Hello from Sophia! I left St. James Park this morning and it was weird. Yesterday, Sara and I did some random things around the garden, kind of cleaned it up and set up a watering hose in the field so it won't take 2 hours to water everything anymore. Side story: Sara and I had a breakthrough on Wednesday. We came back from work and, surprise, she was complaining about something and said Ï honestly just dont know if I can stay here". So I kind of lost it and ...

What a weekend! Background: Last Wednesday, there was a Dutch guy named Joost (pronounced Yost) that arrived to the village to stay in Kathy's son's house for the month. It is a nice house with indoor plumbing (rare in these parts), a nice and light bedroom and a huge field with tons of fruit trees. He had agreed to stay for a month, live in the place and do some work on it in return for staying there for 3£ a night and being shown houses around the village and...

A quick update: Summer has arrived full on in Bulgaria and it feels good. It is hott- reaching mid 80's- and no rain means we have to water EVERYTHING at night. Right now, the garden is producing snow peas, green onions, garlic greens, swiss chard, romaine lettuce and beetroot- we are in salad heaven. I think the heat is getting to the chickens as well because I found one dead this morning. She wasnt looking so hott last night when I got back from Popovo but Dan...

Life has changed pretty dramatically (by Bulgarian village standards) since I last wrote. Elly came back from England on Tuesday and brought the sunshine with her. We have gotten so much done since she came back and the garden is a thousand different shades of green dotted with bright spots of color. Cassie, one of the eight cats, is pregnant and due any minute now. She is acting very strangely, her belly is almost touching the ground and there are some interesti...

One thing that is interesting about being an American and a traveller is that, given the fact that our country's policies affect people the world over, other people you meet have no qualms about telling you their opinion on American politics and culture. Sometimes you get defensive, other times you divulge in some good America bashing, but it always makes you think afterward. So, this morning, when I took a look at the New York Times and remembered it is still e...