It was not supposed to be so cold in Bulgaria. Am I at the right airport? These were my first thoughts when entering Bulgaria. After an exhausting journey, I finally reached this country typical for its roses, natural diversity and much more. And this „much more” I want to explore in following 10 months.

Full of excitement and concerns at the same time, I am starting this journey in Sofia. But that’s not my final destination – that is Kazanlak, a small city in the heart of the country, well known for its production of rose oil. To get there, I had to undergo a 3-hours journey by bus. That would not be a problem, but there was so much snow that the bus was literally sliding across the white hills. That is quite surprising for a Slovak girl. Well, I am already looking forward to the other surprises and unexpected situations that are waiting for me here. Not ironically, yet with excitement because one never knows. You can expect a country where tourists spend their summer vacation, hang out on the beaches and go from one party to another, but eventually, you will end up with winter boots and gloves on your hands. You can expect people that do not speak English, but eventually, you meet lovely people trying to help you without understanding a single word, even though you are too confused from nodding and shaking your head in any possible directions. You can expect travelling in corona times to be complicated, everything will be closed and your experience will be very limited, but eventually and hopefully we can travel and explore this country as much as we can.

Even though my first impressions were a bit surprising, now I know that I should not rely on them. They are just the first ones, definitely not the most important ones and I am already looking forward to all the other impressions I will acquire in Bulgaria.

Adriána Čigášová