Somehow I just don't quite know what to write… after leaving Bulgaria, I took the train from Svelengrad, which is on the Greek, Bulgaria, Turkish border, and headed towards Greece. This train trip is the most delicious way to travel.. it may take some time, but you certainly meet some interesting people. And, you get to view all the places in Greece that do not get that much publicity. I had quite a few pieces of luggage, as most of you may know, and the train people along the way already had previous dealings with me, so it was easy stashing everything along the way. Arrival in Athens was good, I had already a place to stay in Paleo Faliron, along the beach. My relatives were happy to see me, and I tried to get along with everybody, until the dollar began to slide against the euro...

A dear friend of mine, Yvette Jarvis, working with the Mayor of Athens, pulled me in to help her with some projects. We were successful in pulling in all the U.S. citizens residing in Athens for the Democrats abroad, and we had some great meetings, voting sessions, and pulled all our power to get Obama into the lead. It worked.

Then, as the dollar became so bad, I accepted an invitation to come to Medellin, Columbia and stay with friends from Australia, who are working here in Columbia. They are in a beautiful area. I am assisting Di Thorp with some writing, and I will be here for several months, until we are finished, then I'll head off to Los Angeles. I am having a great time here, it's very lush, the greenery is overwhelming. But, I'm being eaten alive with some kind of itchy bug... with all my animals in the past, never had one like this, even in Bulgaria!! My best regards to everyone, I can honestly say that my Peace Corps experience was the most beautiful chapter in my life.

From Bulgaria I went to Boston and worked on shaking off the Bulgarian fugue. Since June '06, I've been working at an international microfinance NGO called ACCION International. In the fall, I rode 4,000 miles on my motorcycle to move back to San Francisco. There's nothing like seeing the country Easy Rider style. I spent a few days with Jason Uitvlugt in northern MN. I've been to Colombia a few times for work, but I have my heart set on a trip to Central Asia. Gimme a shout if you're in the Bay Area. Be well, John delvingnomad@gmail.com

As most of you probably know, I was separated from the Peace Corps for medical reasons following a mini-maze operation in early 2005. Although one of the reasons I elected to have the surgery right away was the hope that I could return to Bulgaria fit to serve, it turned out that resuming my Peace Corps assignment was out of the question. I won't bore you with the details.

After surgery I recuperated for a week or so in Arlington, Virginia and then traveled to Eugene, Oregon where I rested at my cousin's place for two weeks before traveling on to San Diego. The remainder of 2005 I would like to forget, since I had a very rocky recovery and spent time in the hospital on several occasions before having a procedure in the fall of 2005 that finally stabilized my heart problem. Feeling fully recovered, and after lots of research and preparation, in October 2006 I moved to Mazatlan, Mexico where I lived for six months before moving on to Xalapa, in Veracruz, Mexico where I now live.

My move from Mazatlan to Xalapa was completed with the kind assistance of George, Sarah and Boris Hatzfeld. The latter being a four legged long haired creature of Bulgarian extraction with no formal affiliation to the Peace Corps.

I have a video I compiled from photographs I took at the welcoming banquet in Strelja, so take a look in the right-hand column of this blog. I also have photos of the trip to Pirin that many B16ers took. Stay tuned. In the meantime, for those who have too much time on their hands you can burn some time reading my blog about life in Xalapa, Mexico.

http://freeend.blogspot.com/ There are many photos.

After returning from Peace Corps, I worked as a program coordinator in international education while studying for the GRE. Now I'm a first year grad student at the University of Nevada-Reno, in the Cognitive and Brain Science Division of the Experimental Psychology Department. I'm taking classes and doing research under Dr. Jeffrey Hutsler, and I am a TA for Dr. Crognale's Physiological Psychology class. Mostly I make and give the exams to undergrads and help them in my office hours for the tricky concepts.

I'm giving my first lecture to 140 students in the class in two weeks, while wrapping up an evolutionary psychology paper, studying for tests, and beginning the research that will take me on the road to publications. We finished a grant requesting tissue and use of a transmission electron microscope so that we can look at Callosal Axonal fibers in post mortem autistic brain tissue in order to find out whether there are structural problems in long range connections in the corpus callosum that lead to deficits in higher-order processing in autistic patients. We will be able to magnify the fibers 8000x, which means we can see whether or not they are myelinated. The findings could be huge in the field of autism research, so I'm pretty excited.

Living in Reno is a lot of fun but I get easily distracted by the bright twinkly lights of downtown. First snow has fallen and ski season is beginning, which means student discount! Feel free to call, write or visit. It's a great city.

Hi everyone! I have a new blog about my recent adventures in homelessness in America. Looking for ideas of places to go, live, see, etc: http://www.chooseourownadventure.com

Currently we're in South Dakota, chasing the warm weather
west.

jenn@orphansponsorship.org myspace.com/jennmeleana

Hi all! Since leaving Bulgaria, I’ve completed my first Foreign Service tour in Sudan and am currently in DC training for my second tour. Khartoum was a fascinating experience. I was a general service officer, so basically I tried to meet the needs of the embassy community (housing, transportation, shipping, procurement, and so on).

The job entailed a few trips to Darfur but was mostly limited to Khartoum. I also had lots of opportunities to travel – to Kenya and Zanzibar, to Italy, and finally to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia on an REI Adventures trip. Before I started training this summer, I had a great visit with Lacy Clayton in San Francisco. I’ve also enjoyed catching up with Larry Gemmell in DC. I’m currently studying Czech (for 8 months) for my second posting in Prague. I’ll be a consular officer for the first year and a political officer for the second. I can be reached at loricolo@yahoo.com, should any of you be in Prague between June 2008 and June 2010. I’d welcome any visitors. Nashledanou, Lori

After I left Bulgaria, I joined the Foreign Service and am now a fully credentialled diplomat (which could easily set diplomacy back one thousand years). I've been living in Arlington, VA for the past eight months attending the Foreign Service language school to prepare for my upcoming tour in Pakistan. I now speak Urdu every bit as badly as I spoke Bulgarian!

I'll leave for Islamabad the middle of November and be there for one year. During that year, I'll bid for my second post and, depending on the language requirement for that post, return to Arlington for more language training. Hopefully, my second tour will be to a more visitor-friendly country, possibly even Bulgaria. Khuda Hafiz, Larry

Our life is full of travel and the trappings of nomads, but we are attempting to settle back into more routine pursuits. Chief among them is a re-do of our Philadelphia condo, including a new kitchen and plenty of display shelves for Bulgarian, Mexican and Western American artifacts. Working backward, we spent the summer of 2007 at a lake house in Oklahoma near our three grandsons, and traveled twice into the Southwest and Northwestern U.S.

Over Winter 2007 we had five months in Mazatlan, Mexico, entertaining U.S. visitors and failing to coax B-16 Rich Collins to taste the great shrimp and spicy dishes there. The Old City was drowsy and sunny, a nice transition from Bulgaria. Going forward we probably will work a bit and travel as hospital assessors for Project CURE, the medical supplies & equipment non-profit that helped us in Gabrovo. We treasure our contacts with many of you, and hope you’ll speak up if you’re near Philly. What good’s a new kitchen if you can’t entertain? georgensarah@hotmail.com

After leaving the Peace Corps I returned to San Francisco to begin a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner program at UCSF. I have completed the first year so I am officially Nurse Clayton. Two more years left before I become an NP. I work with people who are homeless, mentally ill, substance abusing, etc. Every now and then it does occur to me to follow in the footsteps of our beloved PCMO Andrea and do something such as that. We shall see.

Since leaving I've had the pleasure of visits by Eric Wiley and Lori Johnson. Ms. Bettenhausen and I have had some great runs over the Golden Gate bridge and even a sentimental run back where it all began in Philadelphia, joined by Jenn Hee. It was like old Bulgarian times.

After leaving Bulgaria, we made our way through Greece, to Egypt, on to Thailand, and then to Ecuador before returning to the US. We visited friends and family in Florida, New Mexico, Colorado, and Oregon before settling back in a suburb of Portland the day after Christmas. Kate started work in January as a social worker at the hospital where she did her graduate school internship. They had saved her the job since last August and since it is a small independent hospital, she gets to work in every part of the hospital from birthplace to the ER to the surgical floor. We got a dog, and I started work in April as a micro-enterprise loan officer for Mercy Corps Northwest (using a little of the experience I gained in Bulgaria). I work with low-income entrepreneurs to help them start or expand their small businesses, as well as teaching a small business development class at a local women's prison.

Hi Guys!
After Peace Corps I traveled around Europe for a few months, then slowly made my way back to Colorado stopping by family and friends’ houses along the way. In March, I started graduate school at Regis University in the MSM Project, IT, and Leadership program. I have 27 weeks and three days left (I’m counting down) then I’m a free woman. I have been studying, getting outdoors, and hanging out with friends and family before my next endeavor after graduation. Celia is coming to Denver this New Years for a Rockies ski trip (like always, it’ll be a great time). I hope you guys are doing well, and I look forward to meeting up with some of you in the future. I’ll be traveling after graduation next summer.

After leaving Bulgaria, I took a month and traveled Europe. I went to all kinds of places I had never been and met up with some friends along the way (See picture here http://picasaweb.google.com/MWahlgren )
When I got back home, the search for work began. After a few months of looking, I finally landed a job at The Aji Network ( www.aji.com). I took care of all the office logistics. The biggest part of my job was executing all the marketing events and conferences for the firm. I recently left that job. There just wasn't a lot of big opportunities for growth there. Part of it is that I'm just a tad bit restless these days. One of the reasons I joined the Peace Corps is because I didn't want to join the rat race just yet. I didn't want the 9 - 5 cubicle job that Harmony spoke of several posts down. Recently I've been considering moving to Europe to pursue a career in the area of international business. Maybe that will spice things up for me a bit. I haven't made a final decision. I have been putting some feelers out there though. I guess we'll see where I'm at in a year. For now, I'm living in a small town just outside of San Francisco called San Carlos. I like to think of it as the Bratsigovo of California. Cell phone (408) 718-4872

We moved back to Portland, OR, where I had lived before I went to Bulgaria. We both took soul sucking corporate desk jobs for 13 months in order to save up to teach English overseas, and Ryan continued selling his paintings and getting his writing published. In June, we drove across the country to visit Ryan's family in South Carolina for three weeks and then took a TESOL certification course for a month in Costa Rica. After our course, we visited my family in Chicago for a month and prepped to move to South Korea in late August. Now we live and teach English at public schools to middle school students in a beautiful, rural village nestled between the mountains and the beach on the East Sea (Sea of Japan). We have a seven room house, so let us know if you're traveling our way. It's so great to see what everyone has been up to, I hope you all are having as much fun as we are!

When I returned from Bulgaria, I took about two weeks off before stumbling across a nice little part time job at a law office. It started out nice, although a bit stressful as the office is under-staffed. Well, a year and two days later (just last Thursday, to be exact) I had my last day at the law office that turned out to be a lot more stressful and not the kind of place I wanted to spend my time anymore.

Now I have a few days off before starting my next job, this time a real full time job with actual benefits and a real salary (wohoo!). I'm going to be working at a local high school as the library assistant. I'm also coaching the middle school's volleyball team (5 and 0 so far!) and having a great time with it. Between the coaching and hanging out in a library, I think it will feel very much like I'm back in Zlataritsa, Bulgaria ... running the resource center, teaching computers and playing baseball with the kids. Of course, over here it is a lot busier.And oh yes, I'm still living at home with my mom and grandmother in Salem, Virginia. I have law school on the horizon but haven't applied anywhere yet and quite frankly, am right now really enjoying coaching and looking forward to the new job. I'll definitely be in this area for the next year so if you are traveling through southwest Virginia, definitely let me know! The leaves are beautiful here in the fall :) moriah_moore@yahoo.com Всичко хубаво!

Chris Lillie and I enjoyed the great music at the three-day Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend. We reminisced about our time in BG and shared what we knew about other volunteers. We agreed that this blog will be wonderful for the group.

I've been studying Urban Planning at Eastern Washington University (that is the Spokane branch and not the real campus in Cheney). Mostly that means I sit around checking my email and reading books. Doesn't that sound like what I was doing in Bulgaria? Well, generally yes; however, these days part of my life consists of writing long papers, trying to figure out a thesis topic and commuting in my little Ford Focus.

Gosh - I hope everyone is doing ok, I've bought plane tickets to Portland Oregon to check in our buddy Christopher Shutt in a couple weeks. Also, if anyone has heard from Jason Coleman tell him to write me, as he hasn't behaved very well in regards to replying to my emails.

Hi B16s! I can't wait to read what everyone's doing. As for me, I am getting an MA through Columbia University's Peace Corps Fellows USA program for bilingual/bicultural education. I have a job teaching 6th grade (math, science, social studies, and language arts) in Spanish and English in Brooklyn's east side. I live in a tiny, just-getting-organized, Christian community in Bedford-Stuyvesant. I am a trustee of Arete Youth Foundation that sponsors the Zaedno Napred Roma, multi-ethnic, and GLOW youth leadership summer camps (check it out: http://www.areteyouth.org/). I have a blog: http://www.go2buxton.blogspot.com/. Peace!

Since I've been back I've had drinks with Celia in Berkeley, took a trip to see Shutt in Portland (Scott Kirby was there as well), and I've recently reconnected with Greg H. here in Manhattan. Email and Myspace/Facebook have also been great. What am I doing in New York? Second year of law school at Columbia.

After a kushy summer internship back in SF, I'm suffering through a bit of shock having to read cases for 5 hours a day once again. I've been lucky to find a few Bulgarian students at the International Policy School, although we haven't had a proper na gosti as of yet. I love the nightlife and diversity here in the city, but I'll be heading back to the Bay Area in 2009 when I finish school. In the meanwhile, PLEASE let me know if you'll be in NYC. I would love to see any and all of you if you make it here, and I would love to hop on JetBlue and come visit you for a weekend.

I've been in Pittsburgh since May in grad school at Carnegie Mellon. There's actually a ton of Bulgarians in pgh, and Kathy Benda (a b17, who just moved here) has a Bulgarian roommate whose parents mail her sirene so the Bulgar connection's running strong I guess. Anyway the heat here is killing me, but classes are going okay, I'm studying environmental policy and economic development.

After we left BG, Chad and I hung out in Chicago for a bit, then went to work at Birch Trail Camp for Girls in the northwoods of Wisconsin--a friend of ours runs it and it was sort of a good "transition" before we came to Milwaukee. I'll let Chad tell his own story about what he did, though...As for myself, after working for the summer, settled here in Milwaukee in a cute apartment, working for the local food co-op here and for Birch Trail, doing some program managing and office work during their winter season. I've been pursuing Ayurvedic Medicine and am working for a practitioner here (http://www.kanyakumari.us/) since January.

I've also been doing lots of studying and reading and becoming a labor assistant/doula (mostly for teen moms and survivors of abuse) and am applying for Seattle Midwifery School (to begin Fall 2008). I actually attended my first birth in August--which was incredible. Chad and I just got back from a trip to Hong Kong and diving in the Philippines (with Lacy Clayton and Ned Hawkins, B17). Visited Jenn Hee this summer in Philly...had a great time there. It's been a busy time, sloughing off the BG and trying to figure out a way to not have a 9 to 5 job in a cubicle and still get a paycheck...

Some of you may remember that I had to leave the old country in October 2005 because of my mother's health. Well, she got back on her feet, and I was there to help her do it. She actually just moved to Cairo to teach, so that may give you an idea of how well she is doing today.

Also, you may have been aware of my travels to and from Bulgaria following my exodus of the Peace Corps. I was in Bulgaria in Jan. 2006 and April/May 2006. Why????? Well lets just say that a bulgarka had a grip on my heart. I had planned to marry her and such, but on the last visit I just had a prolific awakening, and decided that I did not want to marry her, and that it was time to move on.

I started grad. school back home in Albuquerque and am close to finishing up the program. In May I will graduate and have a masters in elementary education as well as a license. I have begun my year of student teaching, and totally love it. I am in a 4th grade class under the guidance of an extremely competent and seasoned mentor. I have continued to be blessed with many travel opportunities since leaving Bulgaria. Along with the 2 trips back to Bulgaria which I mentioned, I have visited Holland twice, Athens, Kuwait twice, Costa Rica, and Jordan. I actually just bought my plane ticket to Egypt today, so I will be headed there in December to visit my mother, sister, brother in law, and my baby nephew Kaden. If anyone plans on coming through New Mexico let me know. I would love to see you. I had the pleasure of visiting with George and Sarah during the Spring, as well as Greg. Well, that is about it! I have enjoyed reading everyone's updates.

Eric will complete his 3rd year on November 21st. His plan is to return to Portland for the winter, in the spring he will volunteer on architectural restoration projects in New Orleans, and probably travel to Japan to visit friends. Eric will return to Bulgaria with his family for the Rose Festival in June. He is applying to graduate fellowships in urban planning and hopes to enroll in a program in Fall 2008.

After finishing up projects in Panama, I decided to move to Japan and work with the Japanese Exchange and Teaching program (JET). I have been here for just about a month now and am really enjoying the culture, people, and language. I have a lot of free time at work and am hoping to work on some side projects, ideally a couple that will sustain my lifestyle after this 1-year job but we will see! I am living about an hour outside of Kobe and working at a local High School.

I am finishing up my 3rd year in Bulgaria working for the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds in Varna and will be COS-ing at the begining of November. It has been a busy but good year. My work has been dynamic and fun and I have learned a lot.

What's next? Well, my sister is coming to Bulgaria and we will leave together and embark on a short travel advenutre. This puts me back in Vermont at the end of November. I have no definite plans beyond visiting friends and family and eating VT extra sharp cheddar cheese!

After spending the post-Bulgaria winter skiing and thinking in Alaska, I dealt with a pending existential crisis by moving to DC to find a job. And thanks to Peace Corps, I got one at the Administration for Native Americans. I analyze, manage and evaluate community based projects in Native American communities focused on language preservation, environmental mitigation, and government capacity building.

I travel a bit with work, generally to places like North Dakota and Kansas. I've also done a bit of personal travel around the US in the last year, and the picture is from a week long Grand Canyon raft trip I took in July. There has been talk of organizing another marathon meet up in the spring or next fall, so send an email if you are interested and we will see what we can do. Plus, if you are ever in the DC area, don't hesitate to contact me. Email is: rich.glass@gmail.com