And now we find ourselves in Bulgaria

Somehow I've found the motivation to write at 12 am while sitting in a rainsoaked B&B in Shiroka Luka. I'm sitting in my boxers and my barefeet on the stone floor are growing colder by the minute as I sit here and continue typing. To describe the day today: the drive up the winding Rhodope Mountain road, the visit to the monastery and the incredibly colourful autumn foliage covering every inch of mountainside, later getting caught in a rainstorm as we pulled into our final destination: Shiroka Luka, the ancient village nestled in a tight valley sitting at 2,000 meters above sea level, eating traditional Bulgarian dishes, listening to traditional Bulgarian music, and finally discovering the place we would sleep: a cosy little inn with extra blankets and comfortable beds for a mere $9 a night, oh yeah, this place is awesome. And how did we come to find ourselves here in Bulgaria? Good question. I was telling a friend about my being in Bulgaria and she asked me the same question I'm sure everyone wants to know: why Bulgaria? The answer is somewhat simple and somewhat complicated. Simply put: I needed to exit the Schengen area. The Schengen area is a large region in western Europe comprised of member states that decided to hell with border crossings, we all want the freedom to drive across your border without having to stop at passport control and customs. So with that the majority of western Europe and most EU member countries fall under this category. As an American citizen I am allowed 90 days per every 6 months to stay in this area. I needed to exit because plans would have me in Prague for Christmas and by the time I checked out of Schengen I was already inside Schengen for a month. So we headed south, first to Bratislava and then to Budapest, and ultimately to Sofia, Bulgaria, yeah! And still you're asking, so why Bulgaria? Why not Croatia or Romania or Russia or some other country not in the Schengen area? Well as luck would have it, one of the hosts I contacted originally got back to me and said she'd be delighted to have us stay on for a month or two. So we said: heck yes! And here we are! Staying in a small village between Chirpan and Stara Zagora. The weather for the most part has been in the mid-20's (mid-70's for all you folks back home). Just today I was walking around in a tank top and probably could have gotten away with shorts as well! I'm sure everyone back in Seattle might be feeling a little jealous and anyone in Prague might be feeling more jealous as they've just received their first bit of snow! I'll definitely take wearing a tank top! The deal becomes a whole lot sweeter when you hear that my lovely English ex-pat host, Jane, introduced us to her English speaking Bulgarian friend, Boyan, who just so happens to have a car and also happens to be a winemaker. So we've been living the life here in Bulgaria. Working for Jane and then helping Boyan finish off (and on occasion, taste) his wine production. We're seeing heaps of the country and for the most part we've been enjoying end-of-summer-like weather so we can't complain at all! Bulgaria is one of the most unlikely of places to be but we're slowly discovering the amazing things this country has to offer. There's no telling where we'll head to next but we're thinking about making a short trip to the Bulgarian coast on the Black Sea and then maybe Greece or Croatia or Italy? With that my friends, I am signing off, my feet are freezing and it's already after midnight. Stay tuned for more updates (I hope!) and more photos from this amazing trip! Ciao ciao!

Zach

A Little Adversity

To say things have unravelled quickly would be an understatement. Last night (Friday the 21st), within two hours, our weekend and post-weekend travel plans had completely evaporated and we were required to start back at square one. First: a call to Ralph to make sure we were still able to stay with him for the weekend and possibly into the early part of next week. Next: a text message saying he would be gone for three days, returning on Tuesday and that staying at his flat was no longer possible. Second: heading over to see Iveta's friend and pick-up the car that we would take to Germany and possibly elsewhere within Czech Republic. Next: a text message saying that when they went to try starting the car, it wouldn't start and that use of the car was no longer possible. The damage inflicted: no place to stay, and no way to get there. In other words: totally fucked. So we had to quickly figure things out. My friend from Nuremburg was going to meet us Sunday in Munich for Oktoberfest. We decide to look at hotels in Nuremburg and wind up finding one for two nights with breakfast for 100 euros. Not half bad. We looked online to find pricing of trains and found out we could get to Nuremburg one-way for 475 CZK or approx $35 USD. Good deal. So we had a place to stay and potentially quite affordable transportation. Things were turning around for us. In addition to that, instead of staying in Munich for a few days, we'd meet my friend in Nuremburg and ride to Munich on the train with him Sunday morning and spend all day taking in the festivities. Afterwards we'd head back to Nuremburg, sleep in the hotel, and leave the following morning for Bamberg (a small city to the north of Nuremburg) renown for brewing the best Rauchbier (smoke beer) on the planet. After spending two days and one night in Bamberg we'd head to Plzen and stay for a few days with a friend of Iveta's sister. So for now that's the plan. A loose plan but a plan nonetheless and an excellent plan salvaged from the wreckage of a previous plan that held so much promise. In reality, when we'd gone to the station to find out the real pricing of trains we initially found it to be much more. Much more being like 2000 CZK or $120 for two people one-way. After finding the buses to be equally less affordable we went back to the station to accept the fate and pay the price to ride the train. After Iveta spoke with the woman at the desk, she helped us a great deal by finding a way to cut the cost of travel in half! So here we are in Domazlice, nearing the German border and things are fine. Update when we get to Nuremburg. Tomorrow Munich with Tilman, Monday Bamberg, Tuesday Plzen? Sounds damn good to me :] Goodbye to summer and hello to autumn :]

Zach 09.22.2012

PS: Photos and entry about Oktoberfest to come at a later date...for now we'll be heading to Bamberg for the day and night, and then we're off to Plzen for a few days! Ciao!

On being in Hořovice, dealing with idiotic hospital workers, and the enjoyment of Prague!

Currently sitting in a room in Hořovice. Currently trying to wrap my mind around and get over this idiotic predicament. Guess the best way to deal with it is just to accept it and let it go and bear in mind that it will mostly be over tomorrow. If you're wondering: this is in reference to the people we've been dealing with here at the hospital where Iveta is getting pins in her foot removed. In any case, tomorrow the real fun begins. And once back to Prague we'll try to get things with the car in order and head to Munich on Thursday. I've been enjoying my time in Czech Republic. Prague is in fact beautiful; bridges and old buildings galore! And the weather has mostly cooperated since I've arrived. I have only a few photos I feel are worthy of posting on here (and they've been put up on Facebook already). Hoping to shoot more when we return from Germany. Beer is extremely cheap. I think after the conversion rate most half-liters are right about $1.50. The other issue I've been having is the language barrier. This is something that has been giving me a lot of difficulty. It really is the first place I've travelled where it has been an issue. Iveta has to do all of the talking and barely anyone speaks English. We found this great little basement pub serving up some more beer options. Most places only serve the standard dark or light lagers. But we found some pubs which offer more ;] Haha ok for now that's the update. Will keep you updated on the car situation, I'm getting excited for it. Ciao for now! Photos to follow!

Zach

New Post?

So I have decided to blow the dust off the old blog and blow some life back into it. Why? If you don't already know, I am headed back out onto the road for more adventure. This time to new cities, new countries, and new experiences. I am super fortunate to be able to do things like this and couldn't be happier with the situation: a one-way flight to Prague. And that's pretty much it. Plans to roadtrip to Munich for Oktoberfest. And plans to visit Greece to pick olives for two-weeks in November. And aside from that, no real plans. Crazy. Where will I go? How will I get there? Who will I be with? All great questions and all with few answers. Stay tuned for more updates on my adventures. This time around things are even more undecided than last time (is that even possible?), I have no idea but I reckon I'll soon find out. Ciao for now. Zach

In Seattle: The Last Post

Well yes indeed, I am in fact back in the Pacific Northwest. After leaving London yesterday morning around 950 am (thanks for the help Mosh, you know you're the best) flying to Frankfurt (horrible airport by the way) and crossing 9 time zones, I landed in Seattle at 1715 local time. The sun was shining and it was perfect weather. Oh and I was finally able to see my dog ;]

I had hoped to be writing this in London, but time did not allow and it is my belief that my mind would have been too overcome with the sadness of departure and separation. Nevertheless here I am. Back in my parents home, thinking back to Europe, missing all of my friends and wishing I could still be there.

The 4th of July was something else. I fell asleep around 2230 local time to the sound of celebration and fireworks exploding overhead and didn't wake up until just after 5 am PST. Not so bad. The best way to deal with jetlag is to try and power through it. Stay awake as long as possible and try and force your mind to adapt as quickly as possible. Surreal to be back? Certainly is. Sunday I was in London, the previous Sunday I was in Amsterdam, and the previous Sunday I was in Germany. How quickly things should change. It is difficult for me to consider life here at this time. I've no idea which way to go. The security agent who searched my bag last night asked me that very question: "So what now?" And I replied with the same answer I've been giving everyone: "I've got no idea." The options are really endless. Some people are pushing for me to go to school and finish a degree. Maybe I get a temporary job somewhere, make some money, try and sell some of my photos and go from there. But where to live? That's the big question. I've been offered a spot in a rented home in Lynnwood. I could stay with my parents until I find a place of my own. But there are pro's and con's of both options and I really don't know what I'd like to do yet. Do I try and stay put for a year? Look into enrollment back in school? Do I study business or try and proceed down the biology track again? Do I seek out work in a brewery or a pub? These are the questions I've got to answer. And what also of travel? I know it's still inside me, the need and desire to keep going, keep seeing new things. But this last trip has left me fatigued and I may not be able to return to the majority of Western Europe for quite some time. So then do I look elsewhere? Somewhere new? Some place to stretch my mind even further? Good questions I suppose, and like with everything else, I've no idea.

And now back to travel. The last word on this nearly 6 month long journey. How to sum it all up? It really is impossible I think. You can't sum up something like this in two paragraphs. But it was an experience I'm not likely to forget. I think about all the people who helped me along the way; they are countless really. As I'm sitting here I've got this feeling in my gut and I'm wondering where exactly I should be. I am back in the USA, surrounded by fellow Americans. For the past 6 months it was the other way around. Now I am no longer a stranger amongst strangers. Travel is an amazing thing. In the scheme of the journey your mind is warped. Will it bend back now that I am here? I suppose at the end, only one question remains: in which direction do I take my next step?

To everyone who followed this journey along the way, thanks so much. And to everyone who made this journey a possibility I cannot thank you enough. Thanks for tuning in. Ciao.



Zach

Checking out of Schengen

Well, today was verdict day and I had been dreading it for quite sometime. It was the day I would check out of the Schengen states, and it did not go so well. I claimed ignorance, but the Dutch authorities followed SOP and submitted my overstay to the authorities. I will either get slapped with a fine, banned for a period of time (potentially from 1 to 3 years) or incur no penalty at all. In two weeks I'll have to call the proper authorities in Holland and find out what my punishment will be. I also have some kind of insignia hand drawn inside my passport recognizable by future authorities (like in the UK) that let's them know I overstayed my visa. My hope is that the UK authorities will be lenient because I have my flight booked for just one week from today. I am also hoping they won't scrutinize things too much as I already have a visa that extends through mid-July and I know it is still valid. So I keep my fingers crossed for a smooth entry. Otherwise there is no telling what kinds of extremely bad and stressful things may transpire. Oh and I also didn't know this crossing takes 6 hours, at least they've got wi-fi onboard. Anyhow, we arrive to Harwich around 20:00 and within the hour I should know whether or not I get to proceed into England to meet Mosh near South Wimbledon. Wish me luck. Toodles.


Zach

Nothing more to say

Nothing more to say really at all. I'm leaving Amsterdam tomorrow morning. It is at best bittersweet. I'll really miss this place. I've grown to love it. I know it well. I know the streets and alleys. I know where all the Albert Heijns are. I know and love this big city that's really not all that big. It really does have the perfect mix. If only it had some mountains ;] I'll be leaving tomorrow for England, but will already be plotting my return. Thanks to all the people who made Amsterdam a possibility...most namely: Annie and Petra. And thanks to all the friends I've made along the way: Dives, Travis, and Sander (and the whole Beer Temple Crew). Good luck to everyone. I'll see you when I get back ;]



Zach