Skopje,Macedonia

           Easter weekend was a four day weekend, so one of my friends from Skopje decided he wanted to go back home for a visit. On Thursday after class, we had arranged a “taxi” which is really just a regular car that we rent with a driver, which was 25 Euro each from Blagoevgrad to Skopje. The car was not very nice, but it got us there and it beats taking the bus which would entail taking a bus from Blago to Sofia, then Sofia to Skopje which in total would be around 12 hours vs. the 3 – 4 hour taxi ride (and there both within a few Euros of each other. The border crossing took forever, and pissed me off because I was hungry, had to use the bathroom and the border guards were uber slow. 

            Anyways we arrived in Skopje in one piece, dropped our stuff off at my friend’s house and then went out to meet some of his friends. We went to a bar in a lovely part of town that had great drinks, and good music. We ended up going there every night. We also went to a club, which I was a bit taken aback by because everyone was dressed so nice and the club was really nice which I was not expecting. The thing is in countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, and Macedonia if you have money you leave the country to live abroad. Commonly known as the brain drain, these countries are experiencing the youth being sucked out of them.  So here I am in a café with my Macedonian friends, friends and all of them live abroad and are just visiting. France, Austria, Germany. It’s obvious why they want to leave, all you have to do is look around at the conditions and pay.  When you can make 10 times as much in Germany then you can in Macedonia for the same job, and better conditions you’d leave too. What’s going to happen to these countries in the next 20 years I have no idea. I feel like the populations decreasing so fast, the people that are left are just going to be uneducated, low class people. On the other hand one thing I always ask when we go out, is that how is it I’m in a country (such as Macedonia and Bulgaria, where the income is so slow) how can people always be out in Gucci and Prada, driving a BMW and sitting in Cafes all day? Where is this money coming from? For one thing you can guess most of the time it’s not clean money. Corruption is soo common it’s made as a joke here.

            Back to my trip…! We spent a lot of time in cafes, bars, and walking about allowing me to be a tourist. Skopje is a cute town, but I have a feeling I’d get bored with it after a while. Everyone I was with kept telling me how “dangerous” it was to cross the bridge and go to the Turkish side of town. However when we did go I saw 2 American families with cameras walking about so it can’t be too dramatically dangerous. Which brings me to the US Embassy. I’ve heard from Macedonians about this US Embassy with 7 levels underneath it which nobody know what’s in it. Macedonia is the closest country to the Middle East that would allow the US to build such an embassy. The embassy looks like a modern day fortress. Multiple buildings, and with 7 floors down you can only guess what goes on there. (This is all hearsay, I have nothing to back this up, it's just what I've heard.)

            Easter came and went without any big celebration for me. We went to the largest Orthodox Church in Skopje, lit candle and socialized. We then went back to my friends, friends house in which her parents had prepared a meal to be eaten around 2 am which is tradition for them. There was lamb liver, lamb intestines, potatoes, bread, and really good wine. Everyone my age did not touch the lamb, but the dad of the family asked me to try the intestines and I could not really say no…so I did. To be honest the flavor was good. Would I eat it again? No way.  Monday afternoon we left Skopje, and came back to Blagoevgrad for 2 weeks of school.

            Now I’m in the heart of finals week (I only have one paper more to go, which is due tomorrow!) and I’m having serious mixed feelings. I love my life here soo much. The past 9 months have been amazing and on one hand I wish I could really stay here, but on the other I know I have to go back. I know 3 Americans that have liked it here so much they’ve transferred. If  I was a sophomore I would think of doing that, but I’m so close to finishing my Bachelors that I know I need to suck it up and just go back to Washington. I’ve been looking at grad school in Europe and am set on making it work. I really have my heart set on the Central European University in Budapest. I think it will be perfect for me. I want to get my masters in International Relations & European Studies. I know that it’s still a bit far down the road, but I can still dream. =) Originally I’d been set on joining the Peace Corps or trying to get a Fulbright, but now I’m leaning towards just finishing my degree. I’m turning 22 in a couple of days and the thought of starting my career when I’m 28 or 30 scares me. But with all the internships, Peace Corps, degree seeking I want to do it might end up that way.

I start my internship at One Heart Bulgaria on June 3^rd which means between then I have free time to hang about Europe. On Monday I’m going to Spain until the 18^th, then I’ll fly back here to Bulgaria and I think I’ll go to Turkey or Greece until the end of the month.

I booked my ticket for home…I’ll be returning to the good ole’ USA on July 13^th. 

 Border crossing! Took a really long time. First you had to go through the Bulgarian check side, then the Macedonian one. I was thinking, and it's the first time I've had to stop at a border in Europe and show my passport.

 Mother Teresa Museum (she was born here)

 The money can be confusing.

 Building all these building to make Skopje have an "old' feel.

 Turkish side..what a big difference. 

 The US fortress....

 Holy Saturday was started, and followed by drinking. We played a game with the eggs. Your suppose to hit each others eggs, and whoever has the egg that's not cracked wins.

                                                             Outside the Orthodox Church

 All the young people that come to socialize outside the church on Holy Sunday. They come to drink and chat, not pray.

It's tradition to stick you candle stub under your pillow for good luck.

Day trip to: Leshten, Gorno Dryanovo, and Kovatchevitsa in Southern Bulgaria..not far from the Greek border.

Greetings from Atlanta

Unfortunately I wish I was not in Atlanta, at least under the current circumstances. On February 17th my beautiful grandmother Barbara Anne Martin passed away at the young age of 71. It came as a shock to all of my family. My grandmother has had health complications since I can remember but it had become a norm for me growing up. With many surgeries throughout her later years the one on the 17th was not expected to be complicated. She’d been having problems with her heart and lately her heart was always beating fast when she did anything. My grandmother once told my father she just wanted to make her 50th wedding anniversary in July. She came sooo close, but did not make it. I can only hope to one day become such a wonderful, giving, compassionate person as my grandmother and to have such a loving, long lasting marriage as my grandparents. I have only positive memories of her and the time we spent together. I inherited my Totten humor from her, her short stubby toes and fingers and wanderlust for travel. I only wish I’d inherited her beautiful inspiring singing voice. I think one of her happiest moments in life (besides getting to play with her grandchildren) was getting the chance to sing in Carnegie Hall.




With the time difference, and not being online I found out on the 18th (Friday) she’d passed away. The soonest flight I could make was for the 20th (Sunday) My roommate from AUBG was kind enough to let me stay with her and her family in Sofia Saturday night and then drop me off at the airport on Sunday for my 9am flight to Paris, and the on to Atlanta. When I arrived in Atlanta my cousin picked me up at the airport and when I arrived at the funeral home it was 8:50pm just enough time, a whole 10 minuets to spare for the viewing of my grandmother. The shock and surprise on my grandfather’s face and my entire extended family that I had made it was well worth the long flight. My grandfather told me I made it complete since now all the grandkids were here. My little sister cried tears of happiness to see me, and I think over the course of the last 2 weeks I’ve shed more tears then I ever have. (My dad and I had not told anyone, not even my sister and brother so it would be a surprise) Monday and Tuesday were funeral related events. Even though it was a heart wrenching time for us all, when my family gets together laughter and love fill the air. Memoires of my grandmother were shared. I’m blessed with such an amazing family. I’ve now been gone from Bulgaria for 2 weeks and tomorrow I have a 3:20 flight to Paris-Vienna-Sofia. I just hope I’ll make all the connections because it’s going to be a close one. I get in at 12:40 and have class at 4..!



I love you grandma with all my heart and you will be sorely missed.

Back in Blagoevgrad

I’ve been back in Bulgaria since the 17th but have been extremely busy trying to get settled in and start with university again. I’m taking 5 classes with topics such as:


*Bulgarian History

*Russian Politics, Economics, and Public Policy

* Hitler: Accident or Consequence of German History

*Policy making in the EU

*A Politics class

I’m sure I’ll be busy this semester! I’m enjoying being back in town and getting to see friends again. I’m also looking forward to skiing, which if all goes as planned I’ll get to go next weekend.

München/Augsburg/Bambeg,Germany

My trip to Germany was all to brief but I enjoyed every moment of it! I arrived in Munich and stayed in Munich for 2 nights. On the 2^nd night 2 girls who I went to school with at Eastern Washington University arrived (Kelley staying in Northern Germany, Jamie is in Passau on the Austrian border.) We went to a beer hall and had amazing Bavarian food and beer! Sadly Jamie could only stay for dinner. The next day Kelley and I caught a train to Augsburg and happily I still remembered my way around town. I managed to get us to my Rotary host parent’s house in a village nearby. I had not seen the since June 2007 so I was excited to catch up! The next day we caught a train to Bamberg for the day to meet up with my host sister Annika (for another host family) she’s studying there and was happy to take us around for the day. Yet again our meeting was far too short, and I was sad I could not stay in Bamberg for a few days. We took a night train back to Augsburg, and my host dad was king enough to pick us up at 12am at the train station. Sunday we spent the day walking around Augsburg trying to visit as much of the city as I could. Everything is closed on Sundays except a few restaurants, cafes and movie theaters. So I did not get the shopping I would have like to have gotten done. Monday I had to wake up at 3:30am in order to catch the train to the airport, since my flight to Sofia left at 9am. I loved every moment I had in Germany, I’m just sad I did not have more time there!  

Kelley who I took German with at EWU

Bamberg

Bamberg

Augsburg

Kelley & I in Bamberg

My Rotary host sister Annika and I in Bamberg.

Host Sister and I

Munich