After four years of living here in Bulgaria (yes, FOUR!), I’ve finally decided to take Bulgarian language lessons. In my defence, we really only live here around half the year and travel the rest…so I’ve been here more like 2 years

But in all seriousness, there’s no excuse. I’ve been the typical lazy English speaker!

Our new house in Bulgaria – it’s definitely time to learn some of the language…

Stumbling over the few Bulgarian words I know, while relying on English the rest of the time – in a country where only around 30% of people speak it – doesn’t really cut it.

It’s time to dive into the (somewhat) intimidating world of the Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet and be a better resident of the country we now call home. обичаме България! (translate: we love Bulgaria!)

The Importance of Learning a Language

When living abroad, it’s so important to be able to immerse yourself into the community. And what better way than by actually speaking their language!

Not only do the locals appreciate the effort, but if you’re living somewhere (whether temporary or permanent), it’s a bit ignorant not to.

Being able to speak some of the language helps with tourist pricing, plus, the locals appreciate the effort!

You’ll have a stronger connection with the people, and you can easily navigate the important daily tasks (supermarkets, doctors, transport…), not to mention, you can avoid paying “tourist pricing” in many cases!

I really value being able to speak the local language and am looking forward to being able…

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