A really big part of my life is Bulgaria. I was born and raised there until I was about eight years old. At that point, I moved to the United States, where I am today. I am fortunate enough to go back every summer to see the rest of my family, but truth be told, sometimes I wish I had never moved. The whole atmosphere and way of life is different, more relaxed. Countless things remind me of Bulgaria on a daily basis, and they do not let me forget who I am and where I came from.
When I was walking through the Botanical Gardens near Niagara Falls and I saw a dozen different rose bushes sprouting happily all about, it immediately reminded me of of the Rose Valley back home. Bulgaria is one of the leading rose product sellers worldwide and I lived right in the heart of the production. My grandparents, mother, and father grew up gathering roses which grew in the plains of the Balkans. Roses are of such significance to me that I named the first car I drove Rose and I wear a rose ring on my left index finger everyday.
I time travel back to my summers sitting under the shade of a big umbrella with a cappuccino in hand people watching (which is quite common in Europe) whenever I see a cute, artsy, or "Instagram-able" cafe somewhere. You know how most Americans know Italy to have adorable streets where cars cannot pass, a long line of little hipster cafes right next to one another, and people strolling leisurely and gesticulating every word that comes out of their mouth? Well, Bulgaria is a spitting image of that, really. Europeans intake a ridiculous amount of coffee each day, such as one when you wake up, one at lunch, two or three in the afternoon, and usually one before dinner. I cannot help but be transported back to my childhood, before I could drink coffee, sipping on my "Cappy" orange juice and playing with the kids I just met sitting at the table right next to ours. Oh, the good old days.
One of the biggest sights that take me back to where I came from is water. Whenever I drive past a scenic river in the United States, I'm taken back to the Balkans. My grandparents have a villa about two miles from the base of the Balkans and it's tradition for me to walk through the seemingly never ending, golden plains every year to get to them. There is this one enormous river that flows down the mountain that my friends and I dive into, which is very bad for you because you might as well jump into a tub full of ice, but there is something about being in the midst of something to beautiful and natural that makes you forget about the world for a moment. I miss it terribly sometimes. Another staple of my childhood was the Black Sea. When I see the ocean, an image of endless sun, silky sand, children running and screaming about, and thousands of men in Speedos come to mind. I have learned to deal, but I still shudder a little when they walk past me. If you ever get the change to travel around Europe, do it, you will not regret a single second of it. We are a carefree and strange, although in a good way, group of people who love to have a good time and create long lasting memories.
There are many other examples of places and memories that have shaped me into the well-rounded and fun young woman that I am today, but I'm afraid this blog will turn into a book if I was to keep going. I cannot bear to wait any longer for what adventures the future has in store for me, but, sadly, time traveling has not been invented yet. I'm left with my memories, ring, photos, and about half a million of souvenirs and magnets that my mom has plastered all over our fridge and house because apparently we are tourists in our own country. See you next summer, BG.
Love,
Mari
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