Safe and Sound.

We are here in cold, wet, rainy Raleigh!

So far we've eaten bagels, smoked salmon, chai and white mochas and lots and lots of berries and yummy salads. I just can't get enough berries.

The next few weeks are filled with BFF's wedding, our yard sale and packing up for Boston. We have so many errands to run in the next few days!

Also, my Uncle Steve broke his back a few days ago, so prayers for him would be greatly appreciated as we wait to find out what his situation holds.

And remember, if you want to follow our adventures, we'll be over at BFFs in Boston from now on. It is much more mundane but, hey, we weren't cut out to be life-long world travelers. What I can promise is that we will always have fun.

*The link to the new blog is the words "BFFS in Boston" above.

Packed.

4 episodes of The Hills, Season One

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2 pieces of pink luggage

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1 pieces of black luggage

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1 piece of red luggage

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1 black carry-on bag

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1 brown leather tote

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We are packed. See you States-side!

Loose Ends

Nathan and I are about to walk out the door to collect signatures, pay the $150 we apparently owe the University and say goodbye to Blago.

We're coming back here tonight to pack, take pictures of everything we put in our suitcases*, and hopefully we some semblance of a good night's sleep before we depart verrrrry early tomorrow morning. We take a taxi to the bus station, a bus to Sofia, another cab to the airport, a plane to London, another plane to JFK, have an overnight layover in the States (!), call in to BFF Bev's Bachelorette Bash, drink a chai, hopefully have a smoothie of some sort and then fly home to Raleigh!

I'm hoping to take a picture of me in my traveling outfit (black yoga pants, Lilly-inspired AXiD shirt, Chacos, Red Sox hat with a french braid) to compare to my fabulous Bridesmaids' Luncheon outfit on Sunday (I'm thinking polka dots or Vineyard Vines).

So check back here tomorrow morning...and then on Monday for the second outfit. After that, all the magic happens at BFFs in Boston!

*You should always take pictures of EVERYTHING you check. If your luggage every gets lost, then you have time-stamped proof of all the things that we in there so that you can fill out your form in very detailed way. I'm always super nervous about luggage getting lost--especially with such complicated international travel (3 countries, 2 airlines).

One Down, One To Go

I just finished my Bulgarian exam. I'm so glad that's over!

Poor Nathan had to stay up all night to get his Bulgarian projects done and he still has a bit of math to finish. He's been doing math non-stop for the past few weeks. He's doing some independent research, studying for the Math GREs and trying to finish his regular schoolwork. That's hardcore.

It's all paying off though--yesterday he Linear Algebra professor complemented him by pointing out that Nathan proved something much more elegantly (and harder!) than the professor himself did. Way to go!

I still have to take my Byzantine History exam in an hour, so what am I doing as a good little student? Reading Byzantine Empire articles on Wikipedia (Hey--I already read two scholarly general histories! This is just a refresher.) and then reading Glamour because I love reading free Glamour and I love how the AUBG library smells like my elementary school library.

Tomorrow is all about packing and getting a crazy number of signatures on paperwork so AUBG will release our transcripts. Seriously, you have to get the signatures in order and the offices are about a kilometer apart! We have to walk from Main Building to Skapto to Main Building to Skapto! I'm not looking forward to it.

So this is it, kids. By 1:00 today I'll be donedonedone with college. Saturday morning we fly back to the States. Sunday afternoon kicks off BFF's wedding week and from there on out it is a blur of busyness until we move into the new apartment of June 1st. Still no jobs, but I've now applied to over 60 positions! Come on!

Oh, Bulgaria.

Did you know I love rainy days? I really do--as long as no driving is involved. A lot of really great things happened last night (that I can't discuss right now) and I woke up this morning to the sound of rain and I really knew it was going to be okay and that my prayers were being answered. Rain speaks to me.

After our exams this morning, Nathan had a meeting with his math professor so I got to walk home by myself in the rain. I had dressed for the occasion--cuffed jeans, long sleeve tee, navy blue Mary Jane style Crocs and Vera Bradley apple green umbrella. I love how walking in the rain can clear your head. Since we fly home Saturday and we start packing tomorrow, I've obviously been thinking a lot about Bulgaria. I got to talk to my best friend for hours yesterday and it was amazing. While talking to her, I came to number of conclusions about things Bulgaria has taught me and how I've changed and things I'm going to miss.

So, in no particular order....
I'm going to miss 2 leva bills. Seriously, they are such a good idea.

I'm going to miss ATMs that will give you 10s instead of just 20s.

I'm going to miss how I often catch smells in the air that remind me of my grandmothers.

I'm going to miss how you don't have to constantly hear cars here. There are no cars in the city center. None. Zip. It's wonderful. You're downtown and you hear birds and old men playing violin.

I'm going to miss how it is perfectly okay here to sit an outdoor cafe and talk with friends and family. Most college students have this kinds of luxuries, but here it is not limited to students. Everyone can have some leisure in the day.

I'm going to miss the wicker furniture of outdoor cafes. Easily some of the most stylish things in my life I've seen at cafes.

I love all the things that Bulgaria has taught me. I eat a lot less now and while I wish I was mostly eating fruits and vegetables, it is still a useful thing to have picked up. And the fruits and vegetables are waiting for me in Raleigh!

I love that here I took up jogging. I can do a 5K now and I truly couldn't have done that a few months ago.

I love that Bulgaria has taught me that I don't need "stuff." Never once in our time here have we missed the stuff. Never. Never ever. It's true that I might miss scented bath products that I left at home, but I don't truly miss them. Here, we own things--they don't own us. I have never really gone shopping here. I don't need to. I'm so glad Bulgaria taught me this lesson.

I'm very excited to get back to some of the things I left at home (particularly all of the wedding presents we have yet to use), but I don't need those things. They are wonderful to have, but everything I truly need I already have.

I love all the time Bulgaria gave me to sit quietly with my thoughts or talk to Nathan. Without this time, I'd probably be headed to graduate school in the fall about to get involved in something that is not following my bliss.

I love that the unexpected travel surprises I've encountered here have calmed me down a lot. My patience has increased about a hundred fold.

Ah...rainy days. They really are the best.

Sighted in Blagoevgrad

I had all intentions of taking pictures of falafel and duners when Nathan and I took a study break today. (Side note--yes, we actually studied!)

I really, really wish I hadn't forgotten my camera because we passed quite the sight in the city center.

There were two guys, dressed up in super-stereotypical Sioux costumes (think: those guys on the side of the road in Cherokee, NC) playing drums and selling dreamcatchers!

It was bizarre.

Hapy Birthday, Baby Girl!

Today is Baby Girl #2's birthday. I was taking finals the day she was born and didn't get to meet her until a week later. Here's some pictures from the last few years (but no current ones)....