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!
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