Sofia has felt like a sparkling icicle — something delicate and beautiful that, over time, softened into something even more meaningful. I feel incredibly grateful that Jane returned early from Egypt, giving me the chance to truly experience this city rather than just pass through it. It’s one of those unexpected moments that ends up
Three classes with the older kids, one translator by my side, and a backpack full of travel stories—what could possibly go wrong? Honestly, I had so much fun in every class… but the last group? They took things to another level. Apparently, riding a Honda Shadow through the Americas officially qualifies me as a gangster—and
Yesterday was all about the littlest legends in the kitchen—three cooking classes full of energy, curiosity, and a whole lot of messy fingers. Luckily, I had Nirvana by my side, helping translate and keep things (somewhat) on track since not all the kids spoke English. We had two large classes of six, which felt like
Bright-eyed and ready to explore, I headed out early to see what Sofia had in store—and it didn’t take long to be impressed. The city feels fresh and spotless, with beautiful architecture that seems to casually show off at every turn. There’s a lovely sense of calm here. Parks are scattered generously through the centre,
Day two was already a big upgrade—no cooking chaos in sight! Instead, I spent a peaceful couple of hours in the park chatting with the teachers while watching a group of 5–6 year olds do their thing (which is basically a mix of curiosity, honesty, and comedy gold). One little boy marched straight up to
So today I may have slightly underestimated what I signed up for. There are about 70 kids at this school… and I’m fairly certain 69 of them are completely feral. I’m not even joking. This afternoon I ran three taco cooking classes: 5 enthusiastic mixed 7-year-olds6 very loud 14-year-old boys4 mixed 13-year-olds Each class was
Okay… so this is the part where things could go wrong. I had happily agreed to help with cooking classes at the alternative school in Sofia. In my mind, I imagined turning up, smiling politely, and helping the kids follow some well-prepared recipe someone else had organised. Then their message arrived. “To save time you
Just when I think I finally know what I’m doing… my plans change again. I’ve just been offered a Workaway at an alternative school in Sofia. Now, this is slightly amusing because I’m not normally known for being particularly “child friendly.” Yet somehow I’ve agreed to help teach cooking to children aged 5 to 13.
Over the past week I’ve been wandering through several of the nearby villages. While they are peaceful and full of character, it’s hard not to feel a little sad seeing the condition of many houses, the roads, and the signs of poverty. It wasn’t always like this. During the communist era, large state farms planted
Well, sometimes life’s great adventures come with the occasional speed bump. After just ten days in Egypt, Jane’s grand new chapter has taken a bit of an unexpected turn. It turns out that Egypt might not be the perfect match for her—or for the dogs. The excitement of a new country has quickly been replaced