As immigrants, many of us spend a lot of time looking forward. We build new lives, learn new customs and gradually become part of another country. Sometimes, without meaning to, we begin to see the place we left behind mostly through memories or headlines.
Then every so often, something makes us look at it differently.
Recently, I’ve come across stories of people who have done the opposite of what I did. They left countries such as England or the United States and chose to settle in Bulgaria. Some are writers or bloggers, others are entertainers or entrepreneurs. Financially, they may not become the next billionaire, but they speak about something just as valuable: finding a place where they feel at home.
Reading their experiences has been unexpectedly moving.
They describe waking up to beautiful mountains, forests and beaches that many Bulgarians simply take for granted. They write about neighbours who stop to chat, strangers who offer help and the generosity they have experienced in villages and towns across the country. They embrace traditional festivals, local food and customs that, as children growing up there, we often accepted without a second thought.
It reminds me that familiarity can sometimes blind us to what others find extraordinary.
That isn’t to say life in Bulgaria is without its challenges. Every country has them. One difficulty almost everyone mentions is the language. Bulgarian is not an easy language to learn, particularly for those whose native language uses the Latin alphabet. Yet many persevere because they have fallen in love with the country itself.
There is something deeply encouraging about seeing people choose Bulgaria—not because they were born there or because they had to move, but because they genuinely wanted to make it their home.
As someone who left Bulgaria many years ago, I sometimes find myself focusing on the reasons people leave: better career opportunities, higher salaries or different lifestyles. Those reasons are real and should not be dismissed.
But these stories remind me that they are not the whole story.
Bulgaria is more than its economic challenges. It is a country of remarkable natural beauty, rich history, ancient traditions and resilient people. Sometimes it takes the eyes of an outsider to remind those of us who grew up there of what we have always had.
Perhaps that is one of the unexpected gifts of immigration. Whether we are leaving a country or arriving in one, we help each other see places more clearly. We notice what locals overlook, appreciate what others have stopped seeing and slowly build bridges between cultures.
Reading about people who have chosen Bulgaria has made me feel quietly proud. Proud that the country I still think of as home can inspire such affection in people who had no connection to it before they arrived.
It has also reminded me that home is a curious thing. Sometimes we spend years searching for it in a new country, while someone else is discovering it in the place we once left behind.
Maybe there is a lesson in that. Every country has something worth celebrating. Sometimes we just need someone else’s perspective to help us see it.
Photo by Neven Myst on Unsplash
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