What a year
it has been. This time last year I was
plodding along, doing my thing, working and living in London in a job I liked
and with plenty to be getting along with socially. I was “happy” and “content”. Sadly, a few weeks on, I lost my beloved
Pappy (grandfather). Amidst the mayhem
that was life at that time however, I was also planning a trip to Bulgaria to
catch up with the Bearded one. Little
did I know at this stage that my life was due to make an even bigger
turnaround.....
And so I
went to the Promised Land to spend some time with what turned out to be one of
the most wonderful men I have ever met.
I am a very, very lucky young (shush now) woman. Between the visits and moving out on a
semi-temporary basis in August last year we have had a wonderful time on the
whole. I’m not saying it was all roses
and tulips, chance would be a fine one, as it was hard at times. There were big adjustments for us both and
there was always the chance that I had jumped too soon and this would never
work out. It did. That is the main thing and despite the odd
hiccup, as we all have, we survived and grew stronger which is actually very
surprising given how we have both been miserable sods whilst back in the UK for
four months!
Now we have
spent the last few weeks preparing for my final trip back home to the
school. It has been exhausting, even for
me, but more so for him as he has done ALL the thinking and planning and
sleepless nights over it. We are almost
packed now and just making some final adjustments to the load this week before
we set off next week on the final trek (for me.
He will make a further trip, alone, in a couple of month’s time) across
Europe.
I have
missed Bulgaria and everything it is and has to offer us. We are extremely similar with some of the
things that make us happy and content, the most significant being the peace and
quiet and very little noise. Being back
in the UK has been hellish on that score.
So much traffic, so many people, so much unnecessary noise! It will be an absolute pleasure to sit on our
balcony both in the evenings enjoying a beer and in the morning having our tea
and coffee and just lapping up the silence, with only the birds to sing to us
(and possibly Rambo howling for his breakfast).
You cannot buy that kind of happiness.
Not really.
The beauty
of the country astounds me. You do not
have to travel too far to experience the wild, untouched look of the
countryside. In fact you only have to
look across the valley. The hills and
mountains, rivers and lakes, rocks and pastures; they all make me smile, even
just thinking about them.
The people
too; our neighbours are absolute gems.
They have been looking after the place for us since we have been
away. I still remember when they came
over the night before we drove off for our winter retreat. They brought gifts, smiles, tears and a huge
lump in my throat formed when we had to say goodbye. I even shared a few tears with my adoptive
father (his words, not mine). I will be
very pleased to see them again and this memory makes me feel secure in the
knowledge that I will have them to look out for me when I am there alone whilst
I wait for Himself to return in early summer.
I think this fact is also something that makes Him feel easier about
this period. He is putting a huge amount
of trust in me and I would hate to let him down in any way so I will be on my
“bestest” behaviour and do my utmost to make sure that everything is done right
while he is away.
I cannot
even begin to tell you how much we are both looking forward to returning. There has almost been a part of us both
missing since our return; it is very hard to explain. It will be a fairly heavy wrench when he has
to go back, but I am trying not to think about that yet. I am just hoping that it won’t be longer than
the amount of time we have been aiming for since we planned it all.
I also hope Rambo will be as excited to see me as I will be to see him. He has been in kennels for months, getting spoiled and having extra food. So he is back to boot camp with me in a couple of weeks! Hah!
All of this
sentiment aside, we still have a lot of work to get through this year and
next. We have booked the workers to come
and do our drainage in April so that is the first task sorted, although me
overseeing this could be fun as I know NOTHING about drainage at all and, being
a girl, I have to force myself to be interested. I will have to pretend it is a pair of shoes
being constructed, or something. Only
kidding, love! Next on the list are the
electrics and plumbing. I have offered
my cousins a paid trip to the School to get this started, so hopefully if they
or one of them can do this we will have something in place, at least for the
living quarters at some point this year.
If not, I have asked him to ask around his mates and colleagues, just so
that we can have a system we can trust in place. So it will not be a holiday like last it was
last time, well, not that it was really, but sometimes it felt like it – how
can it not when you love every minute of it.
I am going
to miss certain parts of being in the UK.
Not many, but some. I will miss
the fact that we are so close to family and friends, but with all of the modern
technology these days, I guess you are not ever that far away really. Still, it is something in my mind. I have not had the opportunity to see some of
the people who I would really like to have seen and spent some time with before
this final transition but such is life.
It has been very busy here with the socialising, visiting family,
preparing things and working but we have done as much as we could possibly fit in. So to those I have not managed to see,
farewell and I will be back at some stage.
Finally, I
would like to thank one person in all of this.
The Mr. Thank you for sharing
this experience with me and allowing me the opportunity to live it with you and
not through you. You have made me feel
involved from the start and continue to allow my stamp to be put down on parts
of this renovation and journey. I do
think there is a chance we won’t need that patio at all and I hope that you
feel as happy and excited about the future as I do. It won’t be long before we are living the
dream for good. One last push now.
Обичам те
TO
BULGARIA! HOME.
A x
**EDIT**
I apparently have to include a spud in each post, so here:
**EDIT**
I apparently have to include a spud in each post, so here:
