And The World Ain't Gonna Change For Me

So, as of yesterday, I've completed one year of my 27 months in Bulgaria. In that time, I've lived in two different cities, made some new friends, learned a completely unfamiliar language to a basic conversational level (along with a new alphabet), gotten some fiction written, visited the Black Sea, traveled across the country and back a couple of times, turned 24, started dating a really awesome Bulgarian girl who lives 7 hours away, helped start a youth leadership council, started a capoeira club, helped make homemade rakia (aka Bulgarian moonshine), became an even better cook, lost over 25 lbs and turned into a political news junkie.

...I'd say that's a hell of a time so far. That's not even including what I've actually done in the classroom (which ranges from "got intensely frustrated" to "had discussions about thematic elements in Romantic literature"). At the same time, there's a certain bittersweetness to it all. I've done all this on my own (with support from my school and Peace Corps), which is awesome. On the other hand, I haven't had any face-to-face contact with old/older friends and family (with one exception this past July). So, while I'm growing and forging myself into a better person, I'm not sharing it with anyone directly.

College was awesome because it was a chance to grow with others - this is, obviously, an outgrowth of the next logical step. Life, ultimately, is solitary, but at the same time, being uprooted from your "grove" and being replanted in someone else's garden is kinda jarring. To stretch the metaphor, you have to deal with new lighting, new weather conditions, new neighbors/companions with whom to cooperate/compete. If it's done properly, you'll ultimately become a stronger being for it.

So much of success in all of this lies in outlook, really. In a way, I regret leaving Athens when I did, since it meant saying goodbye to my comfort zone that much sooner. On the other hand, I think it would have been a lot harder if I hadn't gotten the initial goodbyes out of the way when I moved up to DC - the shock would have been rather greater. Additionally, the combined experiences of selling cars and substitute teaching have helped a great deal in cultivating a relaxed attitude in the classroom, which has been absolutely necessary.

At the same time, having a year under my belt has the natural consequence of me looking to the future. I now have a frame of reference with which I can judge what's happening; I'm watching the new guys get here and start to learn/deal with the challenges that I've already come to terms with (mostly). The shiny newness of the country has started to wear off, my language is no longer hurtling forward, getting ever better, and I occasionally find myself getting into a rut. I've become somewhat settled, in other words. This allows for homesickness to make itself felt a little more strongly.

It's funny. When I was growing up, I would have given anything to get out of Georgia and was embarrassed about being from there. Now, I can calmly admit "Oh, I'm from Georgia," and not feel self-loathing. Hell, I even want to visit this summer (financial situation prevents this, unfortunately), though it's mostly a desire to see everyone again before you all follow my lead and scatter to the corners of the globe. Outside perspective is ultimately a good thing.

The same applies to the US, in a way. Being able to see the US from the outside-in for a prolonged time has been invaluable, if somewhat depressing. I suppose that's part of what this is about - develop a better sense of how you can take the training you receive in-service and apply it to improve your environment wherever you go, be it back to the States or somewhere else in the world.

Ah, well. I'm not even halfway done, so we'll see what the next 15 months bring!

Later, flipsiders.

Put Out Your Hands And You Fall Through The Window

Well. That was a hell of a weekend. Normally, I'd have been on Spring Break this past week, but because of the strike, it got cut down to a 4-day weekend. Still, I'm not complaining. Milena came to visit me on Wednesday and left on Sunday, which was severe awesomeness. We'd been planning on going to the Rila Monastery (she's never been, apparently), but the weather decided not to cooperate. Instead, we stayed in, watched movies (Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, the Back to the Future trilogy and some Invader Zim), played word games, and just... enjoyed our time together. Also, I cooked for her (bourbon ginger chicken with rice and sautéed vegetables, curried lentils and rice, and spicy red beans and rice with sausage, Thursday-Saturday dinner, respectively), which is always enjoyable.

All in all, a good weekend. Definitely not long enough, though.

...Stupid distance.

Even though going back to teach was somewhat jarring, getting up earlier makes a tremendous amount of difference in my attitude. If I don't have to rush out the door, I'm more relaxed for the rest of the day, which makes things much more enjoyable all around. Something to keep in mind, certainly.

Also, the new guys arrived in Bulgaria today. As I type this, they're probably en-route to Panichiste (the resort where I was when I first got here a year ago). They'll be there until Friday, when they'll come here to meet their host families and head to their training sites. The first week at their training sites, they'll visit the schools at which they'll be training. This time around, they're using my school as a training school, so I get classroom observers next week. After that, they'll be teaching classes most weeks until the end of May. I've found out that they'll be using 6 of my class hours a week, which should be... interesting.

Time will tell whether this raises my stress level or lowers it. I suspect it will make any control-freak tendencies I might have flare up on a level similar to seeing people mess around with my computer settings. Hopefully, they'll actually be fairly cool, and I won't want to strangle them by the end of May.

Later, flipsiders.