FISI ends but on to Romania

Recap of my adventures from this past week:

The last week of training was really fun. I got a lot closer to the other etas and I feel like I have this really great community of people who are sharing this same experience - who I can talk to and ask questions and advice.

Just a breathtaking view from the hotel 

The last week was classes, enjoying the outdoor pool and chilling in the spa. My Bulgarianis still pretty pitiful but I plan to take a class in Varna and hopefully it will improve - at least enough to communicate with street vendors and the like.

One night we all walked into Pravets for the outdoor concert that was part of the Mozart festival. It was beautiful!

To be consistent with my accident prone nature of the past month I took a bike ride with two friends to Pravets and five minutes from the hotel I fell off my bike... Pretty hard. I am fine and now it is funny but being on the ground with a random Dutch man standing over you is pretty overwhelming.

To end our training we all went to Sofia and met with the America for Bulgaria foundation at this beautiful little space
for lunch. The place was like a little fairy tale place. The food was delicious and cute! Mini Sandwiches and the like. And all the people we met were really nice. I am excited about where our funding comes from and I feel like if I needed something they would definitely be there to help. The America for Bulgaria Foundation is a second sponsor.

The beautiful Place where we had lunch! 

I stayed one night in Sofia and some of the other etas stayed too and that was really nice. We walked arond Sofia and then had breakfast together one last time which was nice.

Out in Sofia with some really cool gals! 

When we all said goodbye I cried - obviously! But that was my first cry since being here and it was short which I think is a good sign thus far. It was just scary - but exciting. We are now going our own separate ways.

I then took the 7 hour bus ride to Varna. My mentor teacher picked me up and brought to my apartment. The area where my apartment is very post communist looking but the apartment itself is nice and very big. I dont have a real stove or oven but what I have is very doable - lol... I wil post pictures of my place soon.

After I settled in a little my mentor teacher took me and the two friends I am traveling with currently - post FISI travels out to dinner with another teacher from the school. We went out to eat by the beach and the water is beautiful! The food was good and the company was great. My mentor teacher is hillarious and her friend was lovely! I am really excited to work with them.

ROMANIA: I traveled through Romania with two friends I made over training. Sam is this really cool guy who is super down to earth and up for anything and Victoria who is just made out of nice and could not say a bad word about anyone.  Our first stop was Bucharest for a day and a half-which was nice, but I am glad it was our first city. We went to the house of Parlioment - which is the second biggest building in the world and we searched for a few hours - to no avail - for the Jewish quarter. Sam and I raced to this castle shaped play ground and then got scolded by a cop for being too old to go on the equipment - who knew?

Start of our Romania adventures! Obviously I am not the one Navigating

Before being scolded! 

Parliament - or part of it... 

We then went to Sigasoria. Sigasoria is beautiful! The hills are stunning and the town is super cutesy. We did all the sights in Sigasoria - we climed the clock tower - we saw the old cemetary and went to a few musuems. It was super fun! We also met three really cool German guys and went out with them which was really fun. After Sigasoria we went to Brasov.

Breathtaking 

So beautiful it should be arrested - what it said in the guide book about Sighasoria 

In what is said to be the place Dracula was born... so ridiculous! 

Brasov was probably my favorite - its a very pretty city and there is a lot to do. We explored the old town together the first day and then went out with all these really cool people staying at the hostel. The next morning we did a tour of three castles near by. Among the three was Bran castle which is rumored to be Dracula's home... Our last day Victoria left us a little early and then Sam and I walked around the entire town and hiked up both towers and the citadel - it was super beautiful but exhausting.

Narrowest or close to the narrowest street in Europe 

Right by our Hostel - picture curtesy of the talented Sam 

Just one of the five weddings we saw while walking around 

At the top of the black tower

Now for my trip back to Varna - what a mess!! lol. Sam and I took an 11 o clock train to Ruse together and then he continued on to Sofia. When I got to Ruse the next train was at 6 three hours from when I got there. It was very creepy and dark in the train station. But then these two backpackers from Austria started talking to me and we decided to take a cab together. The cab was pretty cheap - although I already had my train ticket so that was annoying. But what a crazy ride - we were all exhausted and our driver was so strange and stopped three times to pee, get coffee and get gas.

Crossing the border back into Bulgaria - so tired! 

I am now in a cafe - I had the best cappuccino ever - better than Italy - it had carmel and chocolate drizzled on top - yum! Tomorrow I meet with my school and then off to Israel via Sofia. Will I ever sleep? Only time will tell...