My Experience as an American in
Nearly every country has some things that are notable and beautiful, and I don’t know of any country in the world that doesn’t have its own problems and challenges. Similarly, every foreigner who travels to live in a country other than their own faces experiences that delight and surprise them, as well as their own set of individual challenges. The actual everyday experience of living, not just visiting, but really living outside of America for 7 months (from the beginning of my Fulbright grant period in August until this point) in Bulgaria has both surprised and delighted me, as well as presented me with challenges of various kinds. The personal challenges accompanying adjustment to life in a new country include loneliness and homesickness. The professional challenges accompanying working in a school system with a different language and culture include the necessity of learning new ways to communicate with colleagues and how to function in a new system. Even while there are difficulties, through these I continue to learn that in each challenge is hidden the opportunity to succeed and triumph in areas that I never previously considered while living and working in my home country.
America, Out of
When you live in a place, it entails much more than visiting the tourist attractions. In Burgas, Bulgaria, where this year I have settled to live and teach, these attractions include the Black Sea; the Ethno-cultural and Archeological Museums; and the city center with the 2 beautiful pedestrian streets, Alexandrovska and Bogoridi. And certainly not to be left without mention is the beautiful Sea Garden (aka, Morskata Gradina), the Black Sea destinations in close proximity to Burgas ( Sozopol and Nessebar, among others) and the cultural festivals of spring and summer. Of course, a foreigner enjoys all of these things. But after the first few weeks, a person who is settling for a while needs to think about other things: grocery shopping, renting an apartment, budgeting, cooking, cleaning, making friends, working and being productive and successful. When you live in a place, you get much more of an idea of the culture and daily life in the city than when you just go as a tourist. You must learn to do things as the locals do, or at least to do things in a way that works for you and enables you to live successfully in that area. You experience real daily life, not just entertainment and visiting. Whether in 
(Left: Burgas
The Hardships and the Victories
The day after I arrived in
This was Will, a British ex-pat who has lived in Bourgas for the past number of years with his Bulgarian wife, Mariela. Will and Mariela have since become my good friends. For the few months following that first conversation, when I would come to church on Sunday mornings, Will would ask me, “So what are some of your victories this week?” This question got me thinking. If there is one thing, that I can say about coming to Bulgaria as an English teaching assistant, it is that it has improved my confidence. At Geo Milev English Language School, I teach 12 forty- minute-classes of 30 students per week. This makes about 360 students total, composed of 5 classes from the eleventh grade and 7 classes from the ninth grade. For the forty minutes I have with each group, I am the only teacher in the room. Thirty teenagers. And me. I have no textbook to go by. As I am the only native speaker teaching classes this year, the school has given me no planned requirements or exercises except the assignment to help these students improve their speaking and understanding of English.
I am not a high-school teacher. At least, I was not before I came to Bulgaria. As a matter of fact, teenagers scare me more than I would like to admit. My teaching experience before I came to
Never did I imagine that I would be set free to create my own lesson plans and actively use them as the only teacher with groups of 30 teenagers at a time – I didn’t think I could! My first day, I felt like I had defeated an army as I stood up in front of the seven groups of ninth graders, one group of 30 after another. I never thought of myself as someone who could be a high school teacher, but it wasn’t long before I realized that not only can I, but I also actually love doing it! If there is one thing I can say about my 
Fulbright experience, it’s that it has opened my mind to see what is possible. And not only what is possible, but perhaps what is inspiring and enjoyable too!
(Left: Another victory! Reaching the summit of Mount Vihren in the Pirin Mountains of Bulgaria, September 2009)
The Students at
I have learned so much from my students at Geo Milev. They love to sing and dance. They love to participate in fun activities. They find tremendous thrill in any opportunity to teach me Bulgarian. They are enthusiastic. They are so much more ready to engage in activities and music than I thought they would be. Some of the best lessons we have had are the lessons during which I bring in my guitar and we play music, breaking down all of the lyrics and discussing the new English phrases, slang, idioms, grammar, themes, and cultural expressions. I would expect most American teenagers to be too shy or reserved (too “cool”) to sing along. Not these students! I have been most pleasantly surprised to see that this doesn’t seem to be a problem at all in
(Left and right: With students during Halloween celebrations at
Personal Challenges
Of course, adjusting to life “out of America” was not always easy. This is, in fact, my first time living abroad. I miss my friends, my family and my dog. Moreover, Burgas is not a large city, but it is a city nonetheless, and coming from the mountains and the forests of North Carolina to the city was a challenge for me. While I love the beautiful Bulgarian language, it took me a while to learn to buy train tickets by myself and to buy from stores where the products are located behind the service counter. The constant flow of techno music from every shopping mall, restaurant and café in Burgas in the summer (the fall, winter and spring proved to bit a bit more quiet and calm) at first seemed very unnerving and unfamiliar.
But these challenges, whether small or large, have helped me. Life in the city doesn’t bother me as much as it once did. And I have to admit, I do take every opportunity to visit the smaller villages and beautiful natural landscapes that are so abundant in Bulgaria. I can fully understand why Bulgarian families flock to the sea and the mountains during their summer holidays. For a person who loves nature, the variety and beauty of Bulgaria is astounding!
(Above: Most recent trip to Belogradchik Rocks) What are the Bulgarians Talking About?
With only three months remaining of my adventure in Bulgaria, I can confidently say that Bulgaria is a place that I have grown to care about a great deal on a personal level. With that in mind, I would like to share what I have learned about the concerns of the people of Bulgaria at this present time. Bulgaria has faced a lot of trying times. After five hundred years of domination and abuse while they were ruled over by the Turks, the Bulgarian people were liberated with the assistance of the Russians. What followed in the subsequent years (as Bulgaria fell under the Soviet sphere of influence) was communism under the Soviet regime. So what is Bulgaria like and what issues remain now that it is a democracy?
Economic hardship is the first phrase that comes to mind. I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked by taxi drivers, store keepers, new acquaintances and general people on the street why I am here. It is more than just a simple question and general conversation topic. The question is expressed more in baffled amazement. It is as if they are saying, “We have no money here. There is so much unemployment, and even for the employed, the wages are low. We try to work abroad to make better wages. It is a better life in America or abroad, away from these problems. So you, from America, why do you come here!?!”
Not everyone in Bulgaria thinks this way, but a great many do. Another issue that Bulgarians are talking about has to do with education and the younger generations. Many bright young Bulgarians leave their country every year to attend universities abroad. After their education is finished, many of them remain abroad never to live again in Bulgaria. If so many of the educated youth leave, who will be the qualified professionals in Bulgaria? Where are the great minds who will work to solve Bulgaria’s problems and increase the quality of life?
As I learn of these hardships through observation and conversations with the friends I have made in Burgas, I am forming the opinion more and more that Bulgaria is a country with more reason for confidence in regards to the future than hopelessness. While I don’t know that many Bulgarians would share this optimism, it seems to me that positive things really are taking place. In 2007, Bulgaria became the newest addition to the European Union. I have visited the universities in Burgas, Sofia and Veliko Turnovo and am 
impressed by what I have seen. The architecture itself is impressive, and this is just the beginning. The students I have had the pleasure of meeting are intelligent to a competitive degree and motivated in their fields. Many also take part in the extracurricular activities available at their universities. Many other Bulgarian students thrive in talent and creativity in the fields of music and art. On several occasions I have heard the professors and administrative professionals at these universities speak about projects for expanding university programs and attracting more bright Bulgarian students back to the their country to attend institutions of higher learning. (Above: View from the window of the university in Veliko Turnovo)
When I spoke about American universities at my school in Burgas and asked that those students who plan to study abroad raise their hands, few did. The majority of students expressed both their plans to stay in Bulgaria and their love for their country even with the current challenges. Many of my personal friends in Burgas are of university age. One studied in Sofia. Another recently graduated from the university in Veliko Turnovo with her degree in Russian and English linguistic studies. Another grew up in Burgas and decided to stay at home to attend the local private university. Many of these young people have expressed their desire to stay and make a change in Bulgaria, both in their local communities and on a wider scale. Many talk about whether or not there is hope for the future of Bulgaria. With young people like these, I see hope for Bulgaria. I will hold out hope for this place I have grown to care about so much over the past months. All too soon, I will have to leave. I thank Fulbright and the people of Bulgaria for the experience I have had, and I look forward to the time when I will be able to return to the country whose citizens have been an inspiration to me.
(Right: Standing on the Heights. Hiking in thePirin Mountains of Bulgaria, 2009)
"You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall."
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him...
"He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms
can bend a bow of bronze. You give me
your shield of victory, and your right hand
sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me, so that my
ankles do not turn."
- Psalm 18
