Bulgaria & Beyond

Downside: I have to get up at like, 4 to catch my 5AM train to Paris. Le yucky.

Upside: I'M GOING TO BULGARIA TO SEE STEVE & FAMILY TOMORROW!!! Yay! I am excited to see our friends. I am stoked to get to see another country (maybe two, since my layover in Vienna is so long I'm considering hitting up the city center just so I can say I've seen it!). I am THRILLED that the weather is supposed to be in the 20s (70s, for you Americans).

My flight gets into Sofia around 9:30PM. I *think* Bulgaria is one hour ahead of France, I'll have to double check. I get back into Paris around 8PM next Wednesday, which is too late to catch the last train to Troyes. Thankfully, I posted about my dire situation on the Assistants in France board and a Parisienne assistant offered to let me stay the night with her. Karma, how I love thee...

Steve just texted me from his Bulgarian phone so I know I have the correct number. No idea if my phone will work in Bulgaria-- even if it does, it will be expensive for me to send/get calls & texts. I've decided to bring my laptop so I can A) keep myself amused during my long layovers (Vienna airport has lots of wifi spots), B) finalize my last lesson plans, and C) keep myself amused as needed in Sofia if/when Steve is working and Kristina is busy with the little ones.

I'm excited to meet Jahn and Skai, Steve & Kristina's two young sons. I'm bringing them gifts because (and Kristina confirmed) we all know the way to a kid's heart is through presents. I've got lil somethings for Steve & Kristina too of course. I randomly bought a lil 4-pack of port wine while I was in Porto last February not knowing who I would give it to. Afterwards, when this whole Bulgaria plan was in the works, I remembered that Steve likes port, so that's perfect for him. During NYE in Paris Kristina loved the macaroons sold in the patisseries so I bought a box of a dozen assorted macaroons for her. Jahn is getting a Playmobil dinosaur (it says age 4+, he is 3, so hopefully it will still be OK) and Skai is getting a stuffed cat that meows when you squeeze its belly (Kristina said he likes cats and things that make noise-- two birds with one stone).

It's gonna be a long day of travel but I'm so excited I don't think I'll mind too much... then again, my feelings on that may be different when I'm walking to the train station at 4:30AM tomorrow morning!!! :)