Photography | Monthly Challenge

The Color of My Childhood

Growing up in the luscious green countryside of Bulgaria

There is a reason one of the colors on the Bulgarian flag is green. As a primarily agricultural country, green vistas are inescapable when traversing the small Balkan nation.

As someone who grew up in a small village, at the foothills of beautiful mountains, fields and forests of green dominated my childhood, especially my long summer vacations.

It’s the kind of green that makes you feel alive and oh so grateful to live on this one planet. I can smell the fresh air just by looking at these photos. Can you? :)

I had the kind of childhood that many don’t get today: no TV, no Internet, no smart phones or any other gadgets to hijack my time and attention. We barely even had toys.

What my friends and I had, though, was unlimited access to fields of green with views of mountains in the background and excess energy that had to be spent somehow, somewhere.

Why not, then, frolic in a green field full of wildflowers? All. Day. Long.

With a beekeeper for a grandfather, I also spent many weekends up in the mountains, helping him, along with the rest of my family, harvest and jar the honey.

I was there to help, but let’s be honest, all my cousins and I really wanted to do is roam around the woods, chasing adventures and hidden treasures.

Sometimes, we chased butterflies. Sometimes, we looked for and picked mushrooms. Sometimes, we climbed trees.

And we always had fun.

After my grandfather passed away, my aunt kept a couple of the beehives, and along with another person from the village, they still take care of my grandfather’s bees.

A couple of years ago, I happened to be in Bulgaria during the time for harvest and got to go help her. I didn’t realize how much I missed the experience until I found myself in the middle of it again.

Also, not related to green but it has to be said: wildflower honey is the best!

Green dominated my childhood also because my parents, especially my father, both have green thumbs and each year, planted their yard with tons of treats we enjoyed in the summer and fall.

Because I move a lot, I haven’t the opportunity to grow my own garden, but I do hope I have the green thumb gene because I’d love to do that one day.

That said, I’m so glad that with the freedom to work online, I can now regularly visit them in the summer and fall and enjoy the bounty again.

Looking forward to doing exactly that later this year. Maybe I’ll share a few more garden stories and photos then. Stay tuned.

Considering where and how I grew up, it’s no surprise that green is my favorite color, especially the type of greens found in nature. Nature is truly where I belong.

Which is why I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading all the pieces on Ireland and Scotland, specifically Scotland, a destination that I’ve been told I must visit if I am a fan of hiking and seek to be awe-struck by nature.

For example, this one by Michele Maize:

I also really enjoyed this article by Liam James H about a waterfall hike/walk in Wales.

While Ireland and Scotland seem to be on many people’s lists, I rarely hear anything about Wales, especially hiking in Wales. But a few years ago I came across a couple from Wales who were adamant I must visit if I am a true fan of hiking, so I’ve been thinking about it ever since. James’ piece only confirmed that I must do that!

Want to get to know me more? Connect with me on Instagram!

Thank you for stopping by :)