In the blink of an eye. September. October. November. December. January. Fall Semester. Simply gone. **heavy sigh**
Nowadays, I have this slow, urgent sense within me bubbling to the surface. I'm neither anxious nor unhappy, but I'm simply present . . . with a slight itch. It's like a perfect summer day. There's a warm breeze. The temperature is just right, and you're at peace. BUT, every now and then, you can hear the faint buzz of a mosquito. Ready to ruin the moment. That's where I'm at today. I'm happy. I'm productive, and, overall, slightly unsettled.
I think the reality is that my time in Bulgaria is nearing an end. I can feel it with the unusually warm days. Children are playing in the streets. I don't use my heaters like I used to. And my students are a little antsy. I should be pleased with these beautiful spring days, right? Wrong. I keep telling myself it shouldn't be spring (because it shouldn't). I keep telling myself this shouldn't be normal. And I keep telling myself I'll be back next year . . . But I won't.
Before I get the dreaded question, I'll tell you now that I don't know what my future looks like. I've poured my soul into prepping for the job search, and I hope my labor bears fruit. But no matter how many coffee grinds I can pretend to read, my future is unknown.
But I don't want to talk about the future actually; I'd rather talk about the past. You see I had an amazing Christmas break with some of my best friends and those are the moments I want to cherish. So, without further adieu, here was my Christmas break:
Venice
I love Venice. But not in the cold. The breeze off the Adriatic was too much, and the Christmas market was disappointing. However, the pizza though....
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| Tajia and I hitting the mean (cold) canals of Venice! |
Slovenia
Ljubljana has an incredibly cute city center especially during the Christmas season, and Lake Bled looks like Bob Ross painted it! The church on the island juxtaposed with the surrounding Alps! What a treat!
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| Ljubljana deckin' the halls and the walls! |
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| Ljubljana Castle |
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| Church in the center of Lake Bled |
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| Lake Bled Castle (Left), Bled Town (Center), Alps (everywhere) |
Croatia
Zagreb definitely resembles it's fellow Communist capital cities in the region, but I was easily charmed by it of course. Warning: the rum punch is just as dangerous as it is delicious!
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| Before the Rum Punch settled in . . . |
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| Honestly, I dont know the name of this church, but it's in the center of Zagreb! |
Vienna
Magical. Absolutely magical. Tajia and I arrived Christmas night, and we sped downtown to find ourselves immersed in the most famous Christmas market at Rathausplatz. The wafting smell of cinnamon; the lingering taste of spiced wine on your lips; and don't forget the bratwurst and sauerkraut. Vienna is a midwinter's night dream!
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| Tajia and I at Rathausplatz |
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| Rathausplatz Christmas Market |
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| Important building in Vienna |
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| How many sweets did I have? How many fingers are on my hand? The number's similar. |
Czechia
After an obnoxiously long delay from Vienna's central station, I finally managed to make it to Brno, the home of the one and only, Martin! We were friends at OSU, and I was eager to reconnect. Showing me around the cobblestone streets, gorging on his grandmother's gingerbread delights, and going up my first non-stop elevator (WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!), Brno was definitely Czeched off my list haha!
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| Martin and I! |
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| Brno showing off with a fancy ice skating rink in the city center |
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| Brno! |
I stopped by Prague for 1 full day. It's gotten considerably more touristy since I've been there, but the chimney cakes were to die for, and the Christmas lights sparkled in the night.
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| Prague! |
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| Those chimney cakes get ya . . . |
Jordan
Honestly, this was the highlight. Amman wasn't that exciting as it's a sprawling city with few attractions, but the Roman Ampitheatre, the Citadel, and the cheap hummus and falafel with Rebecca made it all the more worthwhile. The same day I arrived, Rebecca and I picked up our rental car and headed to Madaba, the center of mosaic production in the region. The next morning, we caught Mt Nebo, where God told Moses this is the promised land, the Madaba archaeological park, and St. George's church all before noon. Our day was spent driving down the Dead Sea coast, and taking in the views around the Dana Reserve before arriving in Wadi Musa (Petra). And, my goodness, the buffet at our hostel was INCREDIBLE! Jordanian food is full of spice, and life! Departing from Wadi Musa (Petra), we had our 2 day brujaja over New Year's in Wadi Rum National Park. Taking the jeep excursion around the dessert sites, stargazing into the night, and cajoling with some new friends over the sand-roasted dinner, and the roaring fire, I would say it was a success! After our hike and the 2 hour camel ride (I would recommend only 1 hour tbh **ouch**), we made our way to Petra! And we were not disappointed! The details of the treasury, and the views are literally everywhere . . . there's a reason we spent two days. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves! After the 2nd morning of Petra, we hit Kerak castle before making it back to Madaba. Unfortunately, I got food poisoning which made the trip not as pleasurable, but, we picked up 2 new-found friends (Bulgarians!), and we hit Umm Qays, Ajloun, and Jerash. I wasn't impressed by the ruins of Umm Qays, and I was too sick to go into Ajloun Castle, but JERASH! This ancient Roman city still stands today! I was flabbergasted, and I wished we had time to stay longer. We finally said our goodbyes to Jordan's never-ending hospitality, and, alas, to each other. I can't wait to go back!
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| Amman - Citadel |
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| Amman - Roman Theatre (Right) |
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| Rebecca getting chummy with the grub! |
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| Mt. Nebo - Mosaics |
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| St. George's Church - Mosaic map of ancient Israel/Judea |
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| Dead Sea |
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| Dead Sea - Salt Deposits |
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| I cant emphasize the flavors enough! |
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| Camel Crossing |
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| Wadi Rum |
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| Wadi Rum |
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| Wadi Rum |
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| Wadi Rum Camel Ride - Sesu and Fefu (camels) |
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| I just really like this pic |
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| We got up at 5:30 AM for this pic so please enjoy the Treasury in Petra and not us haha |
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| The Monastery - Petra |
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| Petra |
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| The Treasury - Petra |
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| The Tombs - Petra |
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| Jerash |
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| Jerash |
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| Jerash |
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