Sometimes I love how quickly plans can change in Bulgaria and sometimes I hate it. Today is one of those days where I love it. I mean I guess it's about being open to last minute plans and being willing to throw on a smile, pack up a suitcase/backpack and ask questions later.

I got a call from a friend last night about the <a href="http://www.jeravna.com/?language=en" target="_blank">Jeravna Folk Life Festival</a>. The question: would I like to go? Um, yes.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Formal picture of us in our Kyustendil costumes"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Formal picture of us in our Kyustendil costumes" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6057902637/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6086/6057902637_4a73db859b_b.jpg" alt="Formal picture of us in our Kyustendil costumes" width="614" height="461" /></a>[/caption]

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Yes. Hell yes actually. I said yes for a host of different reasons.

First, you're required to wear Bulgarian national costume.

Second, the website plainly states that Jeravna is the most beautiful ancient village in Bulgaria.

Third, it's my policy never to turn down a trip/outing/adventure in Bulgaria.

Now if you're Bulgarian (or well anyone) you may be wondering how I will get my hands on a Bulgarian national folk  costume in a few hours so that I can attend the festival. Apparently in a stroke of good luck, foresight or just plain old crazy I bought my very own costume last spring. You know because I <em>clearly</em> need a folk costume hand made for me from the region of Kyustendil.

At the time, a couple of my American colleagues who were moving back to the States wanted to buy costumes and I am a sucker for dresses, aprons and embroidery so I decided to buy a dress too. I also thought: Why not? A dress will be a excellent (future) memento of my time in Bulgaria.

Oh and truth be told, I had a lot of cash in my apartment after <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/05/14/still-rocking-my-simple-phone-smartphone-be-damned/" target="_blank">M-Tel refused to sell me a smart phone</a> because I am a foreigner. And you know what? The lady who makes by hand national costumes didn't refuse to make me a dress because I am a foreigner. Nope, she took my measurements and my money and six weeks later I had a beautiful, beautiful dress.

So today, I am going to take my dress and my "simple" phone, a pair of shoes and my toothbrush, my camera and a smile, with me to Jeravna to celebrate the folk life festival. And I think that this might, <em>just might,</em> be the weekend where two years of Balkan dance classes, countless hours of Bulgarian lessons and the purchasing of my own folk dress pays off.