Julia's Journeys

This week... Four friends and I spent the slightly snowy four-day weekend in Budapest, Hungary. Budapest is a bucket-list city of mine, and it was everything I had hoped it would be. We stayed in an flat in the center of the lively and bustling District VII on the Pest side. Budapest is split into two parts: Buda on the west side of the Danube River, and Pest on the east side. Budapest has only been a single city since 1873, when the cities of Buda, Pest, and Óbuda unified. Pest is modern and active while Buda is hilly and historical. Behind me is the Danube River from the Buda side, looking over to the Pest side A weekend filled with beautiful architecture, nice people, and an amazing atmosphere made for the best trip yet. I Learned... On the Pest side, we visited the St. Stephen's Basilica, the Shoes on the Danube Memorial, and the Hungarian Parliament building.  St. Stephen's Basilica For a small fee, you can climb to the top of the St. Stephen's Basilica to see the 360°...

The past two weeks... As my second month in Bulgaria concludes, I have run into some of the more logistical tasks of being abroad. From processing an American package through Bulgarian customs to navigating travel during a global pandemic, there are many factors to consider while abroad. Besides these tasks, I've learned about a defining Bulgarian holiday, and, as always, I've eaten some delectable meals. I Learned... "Baba Marta" Holiday Today marks the first of March. Честита Баба Марта! This translates to "Happy Baba Marta!" Every year on March 1st, Bulgarians celebrate the day of Baba (Grandmother) Marta (March). This day signifies the welcoming of the anticipated spring.  For the past several days, my walk to class through the city has been decorated with street stands of locals selling martenitsi, handmade decorations of red and white thread. These decorations come in the form of bracelets, necklaces, tassels, and more, but the traditional form depicts...

The past two weeks... It is not a lack of content that impels me to put two weeks into one post. There is so much that happens each day here in Blagoevgrad. Rather, it is a lack of time. Within these weeks marks one month of living in Bulgaria. I'm pretty sure this is the longest I've ever been away from home. It's tough to keep in touch with family and friends due to the eight hour time difference, and consistently calling is proving to take more of a conscience effort than I had anticipated. The past two weeks have been filled with good food, quality time with friends, and soccer. I learned... A group of the exchange students and I went on a short hike to the Blagoevgrad Cross last weekend. No matter where you are in Blagoevgrad, you can't miss this massive illuminated cross. It sits atop a hill that is visible from all corners of the city.  Starting our hike from the university campus, you can barely see our destination on the top of the hill just to the right of the...

This week... It is cold here in Bulgaria. While in the past week it has gotten up to about 10°C, it has more often been about -4°C. I'm trying to use Celsius now because when we're trying to talk weather, I can't figure it out. It has snowed a couple of days this week, but today alone we got at least four inches (I haven't crossed the metric system bridge yet, people. One thing at a time). I have yet to get acclimated to how dry it is here. My hands are so dry and cracked to the point where they bleed, which has never happened to me living in the humid state of Arkansas. It's definitely going to take some time to adjust to the weather here. I Learned... This weekend we took a trip to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It was about an hour and half by bus, a sweltering bus. Seriously, we all thought we were going to succumb to heat stroke. On arrival, we took the metro to our Airbnb. There were ample inexpensive choices for stays, but we decided on a nice flat on the no...

This week... It was the first week of classes. All classes at AUBG meet only twice per week instead of three times per week, and there are no classes that start before 9 a.m. which is very nice. Three of my five courses are strictly online while one is hybrid and one is in person. Some of my professors aren't even in Bulgaria. There are professors teaching us from Lebanon, Russia, Ireland, and elsewhere across the world. I Learned... I am taking only one course relevant to my major because I wanted to use this semester to explore topics outside of computer science and mathematics. Besides Computer Architecture, I am taking Communication Media and Society, Civilizations at the Crossroads: The Bulgarian Case, Bulgarian Language and Culture, and Management in a Global Environment.  This is the first time I've been eager to take a history course. On the first day of The Bulgarian Case, the professor asked us why we were taking the course. I responded that I had only ever been taugh...

Last weekend we ended our orientation with a trip to the Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila. An hour bus ride led us to a building nestled in the frigid Rila Mountains, south of the capital Sofia. This monastery looks nothing like I had imagined. With intricate architecture and loud colors, I could tell the monastery rendered a mixture of cultures that channels Balkan culture. Founded in the beginning of the 10th century and still standing as the largest Eastern Orthodox Monastery in Bulgaria, Rila Monastery is eye-catching with its massive domes, striped patterns, and detailed frescos.  Ivan of Rila, also known as Saint John of Rila, was the first Bulgarian hermit. He left his life as a monk to live in solitude in the caves of the Rila Mountains and devote his life to prayer. Students began to follow him and thus began the genesis of the monastery. After the Saint's death in 946 AD, his students built the monastery near the cave in which he lived. His relics were moved several times ...

The first week, orientation week. The week of getting over jet lag. The week of meeting new people. The week of learning to navigate the city. So much has happened in the past few days. Filled with exploring, eating, night life, and lots of laughing, this was a great first week. Only exchange students and some of the freshmen class were on campus this week at the American University in Bulgaria. There are over 35 exchange students from at least 16 different countries. Besides that, the University student body is made up of about 40% international students. There is an impressive mix of cultures here. Everyone speaks English to each other, even when it's not their first language. I realize it is the "American" University, but everyone really makes a point to speak English. A Bulgarian student even apologized to me for his "slow" English as if I didn't just waltz into his home country not knowing an ounce of Bulgarian. I knew more people across the world were ...