I haven't been a teenage girl for long time. Now I am a newly minted <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/05/17/30-things-life-in-bulgaria-has-taught-me/" target="_blank">thirty-something</a>.

Just to put things in perspective, I was 19 years old 11 years ago and I was 13 years old in 1994. I got my driver's license at 16 and a few months--I passed traffic safety education with flying colors riding my bike to school every afternoon that summer in the 90 degree Fahrenheit heat for something like 6 weeks to the high school to take a class and to log hours of driving practice. At just barely 18, I graduated from high school and I spent my last year of being a teenager at college.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Teenage girls &amp; Me at summer camp!"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Kids at summer camp!" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6052537658/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6052537658_2b995e6208_b.jpg" alt="Kids at summer camp!" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

But now that I am a high school teacher, I am surrounded by teenagers and I regularly find myself thinking: I wouldn't ever want to do-over being a teenager. Being a teenager is angst-riddled hard work. From school to boys to parents and friends, it is not easy to be a teenage girl.

This said after two weeks at summer camp, I was reminded that being a teenage girl can also be lots of fun.

There was lots of excitement over new (cute) boys from all over Bulgaria and of course, plenty of speculation over who liked whom. The boys from Varna and Burgas seemed to garner the most attention. Ah, summer tans. I guess some things never change.<!--more-->

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Graffiti nail polish in gold on yours truly!"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Graffiti nail polish in gold" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6051988067/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6200/6051988067_511681d32a_b.jpg" alt="Graffiti nail polish in gold" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

There was enough nail polish at camp to open a couple of salons and girls were endlessly changing their nail color. They were painting on little flowers or other nail art. But the newest trend a nail polish trend is called graffiti which is a type of nail polish that somehow cracks as it dries to reveal the first coat of nail polish you'd previously painted thus you have a two tone effect and no manicure is identical.

There was nervous excitement and energy about first kisses. There were whispered exchanges about who was going to kiss whom and when this would happen. And all of this created lots of giggling, smiling and secret sharing.

Most interestingly without much if any questioning, girl after girl told me that their perfect boy would have brown hair and bright blue eyes because this a rare combination.  They told me about their desires to go home and to see their friends as well as to eat at their favorite restaurants.  They shared dreams of traveling abroad. Of university.  Of what life could be like in Bulgaria if there were different and the implication was better politicians making better decisions.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="My inner teenage girl loves nail polish &amp; this fortune--Love"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="Nail polish, beer and a fortune" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6052538080/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6063/6052538080_e3843ea355_b.jpg" alt="Nail polish, beer and a fortune" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

The thing is, since I've been back from camp I've started worrying that I am becoming a teenage girl again!!

Yesterday for example, I went to buy some nail polish remover and came out with nail polish remover and a bottle of graffiti nail polish in gold. Then I went to the mall to buy a new pair of sandals after my last pair met an unfortunate death on a very jagged piece of sidewalk in downtown Sofia. I went in every store in the mall looking for the perfect pair. Of course I went back to the first shop I was in to purchase, oh, the second pair I saw.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="My coffee table w/laptop, nail polish, beer &amp; my Bulgarian textbook"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large" title="My coffee table" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6051987705/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6185/6051987705_834e8b4232_b.jpg" alt="My coffee table" width="614" height="410" /></a>[/caption]

From there I thought I'll have an iced coffee and walk home. Only oh no. The sale signs lured me into a number of other shops. Shops that were clearly catering to teenagers. I found a great new shirt and a new necklace both seriously marked down.

I got home last night thinking about how difficult it can be to be a teenager but also how much fun it can be. Then I sat down to paint my nails. I looked at the array of things on my coffee table and thought: You know what's great about not being a teenager?! You can paint your nails &amp; drink beer.