I have probably spent the last months in an inner silent prison, hiding my sad moments to everyone, including myself. Did not know what was happening to me, I thought everything was fine, and I could handle all the problems, cause I’m strong. And that’s exactly when you think you have the power to control everything that you are hit so strong and deep, that you could barely breathe.

Panic attacks. They do happen to me as well, and honestly I got a bit scared as this time they hit me too strong. What do I miss? What’s the problem? Am I not satisfied of something? I still did not find the right reason, but I know that one day I woke up and I was afraid to fly. Yes, the day I had my flight booked to Sofia, Bulgaria, I woke up and started to panic. Could not think to be afraid of flying, that’s what I love, that’s what makes me feel alive… so I took my bag and went against my fear, took that plane and felt so damn happy.

Going against your fears. That’s the secret to find happiness. 

At the very same time that day I felt even lighter, so free. All the anger I had for some people that hurt me quite a lot in the previous months and years.. it was all gone. 

Finally I can say I’m ready to open up my heart. But first let’s discover Sofia!  Energy is there and I’m back on track dear world! 🙂

The Capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, has a very long history behind. The city’s landmarks reflect more than 2000 years of history, including Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Soviet occupation. Sofia is surrounded by the beautiful Vitosha Mountain, offering great spots for nature pictures and for some fresh air to breathe.

As a capital city, it’s not that big but it’s cute in its small size. I found it very easy to walk around the city: people respect the traffic lights, there is no danger of vehicles going too fast, the main road in downtown is a pedestrian street connecting the Court House to the National Cultural Centre. It’s a long street full of bars, pubs, restaurants, ice-cream places all over, shops and cafeterias.

Autumn in Sofia is full in its colours and foliage, making the pictures so magic.

Taxis are pretty much cheap. From the Airport the official taxis cost around 10-15 Leva (Bulgarian Currency), that means around 5-7 Euro. It’s a 10-15 minutes drive to downtown.

Be aware that most of the people and taxi drivers do not speak English, so be ready to show the exact address to them, and don’t just say “I want to go to the city centre”.  It might not work! 🙂

 

I found people in Sofia very kind although they are very straight forward and for someone who is used to see lots of smiles around, well.. this can be probably a cultural shock, however please remember it’s all appearance. Being straight forward does not mean being arrogant, in fact sometimes it’s totally the opposite.

Although people around were not speaking english fluently they did try to help me and my friend a lot to find our ways. So, a big big Thank you Sofia!

Following I will list some of the pics I have taken and few names of hosts and places that I recommend to visit/stay.

Enjoy Sofia!

Tips & Places:

Hostels: Hostel Mostel is the best choice. Just right in the city centre and all the taxi drivers know it. The staff is very kind and helpful as well. You’ll meet so many people and have lots of fun.

Bar/Restaurant: Social Cafe in the pedestrian street. If you plan to go there on Friday night, make sure you arrive quite early as it’s always full of people and most of the tables are booked.

Club: Terminal One might be your best choice, but make sure there is a special event or a special dj playing that night. Do not go there before 11.30PM. It’s empty.

Always have a map with you to show to people if you get lost. 😉

So this was my Country Number 45! Countdown started…