Wish you were here...

...in beautiful, sunny Bulgaria? Yes, that's right. Bulgaria. My family and I leave this afternoon for a week away at the Black Sea resort of Slanchev Bryag. Now, Bulgaria isn't somewhere I normally would have thought of as being a holiday hotspot, but there you go. Some friends of ours went a couple of years ago and raved about the place. Apparently, it's cheap. A pint of beer costs around 50 cents. I've never had Bulgarian beer. It's all very exciting.

I have to confess though, that I'm a little nervous. This is the first time we're going on vacation to a place where I don't know the lingo. I can be polite and say hello (zdravey), thank you (blago darya) and where is the toilet (kade e toaletnata?) but that's it. And it never fails, whenever we go on vacation, someone gets sick and I end up going to the drugstore and speaking to the pharmacist and getting whatever drugs we need to solve the problem. For example:

Summer 2004, Georgia gets sick after flying from London to Washington D.C. I am able to speak to the doctor at the emergency room (yes, she was that ill) because I am fully versed in American.

Christmas 2004, Georgia gets sick flying from Manchester to Oslo. I have learned enough Norwegian to explain the problem and get assistance. Of course, most Norwegians speak better English than I do, but the kind, drop dead gorgeous Norwegian man humors me and lets me have a go at pigeon Norwegian (are you getting it that my family, in particular my daughter, does not travel well?)

Summer 2005, my husband injures himself not once, not twice, but three times while on vacation in southern France. First, he developed a toothache, so I was able to get him some toothache stuff. Then, he got bit by something and his arm turned bright red and swelled to twice its normal size. I got bug bite cream. Finally, one night he had a dream he was playing soccer, and went up to head the ball into the goal. He headed the wall instead. After he assured me he did NOT need to go the hospital and get a catscan, he took some Advil and went back to bed wearing his cycling helmet to prevent any further injury.

So everyone cross your fingers that my husband and daughter manage to come out of this vacation unscathed. John is already talking about renting a jet ski and I'm having visions of Bulgarian emergency rooms. At least I'll be able to find the toilet.