Basics for Living Abroad for an American

While I realize none of the below is a necessity, I've complied a list of things that  as an American living long-term abroad I really missed, and would love to have to cook with.  

Basics for Living Abroad for an American

·    Jiffy Peanut Butter

·   Molasses

·        Brown Sugar

·        Vanilla Extract

·        Baking Soda & Baking Powder ( I like the American brands) =)

·        Graham Crackers

·        Maple Syrup

·        Ranch Dressing

·        Ranch Hidden Valley dry mix

·        Salsa Mix

·        Guacamole Mix

·        Taco Mix

·        Gatorade Mix

·        Instant Oatmeal Packets

·        Chocolate Chips

·        Reese pieces

         ·        Blueberry Muffin Mix

·        Shake & Bake Spicy Mix

·        Tazo Tea

Starbucks Coffee

·        Cornmeal

·        BBQ Sauce

·        Hot Sauce
·        Trader Joes Garlic Oil


·        Nyquil & Dayquil

·        Melatonin

·        Benadryl

·        Olay Face wash & Lotion

·        Vaseline 

      ·        Listerine Mutli-Action  Mouth Wash

·        Crest Tooth Paste

        Bath and Body Antibacterial Gel

·        Bath and Body Lotion & Scrubs  

·        ChapStick- Plain or Cherry

·        Contact Solution (because it can be $$ in Europe)
  Banana Boat Sunscreen SPF 30 & tanning oil

“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things"

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes—and ships—and sealing wax—
Of cabbages—and kings—
And why the sea is boiling hot—
And whether pigs have wings.”  
-Alice in Wonderland 

So my time has come to say goodbye at least for now, alas. I'm glad I've actually managed to keep a blog for a year now. I already enjoy looking back at my post and seeing all the things I've managed to do in a 12 month span.   
My last couple days in Bulgaria were spent in Sofia with my roommate from AUBG, Valya. I am soo blessed to have ended up with such an amazing roommate and her family, I could not have asked for a better experience. I really hope next summer she'll come and stay with me here. =)  On the 13th I left on a 6am flight to Frankfurt, and then on to Seattle. Now I'm back home and although things will definitely not be as fast paced as they have been the last year, I'm looking forward to finishing up my Bachelors in the next year so I can return to Europe as soon as possible. Until my next adventure,

The End.

Vidrare orphanage

A very "safe" slide.

Sadly, he's left like this for nearly the entire day.

Soup mix from BC Gleaners: http://www.fvgleaners.org/

Newly refurbished bathrooms, but I couldn't help but notice the lack of toilet paper in the bathrooms. 

                                               The One Heart Bulgaria link on Vidrare   http://oneheart-bg.org/galleries/vidrare_program.php

Our last days at the Razliv Orphanage

Our last day in Razliv was July 8th. I was really sad to leave these kids because they'd grown on me. It was especially sad to see a few of them cry. What was hard for me was knowing what a small impact I had on their lives and what conditions I left them to live in. It kills me knowing I'm so "small" in the world and that I cant especially change their conditions. However I'm leaving this experience with the knowledge that I'll go back to the US and spread the word about OHB and orphanages in Bulgaria.

Mormon  missionaries from the US play with the children.

This little girl has 4 siblings all in orphanages. Her mom is in jail. 

One of the five I wanted to take home. =(

The kids loved chalk time.

Sadly they dont have a proper playground set which leads them to climb the basketball hoops...

Sisters.

The One Heart Bulgaria link about Razliv: http://oneheart-bg.org/orphanages/pravets.php

Razliv Orphanage

Chalk day. =)

Vidrare orphanage for the disabled children

I thought my last post about the orphanages was a bit negative, but at the time I was pretty upset about the conditions and everything that I’ve observed. So today I thought I’d try and come up with some of the things I was pleasantly surprised about:

One

The Vidrare Orphanage has a swimming pool. That’s right, they have a pool! It’s not half bad (pictures below) I’ve seen some of the kids use it once. I only wonder if children who might not be able to use floaties or swim can use the pool with the help of adults in the water.

Two

At the Vidrare Orphanage there’s a cow that the older children help milk it, and they even drink the milk!

Three

There’s a Greenhouse that I’m told the children help maintain, which I think is great.

Four

The older children (when I say older children some of these individuals are in their late 30’s) help with everyday chores like sweeping, cleaning, or delivering the food to the rooms the other children are in so the caretakers can feed them.

Five

Some of the children get to go on holiday to the Black Sea. How cool is that? The children look forward to it months before they get to go, and talk about it all the time. I’m not sure how their picked and how many go but it’s pretty cool they have that opportunity.

Six

With the help of a Peace Corps volunteer some of the kids were able to make the long trip to Istanbul, Turkey to sing at a conference for children all over the region. For kids whose highlight of the day can be taking a walk in the village, this was a major event.

Seven

A lot of the kids get to play outside, even if it’s just laying on a mat, it’s much better then laying in bed all day!

Stimulating the children by swinging them