Hi @Jessie W. I'm glad you found the blog. I really like living in Sofia but it's not America nor is it Moscow. My cousin lived in Moscow for about three years and my first year in Bulgaria she came to visit me (and I went to visit her). I was thrilled with Moscow but I didn't really know what to expect. She came to Bulgaria and kept saying things like "it's a smaller Moscow" or "it's so accessible" or "people here are more willing to speak English than in Russia." These remarks sort of hard to judge though because she was only here for a long weekend but I think it's an interesting perspective and I one that I couldn't bring to the table.  Good luck with the decision making!!