A Friday Drive to Kardzhali (Кърджали)
**Warning: Post is picture heavy! Beautiful weather=snap happy Whitney!**
The hubster and I decided to get the hell out of dodge and take a drive yesterday. We are starting to run out of places to see close to home, so we branched out a bit and drove the nearly 2 hours to Kardzhali. The weather was gorgeous and people were out en masse enjoying the sun.
I don’t know much about Kardzhali, which is likely why it didn’t do much for me. But the drive from Smolyan was fantastic.
We literally drove around the city for about 15 minutes and then headed home.
We did stop and ask for directions to Perperikon (which I am dying to go see), but it was 20km outside of town and required a 2 mile hike. It was getting pretty late, so we decided to try and go back sometime in the future.
Now that I’ve done a little research on Kardzhali (which would have been helpful prior to visiting the city!), there are a few sites and museums that sound really interesting.
I am really looking forward to going back.
We also stopped in Ardino and asked some people for directions to Devil’s Bridge (Dyavolski most). Unfortunately, it was still too snowy for our little car, so we resolved to come back to this one as well.
Basically all this trip did was wet my travelin’ appetite! I’m planning a fairly epic week+ long trip across the country for Ventsi and I next month. I have GOT to explore more of BG before I head home at the end of next month.
Now on to the photos!
DAM!
Kardzhali: Sneak Peek
Vince and I just got back from our day trip to Kardzhali.
I am way too exhausted to write a full post–and we’re headed to dinner in a bit–but I had such a fantastic day, I couldn’t wait to post a few photo sneak peeks of the post I will put up tomorrow.
To see one of my favorite photos from the day, check out my photoblog: Pixels from Afar.
Kardzhali itself wasn’t anything to write home about. But the drive there? AMAZING!
Come back tomorrow for lots of photo fun…
W.
Home Alone
The past two days I’ve had the apartment all to myself.
It is pure heaven!
Yesterday, Vince and his parents (whom we live with, if you didn’t know) went to Plovdiv for a Dr’s appointment for his dad and did not return until late in the afternoon. I slept in, enjoyed some coffee staring out the window into the sunshine which has finally made its way to Smolyan, did some blog stuff, and then started my work for the day.
Today, I am home alone again as the rest of the fam went to our village house to clear away snow and get it ready for the spring (when we will be spending much more time there). Again, I chose to enjoy my freedom by sleeping in and having the place to myself rather that going along and freezing my buns off in the snow. I can be a bit of a princess at times! 
Which reminds me… I haven’t had my coffee this morning. Please stand by…
Yes. I went and made coffee and cereal then proceeded to take pictures of it. Oh, the things I do when I am alone! Who am I kidding? I would do this even if I weren’t alone!
Wordless Wednesday: Visiting Our Country/Village House w/Linky
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For more photos, visit my photoblog: Pixels from Afar
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The Legend of Orpheus and Evridika
Statue of Orpheus and Evridika in Smolyan, Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains are steeped in legends and mythological tales. In Greek Mythology, the Rhodope Mountains were created when, in a fit of rage, Zeus and Hera turned Rhodope, the Queen of Thrace, into a chain of mountains.
Likely the most famous figure around these parts is Orpheus, believed to have been born somewhere nearby. According to the myth, Orpheus was the son of a nymph named Calliope and the great Apollo. Orpheus was said to play the lyre with such beauty, that all who heard him were completely enchanted. His music was even known to charm wild and savage beasts as well as the very rocks on which he stood and the trees in the forest.
He fell in love with the beautiful Evridika (also known as Eurydice) but, alas, their love (like so many in mythology) was doomed from the start.
Randomly Me Monday: Volume Three
Also known as the volume in which I embarrass myself.
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1) Complete list of concerts I have attended, in order: ‘N sync, Backstreet Boys (twice–AJ was *cough…is* my favorite), Britney Spears, and Harry Connick Jr. (he was awesome). Only one I am truly ashamed of? Britney Spears. Because when it comes down to it, I loved me some Boy Bands growing up and I still love hearing their music to this day.
2) My name was spelled wrong in my 7th grade yearbook: Whiney. Yep. Whiney. Sadly, it’s a bit fitting.
3) I once got into a verbal fight with a group of teenage girls in a movie theater over a cell phone. Long story short, one of the girls sitting right in front of my kept texting and the light was really bright on her phone. I should insert here that I am a HUGE movie-nazi when it comes to talking/texting/crying babies/etc. I love seeing movies and get really into them and there is NOTHING worse than having it ruined by some obnoxious person. Back to the story… I kindly asked this girl to put her phone away as the light was distracting. She just rolled her eyes at me, as a snotty teenage girl would, and turned back to her snickering friends. I suppose I looked harmless to her. So she proceeded to open up her phone again and start texting. I lost my cool and pulled out my cell phone, leaned over, and shoved it, bright light and all, right into her face and asked her how she liked it. She jumped up and called me outside to fight and I said let’s go! Two of my best friends were with me and calmed me down. Never fail whenever we went to movies after that, one of them would bring it up and we’d all have a good laugh. Moral of the story: don’t mess with me when I’m at the movies!
4) My secret (not anymore) male celebrity crushes: John Goodman and Jeff Goldblum. Just noticed they are both J.G. Weird.
5) Favorite song as a child: Bette Midler’s Wind Beneath My Wing. I would make my mother call radio stations over and over requesting it.
6) I have some pretty amazing party tricks, if I do say so myself. I can gargle a mean Inspector Gadget theme song, drink through my nose, and name every single country (in their geographic order) in Africa. BOO YEAH!
7) I once tried waxing my eyebrows and ended taking one of them completely off. In an effort to compensate I tweezed the hell out of the other one. I have been trying to grow them back in for years, but to this day they are all kinds of wonky.
8) True story: I have a cousin who went to school with one of Donny Osmond’s nephews. My family went to see my cousin in one of her plays (which Donny’s nephew was also in). This was around the time that he (Donny, not the nephew) was hosting $100,000 Pyramid on TV. So were all seated waiting for the play to start and me and my big mouth (a recurring theme in my life) start cracking jokes about him. How short he is in person, how lame his talk show was with Marie, etc. I was a good 5 minutes into my routine (I’m an amateur comedian, in case you didn’t know… ) when my mom leans over and whispers in my ear, “You do know he is sitting right behind you, right?” Well, my heart dropped into my stomach and I slowly turned my head and sure enough, there he was, Donny. Freakin’. Osmond. Staring me directly in the eyes with a pretty smug look on his face. I had to sit through a 2 hour play with him (and his family) sitting right behind me. NOT one of my finer moments, but my family still likes to joke about it.
9) I used to NEVER cry in movies. Didn’t matter how sad or touching it was. I was incapable of crying (only in movies, however, not in my daily life where I am a complete baby). Until, one day I was at the theater watching Ever After (love that movie to this day), for the second time, when Danielle (Drew Barrymore) asks the step mom if there were ever a time in her life if she loved her, and the step mom says to Danielle, “How could anyone ever love a pebble in their shoe?” I lost it. Cried and cried. Over that ONE line, in a rather mediocre movie (to most, again I love it). And why I cried when I saw it the second time and not the first? Who knows! Ever since that moment I have lost my shiz over sad/touching/cute/mildly heart-warming movies and TV shows. Take Valentine’s Day for example when I cried my eyes out for most of The Vow.
10) On my first trip to Bulgaria I got stuck in the restroom stall in the Sofia airport. Well, stuck is a relative term here. I am American and our public restroom stall doors typically open inwards. I had finished doing my business and tried opening the door. I kept pulling and pulling. Soon I began to panic. I thought the lock was broken or something and I didn’t know the language so I couldn’t yell for help. Then I hear this sweet little voice saying something in Bulgarian. I ignored it and continued to wrestle with the door. I was about to start crying and the voice just kept talking. Finally, the girl outside the stall pulled the door open and just looked at me like I was insane. I smiled like nothing had even happened and went to wash my hands. I learned that day that many restroom doors in BG open out. My excuse is that I had just landed in Bulgaria after a very long flight and I was super nervous/excited to see Vince for the first time in months, so I suppose I was slightly out of it!
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Have some embarrassing tidbits about yourself? Maybe you have a thing for sexy John Goodman too? Maybe you know me and want to add something you remember? Let me know in the comments or link me to your own similar blog posts!
See you back here next week where I’ll likely embarrass myself further with a list of my favorite movies and books!
Loves,
W.
Spring-like Weather and Plans for March
The gorgeous spring-like weather today in Smolyan has me itching to get out of the apartment. Unfortunately, I’m a bit swamped with work, so I am forced to live vicariously through the many kids playing in the snow outside our living room window as well as the older folks milling about talking and going on walks while taking advantage of the sunshine.
Even with sunny and warm weather predicted for the next week or so, I think everyone here knows how unreliable the forecast can be. Gotta enjoy it while we still can.
Signs of spring are all over, however, and I could not be happier. I have yet to buy any martenitsi, but I will soon enough.The hard part is going to be picking out which red and white pretties I really want. There are so many to choose from that I usually end up getting too overwhelmed and leave the task of buying them for another day.
Vince and I are excitedly planning our travels for next month. I’ll be leaving at the end of March for a month-long visit home in Utah, then it’s another summer working in Alaska. Which means, by the time I get back in late-fall, Bulgaria will yet again be in the grips of cold and snow. March better wow me with warm weather, blue skies, and colorful scenery. Or else…
One of the best things about living in Bulgaria is the many festivals and events held throughout the year. Luckily, there are quite a few in March and I hope we can hit up a few of them. We are definitely attending Shiroka Laka’s Kukeri festival, known as Pesponedelnik, the first weekend in March. I’d also love to go to the Sofia International Film Festival. The movie Avé looks really good, but I have no idea how to go about getting tickets. If you do, please comment and let me know!
Other travel plans {hopefully} include Koprivshitsa, Veliko Tarnovo, and possibly a visit to somewhere on the Black Sea coast.
We had originally planned on a short trip to either Turkey or Greece, but I’d rather spend our time and money seeing more of Bulgaria.
I thought we would have been able to travel around more than we have this winter. When I was here in 2009, it barely snowed at all and we were constantly out on adventures. Fickle weather. Pfff.
Anywho, here’s to the arrival of spring and more explorations of my new home country!
W.
P.S. My Twitter is hoppin’ lately. I’m thinking about renaming my link in the sidebar, Whit’s Twits. Ha ha.
You should meet me over there!
Back to Work
After over 4 months of being unemployed, I am finally working again and it feels great!
Sure, sitting on my butt doing nothing and having no schedule was great for the first few weeks, heck maybe even a month. But soon it became awful.
I work from home now, so I still sit on my butt far more than I would like, but at least I am keeping busy and bringing in some money (read: travel funds).
This little blog of mine has opened up some amazing doors, including this job. One of my lovely readers (and now friend), J., contacted me when I first moved to Bulgaria offering her support and some advice. J. is an expat from South Africa married to a Bulgarian (they have an adorable little girl), living in Bulgaria. It never ceases to amaze me when I meet someone in a situation like mine. I never imagined there would be so many of us!
Anywho, J’s husband owns his own company and needed some extra help, so I now have a freelance writing job of sorts.
I love writing and this job has been a lot of fun so far. Sure, it’s a little tedious at times, but overall I am enjoying myself immensely and am very thankful to be working again.
I am still heading to Alaska in May, but I plan on writing as much as I can while I am there. Perhaps even making enough to book the cruises I have my eye on!
The best thing to come from all of this? Vince and I met some awesome new friends whom we plan on seeing a lot more of. Nothing beats that!
Life is good.
W.
10 Observations on Our Valentine’s Day Getaway
Yesterday, on Valentine’s Day, Vince and I headed to Plovdiv for a day of shopping, fun, and one-on-one time. Instead of my usual rehashing of the day’s events, I thought I would tell you all about it in a list of 10 observations I made throughout the day.
1. Dual voltage hair dryers are great, but when using one you must remember to switch the button over to 22ov from 120v–Frying my expensive blow dryer and almost starting the apartment on fire was not the best way to start off our day (and I wasn’t even using it to dry my hair, which I rarely do, I was using it to dry the sleeve of my sweater!)
2. Finally seeing the sunshine after many weeks of gloomy fog and snow is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face–I almost forgot how blue the sky could be here in Smolyan. The beautiful weather yesterday (and today!) is making me yearn all the more for spring.
3. It’s easier to appreciate the beautiful snow in Pamporovo when the roads aren’t covered in it and your car has brakes–Although there are two ways in and out of Smolyan , we always take the Pamporovo route and yesterday I was so happy that we did! It was stunning.
4. Plovdiv’s Mall Galeria is a huge waste of time–Big but half the stores are empty, there wasn’t a movie theater (that we could find, anyway), and the parking garage is like an elaborate maze.
5. Mall Plovdiv, however, is awesome–We found free parking right next to the doors, all the shops are open, and there’s a great movie theater.
6. KFC and gelato can make for a delicious Valentines Day lunch–We were both too relaxed to be bothered with finding a romantic place to eat, so we just went the mall food court route and got some chicken and fries. If mall gelato is yummy, I can only imagine how delicious the real Italian stuff must be! One day I’ll find out!
7. Romantic chick-flicks are perfect for VDay entertainment–We saw The Vow and it was pretty good. We both cried, we are sappy like that. I love that my husband is manly enough to enjoy a romance movie and tear up over it. He’s such a stud!
8. No butter topping for popcorn at the movies? Whaaaat?!–I asked Vince to ask the concessions stand worker if they had butter for the popcorn and he had no idea what we were talking about. I was bummed at first–being an American used to overly buttery popcorn–but it turns out I prefer it plain. It was delicious and we polished it offer before the previews were even over!
9. There’s nothing like receiving a girly Valentine’s Day gift from your husband on your first VDay as a married couple–Vince got me something I have coveted for many years–Miss Dior Cherie perfume. I cannot tell you how much I love it! I got him a pair of jeans and we’re still hunting for a shirt that he likes. He is worse than any girl I have ever met when it comes to clothes. That man is picky!
I LOVE this perfume!
10. I am so thankful to have Vince as my husband, best friend, and partner-in-crime–I feel it every day, but yesterday I was especially mindful of how blessed I am to have such a sweet and caring husband. I truly don’t know what I would do without him. I LOVE YOU, VENTSI!
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I was having such a blast being out of the house that I completely forgot to take any pictures of Vince and I. I think that truly speaks for how amazing the day was if I didn’t pull my camera out every five seconds!
Hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day as well!
If I were back home in Utah I would have posted a few pictures of my vintage Valentine’s collection. I received a ton of them when my great-grandparent’s passed away. The cards and sayings are so sweet! None of the overly-commercialized character stuff like kids give out today.
Speaking of popcorn...
Valentine’s Day was one of my favorite holidays as a kid. I loved decorating my box at school with pink, red, and white hearts and lacy doilies, and getting all the cute little notes and candies from my classmates. Aw, memories!
Much love,
W.
