Long time coming....last post in Tori :)

Dear Tori, With all the stresses and chaos of COSing (especially the travel schedule I planned afterwards), I completely forgot to put a closure on this blog, which has kept many of my successes and struggles throughout my four years in Bulgaria as a PCV. So here it is. My obsession with Tori Spelling inspired me to name this blog after her, and thanks to re-runs of Beverly Hills 90210 I remembered this blog. Leaving Bulgaria was so hectic and tiresome as many PCVs know. COSing was the easiest part. Traveling and living out of a suitcase and living in hostels is the hardest, especially in the scorching Bulgarian summer sun. I barely had time to think about leaving. Goodbyes were brief and quick....so much so that it didn't feel like a goodbye. Making my way back to Bregovo, it was bittersweet....many of them were still at the sea side and I didn't get the chance to have a sbogom with most of them. I finally got to spend quality time at the beach, finally dipping into the Black Sea after 4 long years. Friends in VT threw parties and had my final nagostis which I think was stuffed peppers from Katya. With all the blunders and BS with border police during my last week in Bulgaria, I just wanted out. She was not letting me out without some sort of СКАНДАЛ. But much like my Peace Corps service, I pushed through and got over the hurdles. I mean, for those of you who know me and my service, I think it was expected that some speed bumps were met at the end of it all. I decided to travel a bit even after my COS date because I didn't want to leave the country swirled in a hurricane of paperwork and worries about overweight bags...but I guess those problems are inevitable because I spent my last few days mailing stuff and closing out accounts...go figure, albeit I spent them with special friends. I traveled to Berlin and Iceland, countries that were completely different, yet in lieu of traveling still met members of the Peace Corps family...still a sense of normalcy. Having beers over future endeavors and worries, getting lost after 5 minutes of traveling (ala Byala Slatina 2009 walking to my host family), and fighting over nonsense. But the one thing that sticks out in my mind....was from a special friend in Bregovo. You know that speech that almost every other volunteer makes during their goodbyes..."I'll visit as soon as possible! I will I promise!" It's kind of trying to rationalize that you are actually leaving (especially for me since I had been in BG for such a long time). I made this comment every time to every person I said goodbye to. And my friend from Bregovo, as sharp tongued as she is and as harsh as she can be answered back, "Rafi, your time here is over. Live your life and your future. We will always be here. Visit when it's the right time." There was a brutal truth to these words but this time without her caustic tone. It surprised me. I came into the Peace Corps thinking that I will change at least one person's life. I will change something. But what you least expect is the change that this opportunity will have on you. I looked at her and I said "Gluposti....we will see each other soon. Never in a million years did I think my life would so dramatically be impacted by teaching people english, hanging out with pensioners, traveling in rancid trains, and eating a meal for 6 hours with people you realize will be in your life forever. I've been back a little over a month now. I'm sitting here playing the waiting game with some perspective job offers. No one told me that readjusting would be so boring and sucky. Closing out my PCV days and recorded memories with this final blog. So as much as my students thank me, as much as I feel appreciated by my counterparts and vice versa, I will and forever be a changed person because of Bulgaria and her people....so goodbye Tori and this blog. But neka da remember that downtown will always be center and store will ALWAYS be magazin....a change even in my vocabulary :) И така, по така, и най-накрая.....аааааа така! Ciao! Rafi :)