Backtracking

What do you say when you don't know what to say? It's a question all writers have to face at some point or another. I don't know. I guess you just start writing and see what comes out. Here goes...

Thank you, Jennifer, for the wonderful get together in Kazanluck. It was fantabulous and hilarious and wonderful to catch up, destress, dance, sing, watch movies, and play games. If you're reading this, you may be interested to know that I ran into your friend, Alice, at the Sofia bus station bathroom, when I was on my way to Krichim, the Wednesday after we all hung out together. It's a small world, after all :)

Thank you, Mom, for the wonderful package, full of goodies, pipe cleaners, and toys! The whole family in Sofia enjoyed the goodies. The family in Krichim is enjoying the peanut butter, straws, and some of the pipe cleaners. I love the socks with separate toes...they make possible the art of wearing flip flops and socks at the same time. Today, Nezhda came over to surprize me...I was completely surprized, still in my pajamas...well, I surprized her back by busting out the pipe cleaners, and she made a beautiful flower, and I made her a little person. And she wants to pay you to send her some packages from the states because she absolutely fell in love with them. It's amazing how such a simple thing as a twisty wire with some fuzz can cause such joy!

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa...I know you're not reading this since you don't speak English, but you must be included anyway. It was wonderful playing cards with you...thank you for teaching me, Belot. You give me so much food for thought. I admire your strength and perseverance, and appreciate that you remember to laugh at yourselves and each other every once in a while. I feel blessed to be able to spend time with you while I'm here.

Thank you, Sunai, for your absolute kindness, and for sharing your life and home with me for a few days. It was just sweet to do yoga with you and to release all that dang stress the world throws at us all the time. I admire your hardworking spirit, your commitment to honesty, and your unswerving kindness and compassion toward everyone who comes into your world. What a small world coincidence that Nezhda's co-worker in Momchilgrad was your best friend in high school! Krichim and Momchilgrad are not so far away, after all.

Thank you, Chris, for the Merry Christmas message accidentally sent to my dad...I will always laugh when I think about that. Thank you too for the joy, the creative absurdity, the encouragement, and the inspiration. You're like a long lost brother I never had and I appreciate you, doggone it!

Thank you, Dani (my long-lost sister that I've always had, that is ;P) for the soulful conversation that lasted forever and got grandma and grampa worried that the phone would explode from overload...too many words...aaaaahhhh! I can not tell you in words how glad I am to have you in my life, as my schwester-kin. You are the best sister I've ever had, and I don't say that to just anyone ;) Thank you for your friendship and your support, even when it seems like I'm acting crazy and, in fact, *am* acting crazy.

Thank you, Dad, for your thought-provoking e-mails, for your support, for being a stable force in my life. I have learned so much from you that I use daily, without even realizing it sometimes. I asked my colleagues who "Momchil" is and, apparently, he is a war hero who was instrumental in leading Bulgaria away from being a slavery state in the Ottoman Empire. There's a statue of him in the Momchilgrad square, but there's not a whole lot else that people seem to know about him. Interesting, no?

Thank you, Arnold, for thinking of me and sending the fascinating story you co-wrote (which i'm enjoying immensely), the book, and the Peace bag (which my co-worker Ani is enjoying immensely). You truly have the gift of humor...I can't wait for your Bulgarian Comedy tour, you'll have to experience the Momchilgrad chocolate facials. How did you guess we had those?

I could write a gazillion more thank-yous, but I would miss my cholate facial appointment in the Momchilgrad, spa. Plus, I lost an entire scoop of ice cream once for saying "thank you" too many times. Therefore, I have to run...can't have that dilemma again! So, to anyone reading this, thank you for being, and for all the gifts you bring into this world that couldn't be contributed, in the same way, by anyone else...isn't it amazing to be alive, even when it's not? It's great to be a snowflake!