Hi, I am Ivan from Sofia. I am phd reserarch student in Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. I came across your blog and I liked it very much. I have been studying english since I was 10, but I need to improve my speaking skills, so I am looking for native speaker. Can you give me some advices how to find ? I use skype in order to practise from time to time, and it helps, but most of the friends there are not native, and sometimes it is difficult to hear each other. I'll be happy if I can find native speaker here in Bulgaria. I am friendly and interested in meeting new cultures, so I'll be glad if I can find US or UK friends, or at least someone who speaks better Englsih than me. I hope to hear from you soon. 
Best wishes,
Ivan