(2) You know you're in Beirut when...

1. While you're stuck in traffic you notice that there is every kind of car- Kia, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Suzuki, Nissan, Citroen, Renault- but the most popular seem to be the big hitters- Land Rovers, BMWs, Jaguar, and Mercedes Benz. It's just different when children live at home through their twenties- they have more money to spend on the luxurious things in life!

2. Though you do see women wearing ridiculously high heels, although not the Blago five inchers I was used to, the popular shoes are Birkinstocks and Converse. Riddle me that.

3.You see posters and billboards everywhere advertising fashion, food, and old political leaders. 

4. When everyone I meet asks, "Where have you been? Have you been to the beach yet?" 

5. You can travel the whole country in a matter of hours. Border to border, it is so close and there is everything. Sea and mountains. Valleys and caves. Forests and a big city. It's gorgeous. 

6. When something happens that would shock the world, like most of what is happening in the Middle East right now, and they ask, for kids, "So there is school tomorrow?" and for adults, "What do you want for lunch?" (during the week)

7. You go to a "pub" and it is a mix between a pub (the talking atmosphere), a club (the music), and an outdoor bar (the tables).

8. You can see a mosque and a Catholic church right next to each other. It is a beautiful dichotomy. 

(1) You know you're in Bulgaria when...

 ...you don't seem to know how to open a door correctly. Push or pull, that is the question. 

 ...you go anywhere and order a coffee thinking you'll get a grande size and instead, receive a shot of espresso. 

...it snows 6-7 inches and the next day you still see girls wearing five inch high heels climbing through the mountains of snow or hobbling on sheets of ice. 

 ...you walk on the sidewalk only to be stopped by a car parked there. 

 
...banitsa is craved and tastes delicious any time of the day, especially after a really wild night of partying/ drinking (this is similar to the taco bell/Mexican runs made back in the States). 

 ...there is no Mexican or Chinese/Thai food to be found. Devastating I tell you, devastating! 

 ...food and hot drinks are served lukewarm. This is EVERYWHERE. Could be considered nice because then you can just dig in, but occasionally you just want that searing cup of coffee that burns your tongue, you know? 

 
 ...Tuesday nights are one of the big going out nights of the week (piano bar =drunk karaoke; awesomeness to its fullest.). Thirsty Thursday, I think not my friends. 

 ...you can go to a dinner with the US Consul from Sofia and it be completely "normal", especially when it's held in the cafe in the dormitory. 

 ...you walk to class and see the mountains or think about last night or what you plan to do for the next three remaining months of being here and think, "Dude, I'm in Bulgaria." 

Is it REALLY Christmas?

I love Christmas! It's my favorite time of the year, with snow (only it was not a white Christmas-what a bust) and non-stop holiday music, but the greatest thing about this season is the atmosphere. There is just something about it that makes me glow with happiness and I'm generally a happy person, but what is really cool is everyone else is really happy too. People pull together and there is a tangible camaraderie among everyone.  Who doesn't love seeing or feeling this? It's the tradition and fresh pine trees and baked goodies that you can't stop eating and family and Santa and stockings and sledding and warm fires and hot cocoa and bundling. Oh gosh, I'm just excited talking about it! 

Anyway, I reaped the mother load this year. I got a ton of stuff for my upcoming excursion to Bulgaria-a new travel backpack (!!!), a cocoon travel sheet, an inflatable pillow, a towel, a pack cover- and other things like a beautiful sweater that is super trendy (if you know my stepmom that explains a lot), Harry Potter parts 1 and 2, boots, wool socks, a bookmark (only a true bookworm would get excited about that), chocolates, a pencil case (also very excited about that), and a tea steeping mug which is awesome (my roomie would love this!). It was a crazy good Christmas with the presents and all. But that is not what made it great.

I have been home for a little over a week and I have had this time to spend with family and friends, like really good, quality time with the people who matter most. It started out with a book burning party for Jory's Spanish book, which I couldn't believe we actually did (we made s'mores from the fire). And then Ali B. (weird), Jory, and Shelby B. and I just sat around the table and talked for like a solid two hours about life and school and just random stuff. Then the next day I had the wonderful task of introducing them to AMC Mainstreet.  (Sidenote: If you haven't been, go. What are you waiting for? Jump in the car and drive now, but check time first and if you're under 21 make sure it's not Cinema Suites. It is the coolest theatre you'll ever go to. Especially the bathrooms and it may sound strange but for the people who have been there, you know what I'm talking about! So go, you'll be a new person walking out.[that might be a bit dramatic but still...])  Anyway, it was just really good to catch up with some really awesome friends I hadn't seen all semester.

Then I got to spend a day with Molley C. and that was so great. Just the fact that we've stayed good friends this long is amazing and a blessing. I then spent basically two whole days stamping cards; that's right people, I'm a stamper and I'm proud of it!  I would make my Aunt Sal proud.  I got to pick up my crazy brother from the airport and drove him home for the first time in a year. So nice to have him home, even if he is a butt sometimes. That night my friend Abbey was nice enough to invite me over and I got to hang out with her family and with Morgan and Molley S. and I caught up on their lives and the happenings of Platte City which I'm never up to date on.  Then a 7 hour trip to SD and here I am.  It's tradition and a wonderful transportation into the bliss of good food and even better company. 

I guess what I've learned over the past week and a few days is that it doesn't matter what I was doing or what I got as presents, it was who I was doing this stuff with or for. I have been more aware of what I truly have- good friends that are funny and honest and completely great in all their shenanigans, good family who is generous and loving and filled with laughter and stories, and good memories of times of sitting around the table talking or playing Taboo with my competitive family or getting to see 4 movies in 5 days. 

Because of the short time I have at home with them, it just makes all this time all that much sweeter- especially since my Uncle Steve is in the hospital and in critical condition, but he is stable right now thank God- and it has really made me think about what I have in front of me and the opportunity to seize it.  This spurs me to spend more time with them, trying to soak up all the familiarity that won't be there in two weeks. It's going to be a long, wonderful, beautifully difficult and rewarding road, these next six months, but i know with the family and friends and the God I have, there is no way I couldn't make it through. I am so thankful for what God gave me in community and why he would do that is beyond me but I'm not one to question the Big Man. I am just now learning what it means to TRULY appreciate what it means to have good encouragement...and it's not something I want to take for granted anymore. So in this time before New Year's, really evaluate what you have and be thankful. All else will fade and this will be the stuff left standing. 

You melt my heart, you really do. 

 Kelsey 

PS...I don't think this was much shorter than my other posts; sorry. But maybe not!