Moving to Bulgaria was a huge change for me, but it meant I could live in another country and meet new people. I have really enjoyed my past seven months here!
I teach English to about 400 high school students. I live in a small city in the northwest region of Bulgaria called Vidin. I like where I live because it is similar to my hometown in America. I have made some amazing friends in Vidin and we get to share our experiences with each other. I have learned so much about Bulgarian history and culture throughout my time here. I even had to learn a new alphabet! They use the Cyrillic alphabet, so none of the letters are the same. It was not easy, but now I can read in Bulgarian!
Learning Bulgarian is important because it allows me to talk to people, learn about the culture and create relationships. As I have been living in Bulgaria for the past seven months, I have seen how Bulgaria is similar and different from the United States. I feel a connection to the country because of the people and the culture. Both Bulgarians and Americans value family relationships. My Bulgarian students love working in groups, and I think it’s because they are taught from a young age that relationships are the most important part of life. This experience is similar to my upbringing, and I have been able to form some great relationships since I have been here.
Another similarity is in terms of the livelihood of people. I grew up in a small town in America, and Vidin is also a small town. Everyone knows everyone and the community is very connected and helpful. My family owns a small farm store in Oklahoma, so I grew up in an agricultural area. People grew their own food and enjoyed making things from scratch.
