Glory Ho

Just a little reflection. . .

Back in June, when we found out we were destined for Bulgaria, a quiet, peaceful, often ignored Eastern European spot on the globe, in my strategic thinking, I realized that this was our first challenge. While it would be easy to make Nepal, Malawi or Ecuador, with their rain forests, monks or tribal gatherings, an exotic announcement, Bulgaria was going to be harder. What WAS cool about Bulgaria? It was now our job to find out. Just becuase it wasn’t featured on Fox News with stories of war and it’s crafts didn’t line the shelves at CostPlus didn’t mean it wasn’t worth visiting, right?

In college, I worked for a photographer who captured Midwest scenes–fences, silos, cornstalks, front porches and such. I loved these images and they can be found in any gift shop or book stores in Champaign,IL. In CO, photographers capture whipped-cream topped mountains and ancient red rock formations. These photos are everywhere and they’re beautiful–no doubt about it. But I have much more respect for the Champaign photographer because while a mountain can gather compliments on even a rainy day, a grassy Illinois field needs a second look. The field possesses substance of it’s own, but it might be buried in the rich soil, or quietly whispering stories from inside a barn door. Similarly, Bulgaria may not be as obviously intriguing. . .and it might not be the Peace Corps that the American public pictures, but this post-communist country has it’s own tales, treats and secrets. We just need to be a bit more creative to dig them out.

And we are finding what IS Bulgaria, but it takes awhile to sort out. . .stay tuned.