Whirlwind 5 weeks in NY

My weeks have been spent in Ithaca.  The quiet isolation of central New York (thank you, Colleen) is a welcome retreat as I adjust to life in my home country and state.  (Incidentally, the adjustment coming home is nearly as difficult as it was moving to Bulgaria in the first place.  Things are so fast, so big, so expensive.)  There is much to do here, yet, we haven't really had the time to take advantage of the wineries, the lakes, the gorges, the hiking.  Rebuilding my life from the ground up is all-consuming.  My days have been spent interviewing, apartment shopping, car shopping, researching, packing, moving, and trying to keep in touch with everyone.  In between all of that, we have spent every weekend driving back and forth to the city and its surrounding area to visit family and deal with my impending relocation.  There has been some house-elfing along the way, as well as school stuff.  Summer school at Cornell is rough on the students and their cheerleaders!  

Of course there has also been some eating...unfortunately for you, my gastronomic pleasure has not been documented in photographs.  I can tell you that there have been steaks, burgers, Chinese, pizza, Tex-Mex, ice cream from the Cornell Dairy Barn, Blueberry Mountain, and other local homemade places, Rox-made pecan pie, banana cream pie, chocolate chip cookies, and many other delicious treats.  

For my foodie friends, I did manage to remember to take pictures at our family shin-dig...Italian food galore!  

Family at the shin-dig:

And some 4th of July fun in the city:

As summer classes are winding down, my job is secured, my lease signed...we're starting to gear up for fun.  (I'm still hoping to get a car, get moved in, and take care of paperwork before this weekend; then the fun can begin.)  Thanks to Geoffrey and Cora, we have a relaxing week coming up as a reward for all of our hard work, followed by lots of adventure.  It may be the end of the summer, but it's the beginning of a whole new world...hang in there loyal readers...it will likely be the end of August before you see another update, but I promise, the wait will be worthwhile!

And don't forget...a certain blog author has a birthday coming up on August 29....

Making a list, checking it twice...

Job? Check.

English 9 at Mahopac High School

Car? Still working on that one...

Apartment? Check.

See the video below. It's a creepy horror movie kind of homevideo, but you'll get a look inside what is soon to be my apartment.

My commute will be under 2 miles and I will be on a train line to the city. I have a spare room, so I expect visitors!

Moving on...

I'm sorry.

I've done an absolutely terrible job of taking photographs and writing in these first weeks back.  Cut me some slack though...I've gotten a new job, I'm finalizing the plans for a new apartment, and I'm still in search of a not-so-new car.  Never fear, I will get back in the groove shortly.  I'll be relocating my blog to a new site...details to follow.  Summer photos will be posted, along with images of my new home, and stories of re-entry to the US.  Stay tuned...

Довиждане Bulgaria!

Now that I've been home for five weeks, I'm finally getting around to writing this final post to say goodbye to Bulgaria.  

Many events took place this year that at the time I didn't understand, but looking back, I am once again reminded that everything happens for a reason.  Under Marie's tutelage, I've followed the road signs of the universe and they have led me to a pretty great place, home.  As Andre Aciman said, "One always longs for the other home but home, as one learns soon enough, is a place where one imagines or remembers other homes."  Leaving Bulgaria is bittersweet.  It has become home, one where I dreamt of New York, yet also one I am sad to leave behind.  As I depart from good new friends, shared experiences, crazy sights, intense history, exhilarating travel, and life-altering memories, I fly to a common history, an easy life I will no longer take for granted, a new sense of silliness and adventure, good old friends, and a newly deepened connection with family.  Home truly is where the heart is - after living abroad, mine is with all of you  For those who kept me close this year, thank you.  

And now...what I will miss about living in Bulgaria:

the Stephens family!

"I'll ram ya!"

PT Cruiser

the morning dude

"Stop building crap!"

too many dicks on the dance floor

dick in a box and sugar lumps

Polski food and music

the Soup Kitchen

hot and sour

coconut chicken ginger

chicken and dumpling

ESKIMO PIES

walking to and from school - the jungle way

solving the problems of the world, the meaning of life, and political discussions

buddies in self-destructive behavior

dorm life!

skyping my next-door neighbors

sporcling 

never-never land

rediscovering music

walking with my ipod, belting it out

tons of new tunes

cool computer tricks

ninjavideo

Seyna and Eastern European waxing

my dressmaker

Boris and the theatre

cream puffs

tik vanik

shopska

parsley croquettes

kavarma

mish mash

doners

tiramisu

dinner on the roof of Spag Co

cafe culture and sitting for hours

wine, lots of wine

power yoga

yoga mat naps!

the plethora of incongruities

Bulgarian BINGO

Bulgarian time

fashion

birthday wishes and chocolates

"Happy new..."

Baba Marta

partying like it's St. George's Day

school security guards

lunch dates and walks 'round campus

open campus and ten minute breaks

students who say hello and goodbye

travel

airport ease

all night skype dates

ям

I have so many wonderful memories and I have learned so much. Because this post is for posterity, I'll focus only on the good of Bulgaria.  (It isn't necessary to enumerate all the ways in which New York rules.  Any time I need a reminder, I can just play "Ode to Bulgaria," the best gift ever!  Thanks Danny!)  But NY is not my only home; Bulgaria became my home too...so my friends, though we're scattering far and wide, no tears unless they are tears of laughter because our paths will cross again as we text, email, blog, and skype to plan where we'll meet and what we'll eat! 

Here's to life lessons, forever friends, health and happiness - nazdrave!

"Ode to Bulgaria"

Oh, to live in Bulgaria..

We have New York steaks, smothered in onions

You have poorly paved roads that give your feet bunions

We have filets, prepared medium rare

You have magic rubbish that floats through the air 

We have chili, just bubbling with cheddar

You have "yellow cheese", now which one tastes better?

Our hot dogs and cold cuts sure are delicious

Your boiled eggs and oatmeal, I guess, are nutritious 

We have supermarkets, with items galore

You have fruit stands, and butchers, and corner stores

We swipe a card and go on our way

While you sit counting leva, just trying to pay

When we take a cab, we know what we're getting

Yours turns off the meter and leaves you there fretting

We have Spanish and Hindi, but English abounds

Your alphabet has numbers, and letters turned 'round

We have White Castle, baked goods, and Broadway

You have a calendar to mark off each lost day

For a quick home-cooked snack, we grab mac and cheese

Well, you can have it too! Just say "Fed-Ex" Please

A trip to Manhattan yields the best pizza but

the best you can do is good old Pizza Hut

Macaroni, sausage, and homemade meatballs?

Bad water, no fennel, and ground beef recalls

The one thing I'll give you is the splendor of your cream puffs

and how you dive in after rolling up your sleeve cuffs

When you speak of them, my ears do start buzzin'

If only I could walk to Wegmans and pay 3.99 a dozen :D

I guess which you like is a matter of preference

Unfortunately for you, time is of the essence

So make up your mind, decide what to do 

Then on your foot, get "I Eat" tattooed 

Whether you stay or whether you go

Each one of us loves you, this much you know

So drink cappuccino and eat tiramisu

And keep in your heart that we all miss you

Now, as for my poem, it's come to an end

It's almost midnight, and oh yes, my friend

I live in America, so this I can do

Order my takeout until well after two

What should I have? Well let me see

The possibilities are endless, but maybe Chinese

I'll pick what I want, and dial a phone

And in no time at all, they'll come to my home

I love this country!

Best of...

As my final two Bulgarian posts, I'm going to do a best of montage.  This first post will be a collection of images from my favorite trips and places outside of Bulgaria this year.  If you're using me as a reference for future trips...this is the post for you:

Athens/Delphi:

   

This was one of the most incredible places I have ever been.  The connection to history and literature, the geography, the magic in the air...in spite of what people told me, I loved Athens, but I wouldn't have loved it nearly as much if we hadn't gone to Delphi.

Baden Baden:

Just when I needed it most, along came Baden Baden (and thanks to Geoffrey and Cora, also Strasbourg and Heidelberg).  It is the most beautiful non-island paradise I have ever experienced.  I met Geoffrey and Cora only a few months ago, and prior to that I'd never heard of Baden Baden...now I'm thrilled to have such great friends and I'm already planning my next trip to visit them there!  With so many incredible places in the world to see, a return trip speaks volumes.

Budapest:

Big, wide boulevards...great food...lovely people...Budapest was an incredible experience.  We were there for Christmas and I hope to get back someday during the spring, as I can only imagine how incredible it is then.  Don't miss St. Stephen's and the baths!

Istanbul:

Everyone wants to go to Istanbul to see the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque...and they were amazing.  What knocked my socks off however, was the Basillica Cistern.  Everyone should see Turkey, particularly Istanbul as it is a crossroads of culture.  It's a pretty phenomenal experience.

New York:

What can I say...I'm a Europhile, but New York will always be home.  Visiting my family over spring break proved to be a pivotal moment in my year.  

Prague:

I'll admit - I was skeptical.  Another Eastern European city and one that had been hyped by everyone...surely it couldn't live up to my expectations.  It really did.  Prague is as beautiful as people say.  Totally worth the trip...I'd go back.  And fyi...St. Vitus Church at Prague Castle is without a doubt, the most incredible church I've ever seen.  It has edged out Sainte Chapelle as my new favorite.

Valencia:

We spent Thanksgiving here.  I knew nothing about Valencia, but found a cheap flight and decided to give it a shot.  It turned out to be one of my favorite cities, ever.  My memories are a little bittersweet now, since it was the last trip Greg and I took together, but all in all, it was a fabulous place and fabulous trip.

Vienna:

Vienna was ok.  Honestly, of all the places I've been, it wasn't my favorite (but everyone else in the world loves it, so you may want to go see it anyway).  My time there though was one of my best trips.  The weather was perfect, the gardens were in bloom, and Jr. and I had a blast together.  We ate well, walked a lot, and bonded.  And to top it all off, this was my first trip accompanied by music that subsequently became the soundtrack of my spring and my link to my home and my future.