Do you ever feel you don’t want to wake up for work or feel like you have been doing the same things for a really long time and you need to escape that well established routine of yours? To wake up differently, somewhere else, have breakfast with a view and have time to explore different places, getting to know different people… I felt this way about a week ago. So I booked a flight to my own country for five days. Here is what I did and how that was good for me. I am also briefly reviewing some new skincare products I got from there.
Since I know the capital as much as I know Amsterdam for instance (I am being sarcastic for I have never been to Amsterdam), I thought it would be exciting to get a feeling of the city. It should not be surprising that I haven’t got to know it since I lived in Plovdiv for many years, then I moved to Malta almost 8 years ago and for all that time my general exploration of the city boiled down to its airport. The flight from Malta to Sofia is around 2 hours and by the time you reflect on an idea from a nice book or have a coffee on the plane you have landed.
Last time that was not exactly the case, since I was working the same day (that was the first time I did such a thing, normally I take a few days before and after my flights for packing, planning my vacations and simply getting into the mood for all that), so I felt a bit tired. I arrived in Sofia on Friday morning at 1:30 and I saw the city very different from the last time in August. This time it was rainy, very cold and somehow grim and forbidding, which could be justified with the sharp change of climate for me – it was around 9 degrees compared to 28 earlier that they in Malta. Luckily I had brought appropriate clothing with me.
The whole day the weather did not change much, varying from drizzle to heavy rain. We merely managed to go to the nearest mall for brunch. One thing to keep in mind when visiting Sofia is that it is one idea colder than the rest of the country and autumns/ winters are unpleasantly cold, unless you prepare yourself mentally and physically and arrange all your activities there, like outfits matching your outdoor stay, warm places to eat and have fun, transportation. I kind of had arranged those things but they can always be better so next time I will be more adequate for the environment so that I can be more productive and enjoy better my time. On Friday I met new people for dinner, one of them made lovely spaghetti and it was very interesting to get to know other people’s routines and the way they affect their outlook.
On Saturday the weather was still cold but at least it was not raining and it was even sunny till the early afternoon. I went for brunch with two girls, we met earlier in summer in Malta and it was interesting to catch up. Sunday was an emotional day. I woke up with a nice cup of cappuccino, the air outside was fresh and freezing. I took my time to do my make up and get ready for a special meeting. I met the person who taught me English, my teacher from the private school in Plovdiv, where I started the journey of the English language acquisition and it was inspiring to see through her eyes how that knowledge has transformed my life by the opportunities it opened in font of me. I am glad that meeting took place, it was informative and it helped me to get a better idea of life in the capital and the spirit there.
Monday and Tuesday I spent in my hometown, Haskovo, with friends. I had a facial with my beautician who I have been visiting over the last ten years. I did some shopping for jewellery (I am obsessed with gold, not just because it suits my yellow-undertone skin and I am happy with all the variety of stuff this small town has). As I have mentioned, it’s not really a holiday if I don’t find new skincare/ beauty products to try. And that time I did find new products. They are both French brands, a makeup remover by A-Derma and a toner by Uriage. I have already started using them. First impressions: they both smell nice, they have good characteristics and claims, being designed for combination/oily skin they do feel light and purifying and so far now I have no complains. In fact, they have a serious advantage when it comes to price, they are cheap and at the same time of a decent quality, you cannot find them in supermarkets or even beauty shops but mainly in pharmacies.
So that was it, I am now in Malta, back to work and my island routine. My getaway was dynamic, emotional, productive and informative and I am glad that I had the chance to relax, do some useful activities and complete important tasks and come back fresh and ready for new projects, or just to take up my old duties more enthusiastically.
Kisses, Gergana 🙂