going to miss home. However, God has a plan ahead of me. He has a plan for everyone. And I believe His plan is the best. Pictures will be coming up soon with more stories to share! I hope you have enjoyed my blog so far! :)

Pchelina (near Razgrad)

                     A wonderful and calm lake where you can relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery!

Jessica

                                          My grandma's cat! Many Bulgarians have cats as pets.

Cookies, Biscuits, and Chocolate

                                                        Some of the yummy treats from Bulgaria!

Time to relax

In Razgrad my grandma had lots of fresh fruit for us. They are all home-grown, in a small town near Razgrad. In my opinion, the best way to relax is to sit outside and write in my journal. In the image, I was able to relax on my grandma's balcony with a pen in my hand and fresh fruit to enjoy! :)

Miracles happen each day...what happens in your life?

Every day is filled with miracles from God. God is working in my life in ways that I could not have imagined in the past. I am able to share the Good News with people around me, to tell them my path to salvation. I am so thankful for this trip to Bulgaria, and for this project to share about my life in America. This trip has transformed me. My faith has increased, I feel God's anointment on my life. Being able to reach out to others fills me with joy, love, and peace. May God bless all of you who are reading this. He is the Way, Truth, and Life.Take a look around you. Do you notice all of God's creations? Maybe it's the tree with leaves that are full of color, or maybe it's the bird that sings beautiful songs. It's important to notice the small things in life, for they are like puzzle pieces that make up life. When you are feeling down, take a look around you and notice the wonderful creations! They are so beautiful :)

Goodbye Razgrad

I haven't even left, but I miss Bulgaria already. Today I left Razgrad, and now I am home in Sofia. My grandma lives in Razgrad, along with close friends, and relatives. I had a wonderful time in Razgrad. My family visited my grandma's house in a small town of Blagoevo. There my grandma grows all sorts of vegetables and fruits such as: tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, melons, peppers, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, and much more. My grandma also makes wine, and rakia (another alcoholic beverage). The fruits and vegetables are so delicious, you can pick them right off the tree/plant. They are definitely much sweeter and juicier than the ones you can buy from the grocery stores. I will post some pictures of how the house and the garden look like.

Fun in the Sun

Vacation is great, I think we can all agree! The Black Sea is the perfect place to relax in the sun, whether it's with family or friends. My family and I visit the beach in the early mornings (around 8ish) and later in the afternoons (around 7). We all really enjoy the sea, the sand, and the sea shells. The sand is fine, and beautiful. Beaches are filled with tourist from around world: Russia, Germany, France, Romania, Turkey, U.S.A and many more.I love hearing the different languages spoken around me. The tourist business is the biggest in Bulgaria, tourists are mostly found on the Black Sea beaches and resorts, and in the capital Sofia. I hope you visit Bulgaria some day! It is truly worth seeing. The history and fascinating architecture are worth the visit! I will post some pictures of the sea soon!

Balchik, Bulgaria

                        Souvenir shops were lined up all the way to the Botanical Garden and the Palace.

A creative sink which was part of the Palace.

                           Part of the Botanical Garden, was a greenhouse with various cacti plants.

A winery located near the Palace. 

                                              The view from above, the beautiful Black Sea.

                              You can see part of the Botanical Garden and the amazing sea-view.

The Black Sea

We are finally here at the Black Sea! So happy to be here with the family! Today we visited Kranevo, Balchik, and Varna. We were able to travel with our car from Razgrad to Varna, and then to a little town called Kranevo, close to the beach. Today it was a gorgeous day, a blessed day indeed. The sun was shining bright, the puffy white clouds were spread across the sky. Each day is a gift, and we need to value and rejoice. I will be posting some pictures soon and will be writing a whole lot more! :)

Cultural Differences

I thought I would share some differences between Bulgaria and the U.S. Here are some interesting facts about Bulgaria.

1) I have noticed that if you want to lock your door you don't turn your key to the right, but to the left, and to open the door you turn your key to the right. So in this case, righty-tighty and lefty-loosy does not apply.

2) When having a conversation you would often nod in agreement, right? Well, when agreeing with someone you would shake your head left and right, not up and down. So to physically say yes, you shake your head left and right. To say no, you would nod, up and down.

3) So of the other things I have noticed are that when going out for coffee people chose to put on their best clothes. I see women with heels, and great outfits all the time. Sitting at a cafe can take anywhere between 30 mins. (min.) to 2 hours or more (max.) When sitting at a cafe, people take the time to chat, drink a nice and also small cup of coffee, and enjoy time with friends.

4) Just like in cafe, restaurants are the same way. When eating a meal with friends/family people sit for hours, chatting the time away. It is the best time to catch up on ones' lives. Most restaurants, unlike the U.S., don't offer a box to take the meal home. Overall, when going out with friends, whether to a cafe or a restaurant, people take the time to catch up on life, and enjoy time spent together.

5)Plastic Bags. In the U.S. most stores offer free plastic bags. (stores like Cub, Target, Michael's) However, in Bulgaria stores offer plastic bags at the cost of 10 stotinki or 20 stotinki, depending on the store you visit. Of course not all stores are like that, but most grocery stores especially are. I think this is a great way to reduce pollution and garbage in Bulgaria. People use reusable bags and save money at the same time:)

Beauty seen from every corner of the world

Razgrad, Bulgaria

St. Aleksandar Nevsky (Cathedral)

National Historic Museum

Located in Sofia. The museum held artifacts and fossils from centuries ago.

So..where is Bulgaria?

I mention Bulgaria a lot, but I haven't mentioned where it is located yet. Bulgaria, as shown on the map in red, is located by Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, and Moldova. The location of Bulgaria is important, due to the many cultural influences countries have on Bulgaria's culture. If you ever travel to Eastern Europe you will notice many similarities between the countries in style, cuisine, and even social behavior. 

Family is Gold

This trip and project have taught me the importance of family. I am so blessed to have such a loving family. A family that always stands by me, no matter the circumstances. I mean, we can all agree that sometimes we disagree and fight with our siblings and parents. But, at the end of the day love conquers all. Family is greater than gold, than silver, and even money. Wealth comes and goes, but family will always withstand. That is why I love my family.

Downtown Sofia

Here are some pictures of downtown Sofia. The first three are of the National Theater-Ivan Vazov. The next one is of apartment buildings located downtown. Unlike the U.S. most people live in apartment buildings, due to the lack of space and large population. The last picture (sorry it is upside down) is the St. Aleksandar Nevsky Cathedral. The Cathedral is also one of the largest of the Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world.

Banica

Earlier in the blog I described Banica, but I will provide additional information about it here. Banica is a dish that has lasted for many years, and is still a part of the Bulgarian tradition. Banica is made with filo dough, Bulgarian cheese, eggs, yogurt, and oil. Banica's ingredients may differ depending on the region in Bulgaria and/or tradition of the cooks. It can be eaten as a side dish, a simple snack, or even a main meal. It is quick and easy to make, and is definitely something you must try!

Food. Food. And More Food.

Food in Bulgaria is flavorful, fulfilling, and definitely delicious. The image shows what we bought the first day. (I consider these foods my necessities.) To begin, I will describe each food item. Fanta, as you can see comes in varieties of flavors. We specifically like Fanta Lemon and Fanta Orange. The Fanta here is better than America's in my opinion. It has flavor, and less food coloring. The bottle in the middle is beer. Ariana is a popular brand in Bulgaria and it is consumed rather often during the summer. My parents enjoy a cool beer on a hot summer day. The small container on the right is yogurt. Yogurt is an everyday food staple. It is eaten with breakfast, lunch, and even sometimes dinner. (all depending on the menu) To the left, in the white wrapping you see Bulgarian Cheese. Bulgarian cheese is like feta cheese. It is also used in different meals, like Banica for example. Next to the cheese, is kashkaval. Kashaval is close to Mozerella cheese, and is definitely something most/all people have in their fridge. Last, but not least, is Syshenica. It is hard to explain but it is like dry/hard salami. It is delicious, and is especially consumed during the winter and winter holidays. I encourage you to visit Bulgaria and try the delicious food it has to offer!