Goodbye Belovo...

Team Belovo:

Well, tonight will most likely be my last as a resident of the toilet paper capital of the Balkans. It would be easy to rant on about the lack of this or that some other town had more; but, that is not how I want to leave here. It is this small town that gave me my first look at Bulgaria and that has honestly been a good thing. So, a positive top five list of Belovo. (Sorry, just finished reading ‘High Fidelity’)

• The assorted animals, both that my family keeps and that roam the streets. It did take some convincing to eat some of these friendly critters. Such is life.

• Ben the dog. I put him in a separate category because we have had some rough times together. He almost got me killed when the bulls encircled me in the mountains and he tried to attack. He also kept me warm the time I forgot my keys and had to wait outside for my host family to get back from a late night na gosti.

• The CED café. It was here that I perfected the art of sitting in the same spot for hours. We practiced everyday.

• Team Belovo. We had good people, good times, and no one quit. I was lucky to have them with me.

• My host family. Kind souls who fed me, taught me, and let me peer into the real lives of Bulgarians. It was a one of a kind opportunity and I only hope I made the best of it.

Wednesday night will be the first time I crash in my own apartment, ever. Kind of creepy, kind of exciting. It is all part of the game, and right now the game is pretty fun.

~~Mark

[Email to a Friend:]