<em>Once a month or so, I'm going to run a series on my blog called Reruns. It's going to be a retrospective of sorts of my time in Bulgaria. There's a theme to the post which I'll have identified by sorting through old blog posts. You can then link back through to these posts and read a little current commentary. Enjoy!</em>

For almost as long as I can remember I've charted the passage of time with the arrival of each new school year. At the end of August, you know that it's coming--night comes a little sooner and the air has a edge of cool in it. And you wonder: is the last best night of summer?

It's a bittersweet moment. The end of summer and the beginning of the school year. I'm not sure if Mladost in late summer helps or hurts the matter. Maybe it just is.
<a title="my Mladost fall 2012 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7912006496/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7912006496_7f7e20b1a5_z.jpg" alt="my Mladost fall 2012" width="640" height="480" /></a>
The thing is, as a student, the thought of new school supplies and a few new outfits for school made me giddy. In college, I looked forward to reading news books, discussing big ideas and catching up with my friends. When I worked at Georgetown, the beginning of the school year meant that campus was infused with the energy and enthusiasm that comes with the return of 18-22 year olds--this I think offers extroverts like me a natural high.

And now as a high school teacher, it's no different. I'd still like to buy school supplies and new clothes. I love catching up with my teacher friends and hearing about all of their adventures. I'm looking forward to planning out my school year and blocking out my lesson plans and the books we'll be reading.

These new beginnings haven't always been easy.

When I moved to Bulgaria four years ago, I had no idea what to expect. In subsequent years it's gotten better but living in a new country, starting a new job and learning all of your students' names is never easy. <!--more-->

<strong>Year one</strong> (2008-09): <em>The Fulbright Year</em>. I was just trying to figure out which way was up and the ins and outs of my apartment, my life in Sofia and my job at the First English Language High School. I <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/09/a-few-of-my-favorite-things/" target="_blank">bought a new pillow</a> and I still have it today. I started <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/26/settling-into-sofia/" target="_blank">taking Bulgarian lessons and I had a crash course in taking city buses</a>. I started adjusting <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/01/cash-money/" target="_blank">to paying for everything--big or small--in cash</a>. Then I <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/09/final-test-bulgarian-language-class/" target="_blank">passed my Bulgarian course</a>. <em>Kind of</em>. All of this before <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/15/first-day-of-school/" target="_blank">my first day of school in Bulgaria</a>. A day where I expected to meet students not smoke and drink in the Teachers' Room.

<strong>Year two</strong> (2009-10): <em>My Freshman Year at ACS</em>. <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/03/living-in-mladost/" target="_blank">I moved to Mladost</a> from the city center.The beginning of this school year was a busy one. I didn't write much about it. In some ways, starting at ACS felt like starting all over again--new systems to learn, new people to meet and lots more work.  This was also <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/13/my-first-lesson/" target="_blank">my first year with my Bulgarian tutor I</a>. It's funny it feels like we've just always known each other but it was only three years ago that I found myself making <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/10/bulgarian-words/" target="_blank">this list of Bulgarian words</a> trying to figure out how much I knew. For the record I know a lot more now.

<strong>Year three</strong> (2010-11): <em>Figuring out the ropes</em>. My <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/04/year-three/" target="_blank">celebration of the beginning of year three</a> makes it clear that I am still getting the hang of things. Still I remain haunted by the fact that <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/11/books-on-my-bedside-table/" target="_blank">I haven't yet read Under the Yoke</a>. (Um, I still haven't. I've thought about it though if that counts for anything.) But my <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/07/fresh-figs-an-obsession/" target="_blank">love affair with figs</a> outweighs any guilt I feel about not reading <em>Under the Yoke</em>.

<strong>Year four</strong> (2011-12): <em>I've been here and done this</em>. Things get easier and easier. I make a <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/09/a-sight-seeing-scavenger-hunt-in-sofia/" target="_blank">sight-seeing scavenger hunt</a> for some of the new teachers. I know what to <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/18/another-first-day-of-school/" target="_blank">expect on the first day of school</a> and who to ask for photocopies. However this was also the year, that for about a week--give or take--every time I left my apartment <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/20/getting-back-in-the-swing-of-things/" target="_blank">I couldn't remember if I turned of the [fill in the blank]</a>...coffee pot, oven, hair straightener or even the lights. Interestingly, everything was always off. I just didn't remember turning it off.

<strong>Year five</strong> (2012-13):  I wish that I could get this Bulgarian head-shaking/head-nodding thing down. At Subway on Friday night, my total was 11.43 or something like this. I paid with a 50. I know, I know. That's annoying but I have to make someone break this big bill. The boy behind the counter asks me in Bulgarian, if I have 2 leva. Nope. I shake my head no. He stares at me. I stare off into the distance waiting for my change and my sandwiches. He's waiting for me to produce 2 leva but I'm not ever going to. I don't have it.  A. steps in and says in Bulgarian, she doesn't have 2 leva. Then to me: you shook your head yes in Bulgarian that you had 2 leva and then didn't give it to him. Well, you know the Bulgarian "yes" is the American "no" so it's easy enough to see how this happened. Maybe one day I'll get the head nod under control. Then again, maybe I wont it's already been four years.