It's My Anniversary!

Today, I've officially served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria for one-year. Looking back I can say that the challenges have been present, but so have the good times. It hasn't been painless, figuratively and literally, but the memories that have been made are priceless. I've battled the agony of rehabilitating a fractured kneecap and the frustrations of trying to learn and understand a culture that was as new to me as walking with two left shoes. But now, I'm here and the satisfaction of completing one year as a PCV brings with it a small dose of pride for which no amount of wealth or material gain can offer. I'm not dwelling on my successes or failures after one year, because I do realize that I have another one to complete, but sometimes in life it's a good thing to stop and smell the roses, as cliche as it might sound.

The longer I remain here the more I'm able to perceive the ordinary things in life that we, as human beings, often time overlook as being nugatory. For me it's the summertime scent of lavender and the sound of trees rustling in the wind as I run along the valley between my town and the next village. It's sitting on the edge of the lake and listening to the murmuring of frogs and crepitating grasshoppers while the sun is setting. It's also the friendly gesture of a wave from the waitress at the local restaurant as I enter the door, and the half-smile from the cashier at the grocery store as I hand her the correct change (FYI: she never smiles). I'm sure years after I've left this place, and I've forgotten the names of people I worked with, I will remember those aforementioned examples, and many more that have and will happen, of the time when simplicity took precedence over the chaos of life.

Quote of the Day:

"I believe that to have interfered as I have done as I always freely admitted I have done in behalf of His despised poor, was not wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments, I submit; so let it be done!" - Excerpt from speech given by John Brown after his conviction

Beat on Repeat:

"Philadelphia" - Neil Young

Peace, Love, and Understanding...

Rhyme for the Summertime

Sorry, I haven't been keeping everyone updated about the happenings here, so I apologize. Since the arrival of summer and vacation season, I've had my hands busy with various activities. I'm no longer working full-time in the SOS Children's Village, so my duties there have been cut in half. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I organize either sport or art activities in the morning, and in the afternoon I help with computer activities for the childern. I also teach English on the side to a couple of the younger children who are motivated enough to get a headstart for the upcoming school year. There are also the weekly letters to Justin Bieber from a few of the girls that I help translate, which keeps my Bulgarian skills up to par if nothing else!

The other part of my work now involves working in the Center for Social Rehabilitation and Integration (CSRI). I worked at CSRI last year for a short time, but now more of my time is being dedicated there, because in September it will be my full-time job. At the moment, my work involves searching for funding and writing grants to support a group of people with disabilities. The group performs theatre plays, and also does art projects in the center. Their goal is to be able to buy new costumes for their plays, so that they have to the potential to travel throughout Bulgaria, and possibly Europe, showcasing their work. If anyone is interested in helping this group achieve their goal of buying new costumes and traveling around Bulgaria showcasing their work, please let me know.

I'm also trying to intitate a HIV/AIDS program in CSRI to help educate the youth about the disease. Right now, I'm applying for a grant through Peace Corps to fund the project, so if all goes well I will have the resources I need to start. I need one Bulgarian youth to help me with the project, and it's quite difficult finding young people to help you for free during the summer. Most of the youth that I'm targeting are either working, studying for their university exams, or out of town, or all of the above! I'm not worried, because I'll start the project in one way or the other.

Last week, I spent the entire week at a Peace Corps conference in the really nice Bulgarian town of Vratsa. The conference involved discussing the successes and failures of the first year of service and ways to make the last year go smoothly. It was really good seeing the entire B25 group and being able to hangout. Actually, I don't know if hangout is the right word, because there was a party every single night, and there was no shortage of antics. I'm sure the club we frequented were happy to see the Americans leave at the end of the week, because most of us partied to exhaustion! After the conference I was able to visit my host family in Roman, which was really nice because they were extremely happy to see me. My host mom felt that I haven't been eating enough, so she sent me home with a sack full of food from cucumbers to baked chicken and banitsa. If you don't know what banitsa is, take this opportunity to Google it and learn a little about Bulgarian food!

Quotes of the Day:

"There's always an end. But the end is always the beginning of something else. The periods we write into our lives are always provisional, in one way or another." - an excerpt from Henning Mankell's book The Man from Beijing

"People are not disturbed by things, but by the view they take of them." - Epictetus

Beats on Repeat:

"On to the Next One" - Jay-Z

"Te Amo" - Rihanna

Peace, Love, and Understanding...