Day 7

Stara Zagora, 08/11/2015

( https://f4tbgnl17.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/spending-a-day-with-the-family )

The party thrown last night was a big success. After it ended, Téa and I went to bed almost immediately, because we were both absolutely exhausted after this draining day. We ended up sleeping until about 11, ate some breakfast and then quickly got into the car with the rest of her family to drive to the Perperikon. The Perperikon is a lost city/kingdom hidden in the mountains of Bulgaria. The car was very comfortable and warm, which caused both Téa and I to fall asleep once again and remain like that for pretty much the entire ride.

When we arrived at the Perperikon (not sure if it’s at or in, but we’ll just go with it), we took an English/Bulgarian tour guide that led us through the ruins and the nearby woods. The stories she told about the history of the ruins and what life in that era was like, were extremely interesting and the view on top of the mountain was absolutely stunning. We stayed there for about 3.5 hours. On the way back home, we stopped somewhere to eat and then continued to drive. And, how could it be any different, Téa, her sister and I all fell asleep in the car again.

We arrived home pretty late and after I finished packing my suitcase, I thanked Téa’s parents for everything they’d done for me while I was staying with them. Téa had to translate everything, as they don’t speak English and I don’t speak Bulgarian, but they were really sweet about it. I wouldn’t see them or Téa’s sister anymore, as all three of them were leaving early in the morning (before we’d wake up) to go to work/school, and we would leave Stara Zagora in the afternoon.

I’m really going to miss them, and all the other Bulgarians, when we go back to the Netherlands. This has been one of the best experiences of my life so far, and I don’t want it to end. The people here (and their culture) are great and I have made so many amazing memories with them in such a short period of time. I’m really glad that social media exists, as I can still stay in touch when them and exchange pictures of our times together.

I don’t want to leave.

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