10 Things

10 Things I Love About Bulgaria:

• martenitsi
• wild flowers
• teasing my students  
• hanging my clothes out on the line on a sunny day
• when my colleagues make each other laugh
• watching my students horo
• hearing my 5th graders insert a random English word into a Bulgarian sentence
• "той беше unfriendly, Мис."
• "Аз съм пич и много confident. На ли, Мис?
• strolling the pazar eating a bag of fresh cherries
• friendly drivers giving me a ride to the next town over
• feeling very confident about using public transportation

 10 Weird Habits That Will Be Awkward When I Get Back Home:

• nodding for "no" and shaking for "yes"
• inserting a random Bulgarian word into an English sentence
• "I want a pizza без corn and mayonnaise, please."
• "Hey, стига, that's not funny."
• talking to myself
• putting feta cheese on everything
•  treating every bed and couch as though they're made of clouds and goodness
• hugging washing machines and kissing dryers
• insistence on unwavering and intense eye contact during every cheer
• assuming you can take a break from work and chat with me at any point during the day
• complaining about the length of words and lack of acronyms
• suggesting weekend trips that are several hours of travel away

-Age