Long time no type

ДОБЪР ДЕН! “Dobur Den!” (good day!)

Whew! It has been a while since I have dusted off this thing. I guess it is time for me to update my blog. I have a lot to say and not much time to say it. I have been doing well. Just living life. I get up and go to school everyday and study Bulgarian for about 3 hours. I have a couple hours worth of homework for Bulgarian homework NOT including the couple of hours a day of COD (Community and Organizational Development) work I do everyday. When I have an hour or so to catch my breath I am playing football (soccer) with some local kids. I eat well. They put so much food on my plate that I cannot finish it. Then they ask me if I don't like it and I have to tell them that I do not eat much. They eat a bit heavier than I am used to. Lots of beans, rice, and bread (seriously, so much bread), meat, and cheese. It is all delicious but very very filling. I am currently living in the Balkans and it is great. There is some awesome hiking near my town.

I recently got my permanent site placement. Some of you already know where. I would post the name of the town here but I am not supposed to so I guess you'll just have to figure it out through the grapevine (sort of). I am going to living about 1300 meter about sea level deep in the Rhodope mountains. I will be about 6 or 7 kilometers away from the border to Greece. My town is about 700 people strong. I officially work for the Читалище (Chetaleshte) (think of a cultural center for the town) but will have the ability to work with many different local organizations. The town is beautiful (as you will see) and so is the surrounding areas. I might get a chance to lead tours to a local cave which requires climbing up 60 meters of ladders and then within the cave repelling down to a lower level to exit. Which will be cool. There is a lot of fantastic things near my town (about 20 brown bears, some awesome lake, etc, etc, etc). Enough writing. Here are some pictures.