Adventure [noun] – an exciting or very unusual experience; participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises; a bold, usually risky undertaking.

Well, I have arrived.  After what seemed like a long  two days of traveling, I was dropped off in front of my dorm at the American University in Bulgaria on Tuesday night, the 11^th.  After saying goodbye to my family late Monday afternoon, two flights and one shuttle ride later, I had my first encounter with the place I am calling home for the next four months.  My first great adventure that Tuesday night was a trip to the nearby Kaufland’s (a pretty well-stocked supermarket a 5-minute walk across a field from campus), and “adventure” doesn’t do it justice, as my close-knit group of American exchange students and I would later find out, we will be making many trips there over the next four months.


Yes, homesickness kicked in the moment I took off in New York, and the first night alone in a dorm room in the middle of Bulgaria, I thought over and over to myself, “What the hell are you doing here, Sarah?”  The next morning though, that all changed.  A chat with my fellow American exchange students left me knowing I was not alone in that feeling and only had me looking forward to the amazing adventures that I am going to have the chance to experience during my time here in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.


The next few days, as orientation began and I grew closer and closer with the American girls, anticipation kicked in.  Exploring the city of Blagoevgrad, which I am quickly falling in love with, I’ve realized how lucky I am for this opportunity.  The AUBG campus is set up with the Main Building a 10-minute walk through the city from the three brand new dorm buildings and the Balkanski Academic Center, which are picturesquely situated along the Bistrica River, which runs through Blagoevgrad.

AUBG campus dorm

View from campus across the Bistrica River into the city of Blagoevgrad

Coming to Bulgaria, I was prepared for fairly cold weather, but have been greeted with quite pleasant temperatures that have hovered in the 50’s since I’ve arrived.  Apparently, because Blagoevgrad is surrounded my skyscraping snow-capped mountains, spring comes earlier in this region, which made me a very happy girl.  As much as I love winter, warm weather will be a great change from the chilly winter my family and friends are experiencing back home in Connecticut.


As excited as I am to explore Bulgaria more and get to experience the Bulgarian culture, I am ecstatic knowing that over the next four months I will be traveling to a handful of different countries and regions and experiencing those cultures as well.  Let’s just hope the bank account can allow this to happen to the extent I hope it will!

Beautiful Blagoevgrad hillside