summer lovin happened so fast...

I can honestly say the past three months have flown by. Back in the spring, I was so excited to host my family (minus dad), and already I'm missing them again...solitary teardrop.

Of all of the great experiences and fun things I have been able to do in the past month, one particular memory jumps out at me as being truly awesome.

One month after Kosovo had officially become an internationally-recognized country (and not just an autonomous state within Serbia), my brother, sister, and I got to travel through it on our way from Bulgaria to Dubrovnik, Croatia. From the time we crossed the Macedonia-Kosovo border in the back seat of the mini-bus we boarded in Skopje(capital of Macedonia), I had felt like we were truly seeing something unique. All along the roads, we saw signs of the United Nations' presence: trucks, soldiers, complexes, barbed-wire. My imagination ran wild thinking about the broken-lives that had been created here within the past decade. As we drove, I was reading BALKAN GHOSTS by Robert Kaplan. He had traveled through the same part of the world almost 20 years ago and I found it fascinating how what I was seeing was so different from the Kosovo that he had experienced.

The capital of Kosovo, Prishtina, was so alive. Everywhere I looked, I saw people walking, running, but mostly just standing in small groups. I noted how few women I saw. The ones that I did see were predominantly escorted by an older man and clothed from head to toe (tradition stubbornly failed to recognize the 90 degree temperatures). The inner Robinson Crusoe in me longed to get out of the mini-bus and get lost in it all. Yet, traveling through the outskirts, I was awed by the infrastructure. It was sub-standard in some places; non-existant in others. Prodigal hotels shot out of the ground next to cow pastures and auto-body shops working on any thing from donkey carts to 1970s communist-issue buggies to Mercedes G-wagons. What a fascinating microcosm!

Although I have loved and appreciated almost every other experience I have had recently, no sense of me was satisfied as thoroughly as my sense of raw adventure was that evening.

***

Pictures on snapfish.com can certainly paint a better picture of my summer up to this point, but now I will briefly try with words. I guess it all started with a wedding in southwestern bulgaria between an american peace corps volunteer and a bulgarian man. The wedding was in a itty-bitty village called Slashten (don't even try searching for it on the map). The size and rural aspect of Slashten did not prevent - in fact, surely caused - the explosion of love, fun, and kindness that was omnipresent throughout my time there. I did not know the peace corps volunteer (Andrea) or her husband (Mustafa) before the weekend. Beckie (my amazing girlfriend) invited me. Some of my other friends in the Corps were there and we had a great time; folk dancing/reception decorating/picture taking/soccer in the town square. It was great.

Then, I met my sister in the Sofia airport early Monday morning. She flew in from London to stay with me for 2 weeks before we again headed west to meet my brother at the Sofia airport. We went to school together, watched movies together, and drank beers together at Ruse's beer festival. But most importantly, she discovered the glory of Shopska Salata! Also she got to see the end of the year performance of my school's Drama Club. I was very proud of all of our young actors and I think Joanna (and Beckie and the other PCVs that were there) were very impressed by the actors and their English deliverance. The play was called 'Charley's Aunt.'

After stopping in the towns of Gabrovo (where we received some true PC hospitality//I heart you Foltzes and Amanda and Jerry//) and Veliko Turnovo, my sister and I met Mark at the airport. We made it back to the hostel and met some very cool people. After all, what is a European Hostel experience without jovial big-boy status brazilian man and a well-traveled friendly swede? Bernardo and Anders were two guys I will not soon forget.

After our mini-bus traversed the balkans, we arrived at 5am in Dubrovnik. Mom had already arrived the evening before and she was very excited to see us (but mostly me...right mom?)

The whole week was absolutely amazing. I can't think of one thing I didn't enjoy. We even got used to the 53 stair incline-21 stair decline-54 stair incline that it took to get from the street to the apartment where we were staying. Despite the fact that Dad wasn't there to remind us, UNIT keys remained in our secure possesion for the week's entirety. whewwwwwwww

After Mark and I said good-bye to mom and joanna (until July '09!) we caught our bus back to Bulgaria. Mark and I went to Beckie's village and rested for a night. The next morning we went on a hike to the Rila 7 Lakes in Rila National Park (SW Bulgaria). I was really happy Mark could see one of my favorite places in the country; as well as my favorite person.

After sending Mark off to the Sofia Airport, Beckie and I went away for the weekend to celebrate her birthday. We went to the Rhodope Mountains to see 'The Devil's Throat.' This is where the Thracian Oracle of Orpheus originated. Also, a beautiful place (look at the pictures).

***

Now, I'm back in Ruse. From the 12th to the 15th, I will be running a Flag Football camp in town. Other PCVs will be here to help and some of my Bulgarian friends will be the coaches of the teams. Hopefully I will have pictures and stories to tell about that....posle (later).


I'll say good-bye with a quote from Joseph Addison's CATO: "'Tis not in mortals to command success, but we'll do more,...we'll deserve it."


love, hugs, handpounds, daps, cheers to all,

ejSEEZY