Updates

Hello everyone!

Given all of the recent events we thought it would be beneficial for us to provide some updates on our situation right now in Bulgaria. We have a lot of new information, but we will start first with the event that is affecting each and every one of us in some way: Covid-19.

In comparison to many of our European neighbors, Bulgaria is doing well at the moment. As of my writing this, the last report I have heard was 51 cases in the country with the first arriving sometime early last week. This is obviously far less than Italy, France, and other nations in Europe and also far less than the US for now. It appears that the EU will be closing borders to non-Europeans very soon. Bulgaria, for its part, declared a State of Emergency last Friday and everything other than grocery stores and pharmacies were ordered closed until at least March 29th. The Bulgarian government also recently announced they will be paying 60% of the salaries for companies hit hardest by the closures. All of this was done in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus and help people stay on their feet.

As a result of these protocols, schools across the country were closed and we started Distance Learning last week Friday. We now work from home and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future until the situation improves. We provide materials for students via recorded lessons and online platforms. It is strange for both us and the students, but everything that is being done is necessary. Yes, it is unfortunate we are unable to go to restaurants. Yes, it is sad that we cannot travel for Spring Break in a month. Yes, it is lonely not being able to see friends and students on a daily basis. However, it is far more heartbreaking to see hundreds, if not thousands, of people dying each day. Therefore, while Sam and I are not in the category of people who are truly at risk from the virus, we recognize that the world we live in today is not the same world that we visited home in just 2.5 months ago. As this is nothing to take lightly, we consequently should respond as such and expect some significant changes to our daily lives. It is our responsibility, as it is everyone's, to respond in a way that protects not just ourselves, but our community, both locally and globally. We will keep our families updated, but go with the phrase, "no news is good news." Simply put: if you don't hear anything us, we are fine. In the meantime, please follow a few simple guidelines that will help keep you healthy: Wash your hands. Do not go out if you are sick. Don't travel unless necessary. Just BE SMART!

With that said, one thing that is helping us through this time is the new addition to our family. At the beginning of February we were fortunate to adopt this adorable goofball named Ono.

She is a Bulgarian-Greek Border Dog and we adopted her from a friend of ours who just became a mother and would not be able to take care of both the baby and the dog. Ono is a wonderful dog who is very sweet, friendly, and food-motivated. She loves everyone she meets and is VERY cuddly. We are working with her daily to make her a well-trained dog and she is on her way to becoming one. She will be traveling with us wherever our adventure in life takes us.

With love,

Chris, Sam and Ono