After three long flights across the globe, we have finally arrived in Sofia! We actually landed two days ago, but jet lag is no joke. For those who are not familiar with jet lag, your body has to catch up with the different time zone you are now in. We landed on Sunday, September 8th at 12:30pm which was really 2:30am in the Phoenix time zone. Although I did catch a few 😴 on the plane from Chicago to Munich, I can assure you it was not enough. After we landed, Matt did the best he could in trying to keep us awake until a reasonable bed time to ensure we were able to sleep through the night, but my eyes were rolling by 6pm (8:30am - a full 24 hours after we took off from PHX)
Our Monday morning calendar was chalked full with appointments - apartment hunting, signing school paperwork/buying uniforms, & receiving delivery of our dogs! Lots to do. The good news: we found our new apartment on the first walk-through as a family. Pics to come!
Pros:
✔️15-minute walking distance to school
✔️Largest park in Sofia 50 meters away
✔️10-minute walk to closest metro station
✔️Newly remodeled on the 1st floor
✔️Grocery & bank around the corner
✔️Fruit trees hanging over our terrace
(Plums, Apples, & Figs!)
Cons:
✔️ Really Small Bathroom w/o shower curtain 🤔
We asked the owner, who remodeled the apartment, where the toilet paper is supposed to go without getting wet from the shower which sprays all over the bathroom. He was very honest and said he had no idea.🤭When he started the remodel, some ideas sounded great on paper until it was executed; he realized simple conveniences in the bathroom were missing. BUT....if that's the only turnoff, then we'll make do. Moving day is October 1st!
For now, we are living in Sofia city center with this view ➡️. The architecture is a sight to behold downtown although some buildings or block walls display local street art (i.e. nicer way of saying graffiti).
Check out our key to our temporary housing! ⬇️ It looks like a key to a treasure chest. And don't be fooled by that supersized door handle. It doesn't do anything except act as a handgrip. The key has to be turned to open the door. Very strange to me!
Our 2️⃣ additional kiddos flew in on Monday morning and were delivered to our apartment later that afternoon. We immediately went on a walk because I read it was important to show them that the same rules apply in their new home as they did back home. So we practiced leash walking and allowed them to take in all the new sights and smells. They are doing really well, and Bulgarians love to pet Blu! The locals continue to approach me daily speaking Bulgarian, and my dumb daze makes it clear to them that I am a foreigner. I have learned how to say in Bulgarian, "Do you speak English?" Most have responded with broken English, and we manage a short conversation together. I have been learning Bulgarian, but I freeze in the moment and draw a complete blank. I think the fear of sounding stupid is holding me back, but I know I have to practice!