I am back - well mostly…

So I guess it has been a while. As most of you who keep up with me and my goings on know, I was home for 16 days around Thanksgiving. I returned back to Macedonia last Wednesday. I had a really nice time while home, actually maybe too good a time, as it has been a bit rough for me adjusting back to Macedonia. There is a certain comfort that comes with being able to leave your house and not have to explain to a stranger what you are doing in their country, how much money you make, and why in the world you would ever leave America! (On average I have this conversation once a day)

But I am almost back on a local sleeping schedule, have returned to work, and my apartment is now warm enough that I can go to bed without bottles of hot water. It is not really that cold here, but my apartment is difficult to heat despite all three of my heaters working as hard as they can, which is not very hard really. The large heater in my living room rattles when ever the fan is on, the heater in my bed room creaks and pops as the oil heats and cools, (I like to pretend it is a fire place creaking and popping! It makes it seem kind of cozy rather then just annoying.) and the heater in my bathroom (which I only use when I shower) vibrates on the tile floor. I miss the summer, when the only noises to keep me up were the live bands playing in the street for weddings, engagements, name days, birthdays, funerals, graduations, independence days, revolution days, other holidays, and store openings.

Anyway- I am back and nearly fully functioning. I was often told while home how beautiful a place I live in. While it is true that there are magnificently beautiful places here, I think I have been neglectful by not also posting pictures of the less glamorous parts of Macedonian life. So, you can all look forward to some new pictures soon.

But till then…