The Fulbright & Me
Nov 30th, 2008 by karolinka
I’m a Bulgarian Fulbright scholar. I moved to Bulgaria in August 2008 for the 2008-09 Fulbright year. Now a year later, I live and work in Sofia. An American. An alumn of the Fulbright. A teacher. A writer.
Fulbright year: D., M. & Me
So here’s the story:
Two years ago, I decided that it was about time for something new. I’d been living in Washington DC for five years and working at Georgetown University for nearly four years. For three of those years I’d been working at the Associate Director of Fellowships helping and advising students to apply for Fulbright grants. It struck me that summer after reading what felt like my bizillonth personal statement for the fellowship: why am I not applying? So I told my director what I was thinking. He told me of course you should. And I did.
I made the application and tried not to think about it which is clearly an impossible task so I obsessed about it instead. I was accepted to the Fulbright in April and by the end of July I’d sent maybe 15 boxes of things home (books, journals and other mementos I couldn’t live without), I’d sold all of the other stuff (desk, bed, book shelves–you name it) and I gave my roommates the rest. S. got three colored bowls from a four bowl set and some miscellaneous cooking utensils and N. got the food I couldn’t figure out how to eat before I left (now he’s got a kick-ass food blog).
All of this felt very normal to me until the day my roommate’s girl friend drove me to the airport to catch my flight to Sofia. I got out with my suitcases and carry-ons, looked at the airport and promptly thought: what am I doing? This is about the moment my stomach almost dropped out of my body. Somehow I was able to keep it together and after standing in a huge line for check in and making it through the security check that was that.
I landed in Sofia 15 plus hours later and this is where the real adventure and this is where the blog began.
My year as a Fulbright scholar ended in July 2009. I was lucky enough to be able to stay on for a second year–today I am teaching English at the American College of Sofia.
Oh, and if you didn’t catch this. I used to work at Georgetown in the Office of Fellowships and I spent hours obsessing over other people applications. Here’s my take on this whole crazy application thing. I wrote this post about the application process a year ago.
A Note on my Blog visa vie the Fulbright:
I got an email from the Fulbright program in January 2009. The email gives us Fulbrighters who are blogging, using Facebook and/or other internet-based media guidance. It made me laugh. They are offering me three points of guidance for blogging? Okay.
Then I read this “guidance” and I decided what the memo describes as guidance are actually much more like a set of guidelines that we need to follow regarding our blogging and social networking–not guidance at all. I do think it’s absolutely within their rights to ask us to do this I just get a kick out of the language used in the document sent to us. Anyhow here are the three things I need to do and know:
- Avoid confusion by acknowledging that yours is not an official Department of State website, and the views and information presented are your own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the Department of State.
- While participants in all U.S. State Department-sponsored academic exchange scholarships have full academic and artistic freedom to write, publish and create, they are also expected to maintain a standard of conduct that is in keeping with the spirit and intent of the Fulbright Program – to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.
- Any Fulbright grantee who posts inappropriate or offensive material on the Internet in relation to the Fulbright program may be subject to revocation or termination of their grant. Be aware that what is deemed culturally acceptable in the United States (or, more specifically, on the Internet in the United States) may not be received well overseas. Describing the challenges of living in a foreign country is fine, but please refrain from using disparaging language to describe the country you are in and the people you live and work with.
Yes, I am a Fulbrighter in Sofia; however, you should know that my blog is not an official Department of State website, and the views and information presented are my own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the Department of State. Also if you happen to stumble across me on any of the multitude of social networking sites I participate in please know that I am just a person who won a Fulbright and not someone who represents the program.
In summary: I am a person. I won a Fulbright. But this does not mean I am a person who represents the Fulbright. I am just a person who worked really hard, applied for a Fulbright and won one. Now this program is paying for me to live and work abroad. (Thank-you. A lot.)
I am also a person who loves coffee. I love coffee here in Sofia (and I loath that the first Starbucks just opened in Bulgaria and a second as well). But, this opinion is my own. I represent only myself when I write: I understand the allure of Starbucks but I don’t understand paying American prices for coffee when you can get a cup that is just as good for much, much less all over Sofia.
Finally, if you find me on ravelry a social networking site for knitters and crocheters please do not think that my work represents either William J. Fulbright or Condoleezza Rice–I am sure that they are both much better knitters than I am. As for Hillary Clinton the new Secretary of State? I’d guess she’s not knitter.
How can you hate Starbucks if the first Starbucks opened in your home-state (but not Walla Walla)!
Just practicing my blogging =)
Hi there,
In fact Bulgarian coffee is much better than Starbucks. In fact better than any coffee in US and NYC. I was a Fulbright in NYU and still lingering around the city on Academic Training before they kick me out.
Italian, French and Spanish coffee though is better than Bulgarian (so far, surely there will be more countries in the list).
I get sick if I have espresso in NYC so if I crave I get a Machiatto or Starbucks Americano with half water.
I found your blog while I was googling how much people spend on groceries in NYC (in order to cut expenses:)))
)) How much is a pound of Feta in Sofia? At Astor Place’s cheese shop is $4 a pound. 
Hope you are having fun in Sofia and you should be good if you like yogurt. If not….there is yogurt desert with nuts and honey or chocolate at Ugo’s which I am hoping you have found out about already.
Regards,
Ani
PS: The idea of the Starbucks Americano with half water
is to approximate dalgo kafe (long espresso/espresso lungo), of coooourse.
D. looks so much like my collaegue Mitko (Dimitar) from Sofia University!! Is that him? We used to have so much fun, but I haven’t seen him for a long time…
@Slava I wish that I could say yes that D. is your friend Dimitar but alas, it’s a Spanish friend of mine.
I am a Bulgarian living in the US. Just discovered your blog by searching for a kozunak recipe and have spent a good hour (or more) already reading it (loved the videos btw). Happy Easter and keep writing!:-)
Looks so much like him, it’s amazing
Just stmbuled across your blog. I liked your photo-blogs here. Read only a few. There are lots and will read them may be one per day over next few days. Keep writing.
Hi K,
I was a Fulbrighter myself. Went to Ohio University in Athens, OH from 1995-1997.
Glad to find a fellow Fulbrighter in the blogsphere.
All the best in Sofia. I am based in London, United Kingdom.
Hi Carolyn, I’ve just moved to Sofia for six months and, like you, am trying to learn a little Bulgarian – it’s a little bewildering but I’m hoping I’ll get the hang of it sooner rather than later. Anyhow, I was directed to your site this afternoon by someone at a local English/Bulgarian language group and what I really wanted to say, apart from that I love the blog, is that I noticed you’re on Ravelry and I was wondering whether there’s a knitting group in Sofia? If anyone would know, I’d guess that would be you! I went to one on a regular basis in England and would love to join in on one here too. I can’t see one mentioned in the Bulgarian Knitters group on Ravelry (I’m on there as PoppyTwist) but it would be great if there is one.
All the best.
MK
@MK Good luck learning Bulgarian. How do you like the language group? I’ve been meaning to go for ages but I seem to never have (or find) the time. Good question about knitting. I hate to say this but knitting is one of the passions I’ve put on the back burner since I moved to Sofia. I often move my knitting needles and yarn around my apartment cleaning and I think “I should get back into that” but it never happens. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!!
Hey! Great to meet you last night. Hopefully our paths will cross again before I head back to England at the end of August. In the meantime, don’t forget to watch out for manholes without covers, I’ve heard they can be deadly.
@MK Hey thanks! I can’t agree more!! Have a great summer and let’s make plans to meet up again sometime.
Great blog! Thanks for all of the information, for someone who is considering applying to the Bulgarian Fulbright. Something that you don’t say is why you chose Bulgaria? I have been fascinated with the country for some time now. I am also curious, if you don’t mind taking the time to answer, were most of your fellow teachers placed in Sofia, or was everyone dispersed, and you just got lucky in a large city?
Thanks!
@Alexis sure thing! Look for a post on this topic later today. And yes I’ll link it here to this comment as well. Are you thinking about applying to Bulgaria?
Wonderful! Thanks so much for answering my question. I am considering applying to Bulgaria. I have to agree that the statistics are enticing, alongside the location and trying something off the usual path for American travelers. I do have concerns about not being in some type of city, but I am going to think about that possibility before I apply. Keep up the excellent work with your writing.
Hi Carolyn,
Just found your blog and have loved it! I’m a Greek-Australian (living currently in Greece) and are thinking of moving to Sofia because of my husband’s work commitments. Don’t know a single word of Bulgarian and am really finding it hard to believe that I might be living in a non-English speaking country… How did you cope when you first got there?
Thanks,
Tina
@Tina well, I tried not to worry about it too much. I told myself that plenty of people speak English (and it’s true) but then I quickly started looking up classes for Bulgarian–so that I could do and say basic things. That was enough to get me through my first year. It’s very do-able but I think the most important thing is your attitude. You have to know that it’s going to be difficult and tell your self that you’re going to make the best of it. Even when it stinks.
Thanks Carolyn for your reply
I think Bulgarian classes are a must. If we do decide to move I will try to contact you, would be mice to meet you some time in the near future (by the way my husband is American too). I also have a home-based cupcake business which I would love to move to Sofia 
Let’s see what the future holds for us!
Take care,
Tina
@Tina Of course!
Hi Carolyn,
I love your blog! I’m an undergraduate student in the US and just found out I’ve been selected as a Fulbright ETA in Bulgaria! I’ve been trying to find the exact dates of the program, but the most any site says is September 2012-June 2013. Do you remember approximately when your Fulbright grant started and ended? (I have a possible commitment starting in June 2013 and want to know how much the two programs will conflict). Thanks so much!
All the best,
Maeve
Are you from Washington state? I’m a Seattle native, a writer and soon to be a teacher in Blagoevgrad. I hope to meet you.
@Nancy I am from Washington State. I grew up in Walla Walla. Have you just won a Fulbright or will you be teaching at the university in Blagoevgrad?