Big Move...

Well, a long month has come to rest. I have found my new home in Bulgaria – Shumen. That’s right, we are going to the other side of the country for a change. I will be working in the EuroIntegration office and be helping the city to bring in project funding. These projects are usually funded by big organizations like: European Union, World Bank, USAID… But, they can also be smaller projects done with other partners. The reason these projects need to happen, in theory, is to help Bulgaria become a member of the European Union. The reason it has been such a long month has been trying to put this all together. I had a few options and was trying to find a good situation: including finding a job, apartment, and getting it approved. These things are not easy to do anyways, but doing it in Bulgarian makes it a touch more challenging. As for the situation in Samokov, my old town, things have pretty much ground to a halt. I am not sure when I will actually move to the new town, but I can tell you it is a big relief just to know where I will be going. Shumen is a big town – about 90,000 people. It has a university and is about an hour from a big beach city Varna. The coworkers I have met seem motivated and ready to help me get going with some projects. And, there is a giant western style food store within walking distance of my apartment. All in all, a good setup. Once I find out more, I will update you guys. Sorry for the lag in journal writing, but I wanted to have something concrete to say and everything has been up in the air for a while.

Take care and talk to you soon,

Mark

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