I’m flying back to Boston today, and it definitely feels bittersweet. I’m pretty exhausted from the last day we spent in Bulgaria and thinking about work at 7 a.m. tomorrow makes me want to cry. Regardless, a week has been a good amount of time, and I’m ready to go home and sleep in my own bed.
Before leaving Melnik for Sofia on Saturday, we went by the winery again for a few more tours and goodbyes. It was clear that many tourists were impressed with the underground caves, which act as temperature controlled wine cellars/storage. With a little internet marketing saavy, I think Villa Melnik has a really good chance of becoming a top tourist attraction in Bulgaria.
We returned to Sofia in the afternoon and went to the local shopping mall where I stocked up on my Milka chocolate and lutenitsa supply. What I’ll miss most is the fresh produce and groceries. Everything just tastes better and nothing is GMO’ed. I was trying to explain to Mili’s mom what I wanted to do in sustainable food, and the simplest way I put it was, “Help Americans feel comfortable with eating weirdly shaped tomatoes.”
Since it was our last night in Sofia and Mili’s birthday, I wanted to make the most of it. After a light dinner at The Apartment, a wonderful Tibetan-inspired coffee shop, we made our way to a few bars before ending up at La Biblioteca. It was a Top 40 club and oozed of Americanism. Most of the music were by American artists and the local Bulgarians sang the lyrics loud and proud. When “Turn It Down For What” came on, I got ape shit crazy hyphe and got some intrigued looks. God, I’m so American.
The evening wouldn’t have been complete without late night munchies after a night of drinking and dancing. In Bulgaria, it’s a thing to eat pizza with corn and ketchup… So, we went to a 24-hour pizza shop to get our fill, and in my opinion, I think I will pass from now on. As we strolled the streets of Sofia in the early morning singing “Mr. Brightside” and “Row Row Row Your Boat,” it was the perfect ending to an amazing week.
We woke up, had birthday cake, packed up, and said our goodbyes. Flying Lufthansa has been a really positive experience (minus the fact I’ve been on Airbus planes…). About to leave Europe for good as I’m posting this from the Frankfurt airport, but really excited to be home soon and see Jonathan again.