Maria

Travel information

I am currently

Activities i am interested in:

I am now in Bulgaria and might do a road trip or two 🚗 Get in touch if you want to explore the beauty of my home country together or if you need a place to stay, I’d be happy to host you 🇧🇬

Description

Hi :)

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to read my profile!

I grew up in a small village in the very south-west corner of Bulgaria, close to both borders with Greece and Macedonia. It's a beautiful region nested between two mountains and life there still runs at a slow and peaceful pace. I spent my childhood playing outdoors or helping my parents and grandparents with growing crops in our fields in the valley. I, of course, did not enjoy that part at the time but I'm now realising it has taught me a great deal about hard work and relying on the land for your livelihood. My parents still grow some crops in our garden to this day, although many of the fields are no longer being worked on, and I consider myself lucky to know the real taste of many fruits and veggies! As a teenager, I spent 5 years attending a language high school in the larger town of the municipality. It was what might be classed as a boarding school, as I would stay there in a shared dorm during the week and travel back home on the weekends. I believe that this has taught me many skills, but mainly how to be independent from a young age.

After graduating high school, I made the bold decision to continue my studies abroad, and I moved to the UK when I was 18. It was my first time on a plane, and I moved there only knowing one other person - a girl from my school that I was travelling with. I still don't know what made me take this decision, but maybe it was one of those moments of simply following my intuition. After I finished my higher education, I started the typical 9-5 life of a working professional in the UK. I moved around the country quite a bit but the last 2 years I lived in London and was working as an IT consultant in the city for one of the Big Four professional services firms.

Having spent almost a decade in the UK, I decided that it's time for a reset. I left my corporate job and I spent 9 months travelling in Asia, the UK, Barcelona, and more recently concluding my first Workaway experience in Norway. Earlier this year, I also completed my 200 hours yoga teacher training, and I am passionate about movement and how impactful it can be for our wellbeing. I have always loved travelling and exploring new places and cultures, and I have visited a number of different countries, both solo and with friends. I enjoy meeting new people, exchanging life stories, and learning more about how different life for each of us can be, while also realising that we share a lot more similarities than maybe we like to think :)

What motivates me is people, and what brings me joy are many things. To name a few - sunsets, mountains, good coffee, trees, bird songs, meaningful conversations, yoga, acro, poetry, tight hugs, smiles from strangers, cats, accents, books, butterflies, plants, cameras, podcasts, bike rides, picnics, and more.

I look forward to exchanging life stories and sharing the simple joy of being :)

Interests

Movies & TV

Videography

Events & social

Self development

Plant care

Books

Photography

Cooking & food

Writing

Astronomy

Yoga / Wellness

Nature

Mountain

Outdoor activities

Hiking

Cycling

Languages

Languages spoken
Bulgarian: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Beginner

More details about my language interests
I would happily share my knowledge of English or Bulgarian, and I am aslo currently doing a TEFL certification.

Find a language buddy

Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn

I'm interested in:  

Being an elderly companion

Charity Work

Teaching

General Maintenance

Hospitality/Tourism

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

Languages

Helping around the house

House sitting

DIY and building projects

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Able to teach about:  

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Helping with Computers/ Internet

More details about your skills

I like to think that I am a quick learner and can pick up most things but here are some of the things that I can help with:
- sharing my knowledge of yoga and mindfulness
- picking fruits and veggies and conserving them
- cooking and introducing Bulgarian or other favourite dishes of mine
- helping around the house and general maintainance (cleaning, painting, DIY)
- general IT/consulting skills exchange

Age

28

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies

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  Special dietary requirements