Bulgaria: I studied in Bulgaria for three months. I had no idea where it was before I left. It was the only place I could study, get credit towards graduation, and facilitate a significant culture shock. When I landed in Sofia I thought I had made a mistake. I was terrified. After getting to Blagoevgrad, the town I would call my home, I felt much more comfortable. And it was a sad, sad day when I left.

Serbia: I went home with some friends from to school to celebrate New Year’s in Belgrade.

Macedonia: Emil welcomed John and I to Skopje. He showed us around his hometown and even took us to an Amorphis show.

Romania: My friend Andrea invited me to spend Christmas with her and her mom in Timisoara. It was the best Christmas anyone could ever spend away from home.

Greece and Turkey: I went to Greece a few times. The first trip was to rescue my friend Adam on the island of Corfu. I got an e-mail from him saying he couldn’t access the ATMs and needed help leaving the island. That was the last e-mail I got from Adam (didn’t have a cell phone!) before my classmate Marie and I took some overnight busses (figuring out connections along the way) into Greece and on towards Corfu. We boarded a ferry and landed on the island as the sun came up. We didn’t know where on the island Adam was so we called some hostels describing him until we got a lead. When we got to the hostel we were told we had just missed him. He had gotten a hold of some money and moved on. Marie and I relaxed for the first time in 24 hours with two Mythos on the beach. That moment alone was worth all the trouble.

Adam and I eventually met up and spent some time in Bulgaria before going to Turkey. We came back to Greece so Adam could catch a plane back to the States and so I could return to school in Blagoevgrad. I snapped a picture of him on the bus as we parted ways.

Ukraine: I left Bulgaria and made my way to Ukraine to find my ancestral homeland. After some miserable winter travel situations I got off a small bus in a small town where my great grandparents are from. I learned once I got there that Montastyriska doesn’t have a hotel. Soon after that I learned there were no more buses back to L’Viv. A man named Igor ended up taking me into his home, and I stayed there two days. It was an interesting trip with some unanticipated stress I turned into a multimedia project (it’s very rudimentary, and I’m embarrassed by my 22-year-old observations and voice. Please forgive me).

Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Austria: I flew home from Vienna, but traveled through Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic on the way. The Eastern European-solo-winter travel was miserable in the moment. But the edges of my memory are soft, and I now only remember it as one of the best times of my life.

Canada: Brooke and I met for the second time when she flew out to Michigan and drove with me to Vermont in 2006. We stayed a night in Niagara Falls.

Dominican Republic: Brooke and I honeymooned in Punta Cana. A beautiful place to catch our breaths and get excited for the rest of our lives.

Whew! What a trip down memory lane. I feel better about losing my passport now. I’m going to send it in and get me a new one I can fill up. Although our back porch is my favorite destination these days, it’s fun to go see something new once in awhile. And in 4 to 6 weeks I’ll be properly documented to do so.