Spring Break: Bulgaria

There are several reasons as to why I waited to write about Bulgaria so long after we had departed Varna. From the logistical standpoint, there was only one day of travel between there and Istanbul, with a lot to accomplish on ship. From a creative standpoint, I felt dry. I could not, for the life of me, figure out what I wanted to capture about Bulgaria in this post that would be unique and interesting to those of you reading it now. Bulgaria does have a rich history and a rich cultural with hundreds, if not thousands, of sites to see; the problem is that all of this is centered in the country’s capital, Sofia, and we were docked in Varna, on the opposite side of the country. 

Varna is, first and foremost, a summer town. Several Germans we ran into informed that while Americans go to Mexico for spring break and summer vacation, Germans go to Bulgaria. I certainly couldn’t blame them. The beaches were clean, white, and hot. The bars and the clubs were right there, and cheap alcohol was easily accessible. Seemed like a regular Cancun to me. I took no issue with the town of Varna, however, because, honestly, all of us Semester at Sea students needed a break. For those of you out there that think we are on an extended vacation, that all this travel is easy and laid out for us, that we’re not doing “real” work, and that we are on a cruise: you.are.dead.wrong. This voyage, wondrous as it is, is exhausting. When we are in port, we are constantly on the go, taking trips, completing field assignments, fulfilling personal goals, meeting new people, attempting to learn the language, riddling out public transportation, calculating how to tip waiters and cab drivers, reading maps, getting lost, getting unlost, etc. When we are not in port we are, again, constantly on the go: attending class, doing readings, taking notes, writing papers, journaling, club meetings, dinners, seminars, conferences, e-mailing, blogging, exercising, researching, preparing for port, etc. The next time one of your vacations involves all of that, let me know.

Point is, the SAS community needed a port that did not involve a lot of extensive travel within the country. That did not involve a lot of historic sites to see. That did not involve our normal level of energy. Once we arrived in Varna, Semester at Sea was on spring break. Which is why, though the break was much needed; I struggled to find something worth blogging about. The beaches in Bulgaria are not that different from the beaches at home. The restaurants we ate at were just as cliché as those you can find in Myrtle Beach and Ocean City (we had dinner on a pirate ship one evening. They told us it was real. We pretended to believe them). So, reflecting back on my four days of tanning, swimming, and “indulging appropriately and responsibly with alcoholic beverages” I found myself having a dilemma on what to write about. 

And then I realized: if Bulgaria was my “break country” then it seemed perfectly fitting that this post be my “break” post. So there you have it. 

Don’t worry, I promise the post on Turkey won’t be nearly as disappointing. Because the break was definitely over by then.

“It is necessary to relax your muscles when you can. Relaxing your brain is fatal”—Stirling Moss

 Nom Nom Sushi!!