One year ago today, May 19th 2009, 61 scared Americans and I stepped off American soil and onto a plane headed across the ocean to enter the unknown. One day later, of the 62 that arrived, one stepped back on a plane and returned. Of the 62 that arrived one year ago, 56 will celebrate their one year anniversary in Bulgaria.
I guess it is time to reflect on the past 365 days. Let's just say that when I first got here, I was not thinking of the future. If I did, I would have driven myself insane. Those first days weeks and months are so difficult and long and scary and new that if you project out into the future and try to grasp the upcoming 27 months, you will lose your mind, begin crying, possibly start banging your head and utterly feel helpless. So it was best just to take it one day at a time and not really think of the future too much. With that said, even though I didn't look to the future and wonder what life for me would be like at the 1 year point, I don't think I could have imagined myself feeling this good, this happy and feeling more like myself.
My job and average day are not necessarily ideally what I would like to be doing but things are slowly but surely moving in the direction of the ideal. It also takes me a bit to see what my expectations are of me being here, and what my town's expectations are. When I combine the two, I see that I am actually doing a pretty good job in terms of work. Everyone is happy so what more can I ask for?
During our last trip around the sun, I have emotionally, spiritually and cognitively matured a lifetime. For this, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve as a volunteer in Bulgaria.
I dare to say that my days spent in Koynare are comparable to my last 2 years in high school. I walk down the street confidently, greeting many people along the way, some of which require a shout across the town center. I have good conversations with my coworkers and friends, kids seek me out to talk to me or invite me places, and everyone is used to my language mishaps followed by a smile and laugh. The weekends are spent with Cveti or American friends and we always enjoy each others company. I feel as much at home in this town of 5,000 in northern Bulgaria as I have anywhere else. And all that after 1 year?
What will come of the next 15 months? I only foresee it getting better. The language will continue to improve, relations with townspeople will strengthen, trust will be reinforced and the gap between cultural expectations will continue to narrow. This is my current expectation and I hope it is accurate.
As for the new volunteers... there are 5 of them that arrived in Koynare last Sunday. They will all teach English. I'll give a quick description of each based on the limited knowledge I have so far. We have a married couple who are older. The husband recently retired as a NASA engineer and named Michael. His wife is Karen and I don't know anything else about them except that they have great personalities. There is a guy around 30 years old name Nick who speaks a bit of Russian and is getting along really well here. He was a teacher in Portland, OR. A girl named Deanna, or Diana (not sure), is around 24 years old and comes from Pennsylvania. The other girl is named Basima and she had a birthday yesterday bringing her to 23 years. She is from Ohio.
All of them will do great. They have good personalities and are ambitious to help. I am super excited to have the 5 of them here! I have already been out to dinner twice with Nick's family that he is staying with. I am helping the families and the volunteers communicate so it makes me feel good, and I get a free meal out of it. :)
So with 1 year behind me and at least another to go, I am doing better than good. Everyday I am thankful for the events that took place which put me here.
This weekend I am going to Moravitsa to meet the volunteers that are there now... I was assured by the staff at headquarters that they will live up to the town's expectations that my group set...
Take care!
Rory
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Learn something new today.
This blog is like dirty laundry. I know it's there, I know the longer I wait to do it the more stuff builds up, I know that I should just get it over with and dive in... but I'm just lazy. So I let it build up and I go weeks without doing either my laundry or writing in my blog. Speaking of laundry, my washing machine broke again, for the 3rd time. This is what happens when you purchase a German made washing machine from a second hand store... I now need to find someone to figure out why it isn't pulling water into it... especially since I waited until the last minute to do laundry only to find out the machine is broke.
Here is a link to my vbox profile - vbox is like youtube, but without all the copyright stuff... :) http://vbox7.com/user:panterarn?p=allvideos
These videos, if they load for you, are from the park day.
Tomorrow the new batch of volunteers arrive in Bulgaria. I bet they are scared out of their minds and anxious and all that good stuff. In fact, I remember that feeling like it was yesterday. Rory 1.0 boards the plane and hears the German flight attendants go through the security brief. I thought to myself, "well... good-bye native English speakers..." and so began my journey. Almost 1 year ago. It will actually be May 20th 2010 that will mark my 1 year anniversary. It's amazing I have been here that long. I feel like a COMPLETELY different person. I have gained 10 years of wisdom in 1 year of living. I think anyone that has a burning desire to learn something new should join the Peace Corps. I look back on the last year and all the stories I have and things I have done and seen... And then I compare that to the year before that... and I see nothing but a couple big deals both won and lost at work, talking on the phone for hours at a time, same routine during the week only broken up by joyous rides in my wonderful ex-girlfriend/jeep Rubi. There were things that happened that were out of the norm day to day, but nothing like this. I am not saying my time in the states was bad, it was just so ordinary. I pretty much knew what everyday would bring and where things would be. But here... something new each day. That is not a lie or exaggeration. I see, learn, hear, do, make, experience something new EVERY... SINGLE... DAY. Who else can say that? I challenge you, think of yesterday and tell me what you experienced that was new? For me, I became the professional photographer for the 12th grade graduation in my town. I went through every motion with them for their ceremony. I had never experienced how Koynare students graduate from high school.
Last weekend, we had a 4 day weekend. I took Wednesday off as well and went to Cveti's town. She had her graduation ceremony. It was great. We then went and hung out with all her friends from her class at a party that night. On Thursday, Ashley, Dan, Cveti and I went to Varna which is one of the big tourist destinations for Europeans when they want to go to the Black Sea. It was their off season, but it was still great. So we spent Thursday through Sunday there. The weather was ideal for me... 70-75 and sunny. We went to the beach, went swimming in the 60 degree water, went to the hot springs, sang karaoke, played pool, went shopping, Ashley ate sushi, drank a Guinness, etc... It was grand.
I will be trading Scooter for another dog that will fit my life a little better. I like Scooter, he just needs a different place to live. He is too energetic and too high maintenance for a single working person who lives in an apartment. But the dog that I will get is way more chill. She is house-broken, likes staying indoors, quiet, loving, etc... or so they have told me. We will see when the time comes. Keep your fingers crossed. I love dogs and would love to have the right one for me.
On a side note, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Especially mine. I appreciate the hard work and love you put into raising me.I am forever grateful, even if I don't always say it. And thanks especially this year for the love and support you gave me for my first year in Bulgaria. I know that wasn't easy but it meant the world to me. I couldn't be here if I didn't have your support. Thanks Mom - I love you.
Rory
Here is a link to my vbox profile - vbox is like youtube, but without all the copyright stuff... :) http://vbox7.com/user:panterarn?p=allvideos
These videos, if they load for you, are from the park day.
Tomorrow the new batch of volunteers arrive in Bulgaria. I bet they are scared out of their minds and anxious and all that good stuff. In fact, I remember that feeling like it was yesterday. Rory 1.0 boards the plane and hears the German flight attendants go through the security brief. I thought to myself, "well... good-bye native English speakers..." and so began my journey. Almost 1 year ago. It will actually be May 20th 2010 that will mark my 1 year anniversary. It's amazing I have been here that long. I feel like a COMPLETELY different person. I have gained 10 years of wisdom in 1 year of living. I think anyone that has a burning desire to learn something new should join the Peace Corps. I look back on the last year and all the stories I have and things I have done and seen... And then I compare that to the year before that... and I see nothing but a couple big deals both won and lost at work, talking on the phone for hours at a time, same routine during the week only broken up by joyous rides in my wonderful ex-girlfriend/jeep Rubi. There were things that happened that were out of the norm day to day, but nothing like this. I am not saying my time in the states was bad, it was just so ordinary. I pretty much knew what everyday would bring and where things would be. But here... something new each day. That is not a lie or exaggeration. I see, learn, hear, do, make, experience something new EVERY... SINGLE... DAY. Who else can say that? I challenge you, think of yesterday and tell me what you experienced that was new? For me, I became the professional photographer for the 12th grade graduation in my town. I went through every motion with them for their ceremony. I had never experienced how Koynare students graduate from high school.
Last weekend, we had a 4 day weekend. I took Wednesday off as well and went to Cveti's town. She had her graduation ceremony. It was great. We then went and hung out with all her friends from her class at a party that night. On Thursday, Ashley, Dan, Cveti and I went to Varna which is one of the big tourist destinations for Europeans when they want to go to the Black Sea. It was their off season, but it was still great. So we spent Thursday through Sunday there. The weather was ideal for me... 70-75 and sunny. We went to the beach, went swimming in the 60 degree water, went to the hot springs, sang karaoke, played pool, went shopping, Ashley ate sushi, drank a Guinness, etc... It was grand.
I will be trading Scooter for another dog that will fit my life a little better. I like Scooter, he just needs a different place to live. He is too energetic and too high maintenance for a single working person who lives in an apartment. But the dog that I will get is way more chill. She is house-broken, likes staying indoors, quiet, loving, etc... or so they have told me. We will see when the time comes. Keep your fingers crossed. I love dogs and would love to have the right one for me.
On a side note, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Especially mine. I appreciate the hard work and love you put into raising me.I am forever grateful, even if I don't always say it. And thanks especially this year for the love and support you gave me for my first year in Bulgaria. I know that wasn't easy but it meant the world to me. I couldn't be here if I didn't have your support. Thanks Mom - I love you.
Rory
Friday, April 30, 2010
Park project completion, interviews and new blood
I was on here like 2 days ago and I swear there was a button that let me upload videos... Apparently it is no longer there. I really want to show the video that I made of the park project we did last weekend, but I guess it won't happen. Unfortunately I added a great song to the video, and now youtube won't let me upload it do to "copyright violations"... whatever that is.
The park project went unbelievably well. We had at least 30 kids there, the mayor, my coworkers, Cveti, and a news crew came. I was interviewed along with the Mayor and one of the other kids in my group. It was awesome. I am a super star. They had me on TV. I think the interview is terrible and that I am just a mumbling fool trying to answer the questions, but the Bulgarians that have seen it said I did a "great job" so I guess it wasn't all that bad. Or they are just being nice...
The kids and I worked from 9am until about 1pm or so, maybe later. We all had pizza and drinks and cleaned while listening to music. Everyone was really enthusiastic and the such. Now we are waiting until next week to get some park benches installed, flowers, bushes and maybe some actual pathways made. If it all goes to plan, this park is going to totally be transformed. It's really great to see that these kids are the ones responsible. I have just kind of guided their hand, but in the end, it was them that made it all happen.
In a few weeks, the new volunteers come! They will get here on May 15th, which is Cveti's birthday, and also a Saturday. Koynare is getting 6 new American volunteers! I will unfortunately not be here when they arrive as I will be celebrating Cveti's birthday. On Monday the 17th, I have to be in Sofia too for a dentist appointment... So I won't get to meet them until they have been here 3 days! I really want to get to see them and their wide eyes during the first few days when they see what they have gotten into.
Plus, any of you that know me well, know how much I love to take people under my wing when they are going through something that I have experienced. I've done that my whole life and I will do it again! This is gonna be fun.
That's all for now, projects are moving forward, weather is getting warmer, and I'm staying busy.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Summary of Booboo and Pop's Visit
I am back from my vacation and time with my parents. To say that the trip was great would be an understatement. I had an absolutely amazing time! I met my parents in Sofia on Saturday the 10th of April. I was with Dan when we picked them up from the airport. We rented a car and got checked into the hotel, which was probably the nicest hotel in Sofia! Then met up with Ashley. The five of us went out to a traditional Bulgarian restaurant for dinner. Afterwards we did a little walking around Sofia to see the sights and what not. From the travel, my parents were obviously tired and they went back to the hotel. Dan, Ashley and I went out to a bar and met up with some other volunteers that were in town. Day 1 with the folks was over. On the second day, we got up, ate some mexican food and dropped Ashley and Dan off at the train station. My parents and I enjoyed a long drive out to Veliko Turnovo. We arrived late in the afternoon, got a hotel room and did the old walk around Veliko Turnovo. We were still a bit tired from the trip and all that, so we crashed early. We got up and did the old tourist stuff around town. We went to a big castle, went down some old streets, saw some cool monuments and those kind of things. We then got back in the car (after we charged the battery since "someone" is used to cars automatically turning off their lights...) and drove to Koynare. On the way into town, we ran into Pepi, my coworker. We talked to him a bit, then went to go check out my apartment. It was super duper clean and everything was good. After that, we went out to Cherven Bryag, a nearby town, to check into the hotel that is there. Ok, now we are on the next day. My parents and I went to Koynare again, I went to work for a bit where they met all the people I work with on a daily basis. There was a meeting that we attended and then went to the cafe with the mayor of the town. I had an afternoon meeting with my group about the park project too. From there, we departed Koynare, went to get Cveti in Byala Slatina, and then continued on to Vratsa and Moravitsa.
My folks got to see Moravitsa where we met up with Rosen and his family. We had beers at the cafe and then headed back in to Vratsa for a dinner with his parents. It was an absolute blast. The food was amazing. His mom cooked all day for us and had a million things to eat. We drank rakia, ate salads and traditional food, and laughed and laughed. It was wonderful. I think it was probably the most memorable dinner ever, even if we did consume a bit too much rakia.
The next day we awoke with headaches, packed our bags and headed into Sofia. We went to the Peace Corps office for an hour or so. My parents got to meet my bosses at the Peace Corps and see where the Bulgarian headquarters are. Then we got to the airport, and without any problems, departed for Barcelona.
We arrived late at night, around midnight, in Barcelona. Cveti, my parents and I together went to the hotel where we quickly fell asleep. The next day we walked all over Barcelona checking out whatever we could. Actually, the next 2 days were like that. We were staying in a beautiful hotel in central Barcelona and we just walked all over the place when we were there. After those 2 days, we moved locations to The W Hotel in Barcelona. We were living large! The W is on the water and kind of removed from the city. But the hotel lacked nothing. Beautiful rooms with beautiful views. Good food, nice people, a pool, bar, club, restaurant... the works. During those days, we went out into the city and saw a castle and a cathedral that is being built. Cveti and I made a trip to the aquarium one day to see the sharks. She had never been to one, so it was a real treat.
Anyways, come the last full day we were there, my parents realized that their flights were cancelled due to some volcanic activity that shut down almost all flights in Europe. This was Sunday and they were supposed to fly out Monday morning at around the same time Cveti and I were. Well, the next flight they could get booked on was on THURSDAY. This was a slight problem because my dad is starting his new job on Wednesday.
Well, Cveti and I went to the airport on Monday morning, around 4am, with fingers crossed that our flights were green-lighted. And luckily they were! We had no issues getting back. The flights we were on flew south of the ash cloud that was causing all the problems.
So we left my parents in Barcelona where they enjoyed a few more days on their own. I just got an email from them saying that they are travelling back right now and that there are no problems so far.
All in all - the trip was amazing. The last 10 days or so couldnt have been better. It was amazing seeing them, we had a great time, made many memories, shared many laughs and they really got to get a feel for my life in Koynare. Things were perfect. Needless to say, it was very difficult to say goodbye to them.
Sorry this wasn't real funny - this was more for my own records, but hopefully you enjoyed reading it anyways.
Take care,
Rory
My folks got to see Moravitsa where we met up with Rosen and his family. We had beers at the cafe and then headed back in to Vratsa for a dinner with his parents. It was an absolute blast. The food was amazing. His mom cooked all day for us and had a million things to eat. We drank rakia, ate salads and traditional food, and laughed and laughed. It was wonderful. I think it was probably the most memorable dinner ever, even if we did consume a bit too much rakia.
The next day we awoke with headaches, packed our bags and headed into Sofia. We went to the Peace Corps office for an hour or so. My parents got to meet my bosses at the Peace Corps and see where the Bulgarian headquarters are. Then we got to the airport, and without any problems, departed for Barcelona.
We arrived late at night, around midnight, in Barcelona. Cveti, my parents and I together went to the hotel where we quickly fell asleep. The next day we walked all over Barcelona checking out whatever we could. Actually, the next 2 days were like that. We were staying in a beautiful hotel in central Barcelona and we just walked all over the place when we were there. After those 2 days, we moved locations to The W Hotel in Barcelona. We were living large! The W is on the water and kind of removed from the city. But the hotel lacked nothing. Beautiful rooms with beautiful views. Good food, nice people, a pool, bar, club, restaurant... the works. During those days, we went out into the city and saw a castle and a cathedral that is being built. Cveti and I made a trip to the aquarium one day to see the sharks. She had never been to one, so it was a real treat.
Anyways, come the last full day we were there, my parents realized that their flights were cancelled due to some volcanic activity that shut down almost all flights in Europe. This was Sunday and they were supposed to fly out Monday morning at around the same time Cveti and I were. Well, the next flight they could get booked on was on THURSDAY. This was a slight problem because my dad is starting his new job on Wednesday.
Well, Cveti and I went to the airport on Monday morning, around 4am, with fingers crossed that our flights were green-lighted. And luckily they were! We had no issues getting back. The flights we were on flew south of the ash cloud that was causing all the problems.
So we left my parents in Barcelona where they enjoyed a few more days on their own. I just got an email from them saying that they are travelling back right now and that there are no problems so far.
All in all - the trip was amazing. The last 10 days or so couldnt have been better. It was amazing seeing them, we had a great time, made many memories, shared many laughs and they really got to get a feel for my life in Koynare. Things were perfect. Needless to say, it was very difficult to say goodbye to them.
Sorry this wasn't real funny - this was more for my own records, but hopefully you enjoyed reading it anyways.
Take care,
Rory
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
My Parents Are Coming! and a special thanks to Hannah Montana.
Maliiiiii!!! As they say around these parts... I think it means like "Oh wow! It's unbelievable!" In this case, I use the phrase to describe my last couple of weeks. Let me say it again: Maaa-LIIIIIIII!
I am writing this blog during quite a busy time for me due to a special request from a Mr. Tom Stien, former controller of my life at work. But Mr. Stien, I thank you for the request, because I gots me some things to say!
First off - I want to thank Miley Cyrus and her organization "Get Ur Good On" for granting my volunteer youth group $450 dollars to complete our first service project! The win was huge - 100 groups got grants up to $500 dollars. 90 of the groups were in the US, my group was one of ten to win internationally! Pretty sweet! I am totally pumped and so are the kids I work with. As always, with a win like this, comes great responsibility and more work. I have been busting my behind to get everything set up for the project completion deadline of April 25th.
And now to throw in the kicker - my parents are coming here on this Saturday, April 10th! I am so freaking excited for that it's not even funny. I will pick them up on Saturday from the airport in Sofia where we will stay for the night. That night, they will meet a couple of my closest friends here. Then, the next day, we will travel to a great city here called Veliko Turnovo where we will stay the next night. After that, we will travel to my town, Koynare, to check it out. We will stay here for 2 days. Then on the 14th we will pick up the lovely Cveti and head to Sofia again. This time we will catch a plane and bounce on over to Barcelona where we will stay until the 19th!
On the 20th I have a meeting in Sofia with the Peace Corps. I will return to Koynare on the 21st.
So if any of you were paying attention to the dates, you will know that I will only have 4 days after they come to complete this project of installing park benches, tables, flowers, shrubs, maybe a gazebo, painting the benches, cleaning the park, planting grass, and educating as many people as possible on environmental awareness and recruiting volunteers and getting the media there. Oh, and we still haven't received the money yet, so I have to buy everything too... This is not a lot of time. So these past 2 weeks I have been getting everyone on the same page to execute these needs without me. I will be in town on the 13th though, with my parents, to really finalize it all before I depart.
I am actually pretty confident in the people here that are helping with this project and I think it will all come together smoothly. I will still lose lots of sleep over it though.
And here is yet one more thing - Cveti and I are not 100% if she needs a passport to fly to Spain, or if her ID card will suffice. Some websites say ID card is enough, others say a passport is needed. She was told by a police officer in her town that she needed the passport. So today she went to the passport place to apply for a 3 day passport - but as our luck has it, Bulgaria just mandated a new format for their passports for EVERYONE. So the place was packed. Totally packed. They told her after she waited 4-5 hours that they would "do their best" to get her the passport in 3 days. If they can't do it in three days, it will be within the month and they will refund her the extra 40 leva... gee, thanks.
Well, that's where we stand now. I have heard from some people here that have traveled to Spain that they didn't need a passport, while others say you do. Websites even are confusing. One website said that passports were required, then under that it said "passport exemptions: Holders of National Identity Cards issued to nationals of Bulgaria." I am confused - a straight answer from a credible source would be nice.
Other successes - I got about 60 books in English delivered here from the Darien Book Aid Plan. That was sweet. Also, I was told that a bunch of sports equipment is on its way here. I've started lifting weights again. Annndd I had a great Easter weekend.
I'm sure that I am forgetting something but that's what's going on right now with me.
Till next time - I'll post pictures from Barcelona.
Rory
I am writing this blog during quite a busy time for me due to a special request from a Mr. Tom Stien, former controller of my life at work. But Mr. Stien, I thank you for the request, because I gots me some things to say!
First off - I want to thank Miley Cyrus and her organization "Get Ur Good On" for granting my volunteer youth group $450 dollars to complete our first service project! The win was huge - 100 groups got grants up to $500 dollars. 90 of the groups were in the US, my group was one of ten to win internationally! Pretty sweet! I am totally pumped and so are the kids I work with. As always, with a win like this, comes great responsibility and more work. I have been busting my behind to get everything set up for the project completion deadline of April 25th.
And now to throw in the kicker - my parents are coming here on this Saturday, April 10th! I am so freaking excited for that it's not even funny. I will pick them up on Saturday from the airport in Sofia where we will stay for the night. That night, they will meet a couple of my closest friends here. Then, the next day, we will travel to a great city here called Veliko Turnovo where we will stay the next night. After that, we will travel to my town, Koynare, to check it out. We will stay here for 2 days. Then on the 14th we will pick up the lovely Cveti and head to Sofia again. This time we will catch a plane and bounce on over to Barcelona where we will stay until the 19th!
On the 20th I have a meeting in Sofia with the Peace Corps. I will return to Koynare on the 21st.
So if any of you were paying attention to the dates, you will know that I will only have 4 days after they come to complete this project of installing park benches, tables, flowers, shrubs, maybe a gazebo, painting the benches, cleaning the park, planting grass, and educating as many people as possible on environmental awareness and recruiting volunteers and getting the media there. Oh, and we still haven't received the money yet, so I have to buy everything too... This is not a lot of time. So these past 2 weeks I have been getting everyone on the same page to execute these needs without me. I will be in town on the 13th though, with my parents, to really finalize it all before I depart.
I am actually pretty confident in the people here that are helping with this project and I think it will all come together smoothly. I will still lose lots of sleep over it though.
And here is yet one more thing - Cveti and I are not 100% if she needs a passport to fly to Spain, or if her ID card will suffice. Some websites say ID card is enough, others say a passport is needed. She was told by a police officer in her town that she needed the passport. So today she went to the passport place to apply for a 3 day passport - but as our luck has it, Bulgaria just mandated a new format for their passports for EVERYONE. So the place was packed. Totally packed. They told her after she waited 4-5 hours that they would "do their best" to get her the passport in 3 days. If they can't do it in three days, it will be within the month and they will refund her the extra 40 leva... gee, thanks.
Well, that's where we stand now. I have heard from some people here that have traveled to Spain that they didn't need a passport, while others say you do. Websites even are confusing. One website said that passports were required, then under that it said "passport exemptions: Holders of National Identity Cards issued to nationals of Bulgaria." I am confused - a straight answer from a credible source would be nice.
Other successes - I got about 60 books in English delivered here from the Darien Book Aid Plan. That was sweet. Also, I was told that a bunch of sports equipment is on its way here. I've started lifting weights again. Annndd I had a great Easter weekend.
I'm sure that I am forgetting something but that's what's going on right now with me.
Till next time - I'll post pictures from Barcelona.
Rory
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