Holidays

I just spent my first Christmas and New Year's in Bulgaria! And the first Christmas and New Year's away from my family :-( But even though I couldn't be with my family and friends back home...I was able to be with my friends and Peace Corps family here :-) I spent Christmas in Koprivshtitsa with Mickie. Her town and new apartment are just adorable. Really...it's the cutest little village. I loved walking around and looking at all the old traditional style houses. I also loved that Mickie has a wood-burner stove and I got to play with fire the whole time at was at her place.

After Christmas in Koprivshtitsa Mickie and I came back to my place for New Year's. Nikola and her cousin Mariela also came over on New Year's Eve and we all watched the city ignite from my balcony. I've never seen so many fireworks or heard so many gun shots in my life! It was an insane way to ring in the New Year. I do wonder if every New Year's Eve celebration is that crazy or if it was exceptionally crazy this year because on January 1st Bulgaria became a part of the European Union. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Bulgaria_to_the_European_Union

It's been great having a break from school. I was really ready for one. But now vacation is almost over and I'll be headed back to school on Monday. It's time to start finishing up the first semester so I've got to work on grades this weekend and finish correcting papers that I had assigned before the holiday. What kind of teacher am I? Why did I have kids turn in work just before the break? That only means work for me during my vacation! And it's also time that I get real serious with my dancers project. We've got interviews at the U.S. embassy coming up and hopefully all of the dancers will get their visiting Visas to the states. Now I need to start getting the travel agenda lined up. I know when we'll be getting into the states and when we'll be leaving...but I need to set up all of the performance dates at the schools and other community centers where the dancers will be performing. And I need to start going to the dance rehearsals since I'll have some part in the performances! Woo Hoo! Just two and a half more months and my Bulgarian Folk Dancers and I will be state side! Man...it's gonna be a lot of work. But so worth it!