Nostalgia

My brother-in-law shared this Red Bull video on Facebook recently and for some reason, I decided to watch it. I'm not into Red Bull, nor extreme sports. And still, I watched the video till the end, twice. And got emotional.

Switzerland has been my home for more than ten years now. I started a family here, gave birth, found friends. I never felt homesick, just the opposite - I was very excited to get out in the world and live in a foreign country. The land of chocolate, cheese, watches, and banks was a perfect match for me. I loved, and still do, how calm, organized, and orderly life is here. In the beginning, I thought everything was better in my new home country. I’m many cases this is true.

But, I watched a video I didn't expect to like or even watch till the end and found myself transported back in time.

I used to live in Sofia when I was 22-30 years old. Seeing the familiar streets that feel like home, even though they are not my home anymore, made me tear up. This took me by surprise.  

It is such a strange feeling - my home and life center is here, in Switzerland. But a part of my heart will always belong to Bulgaria. 

It is only in the last couple of years that I’ve started to feel this tug on my heartstrings. I started to miss the foods I ate as a child, the folk songs my grandmother used to sing to me. There came the longing to show to my daughter the places I used to play as a kid, the school I used to go to, the foods I ate. I wanted to tell her stories about how different my life was over there… 

In the beginning, I was excited and eager to soak up and take over the "swiss way" of life. Now, I'm well adapted but also much more cognizant of my Bulgarian roots, with all its positives. Because this is what shaped me as a person, and it enriches how I contribute to society here - in my private and professional life.