117. Bad Skiing

Day 117
Location 20: Sofia, Bulgaria 
Feb. 25, 2023

Today was a constant oscillation between good news and bad news. Like a swinging pendulum that on one end is pressing a button that adds $100 to your bank account and on the other end is hitting you directly in the testicles. 

Good news! There is a ski mountain in Sofia, Bulgaria. I love skiing, so this is a big win.

Bad news! The mountain is an hour away via two bus transfers. Okay, that might not sound so bad, but you have to remember that in Eastern Europe there is (1) often a severe lack of English-speaking people working in public transportation and that (2) busses running on schedule is the exception to the rule.

Good news! I made it. Now, just to rent some skis and start carving. A lot of thought went into which word to end the previous sentence with to make me sound the least annoying. "Shredding" was obviously out. "Shredding the gnar" was also out, by association. Carving still feels lame, but at least now you know I tried.

Bad news! High intensity winds mean some of the lifts—and thus trails—might be closed.

Good news! There is one trail open. Happy shredd–carving.

Bad news! The one trail that's open is a 50 foot long bunny hill that takes about 45 seconds to ascend on a conveyer belt and 10 seconds to descend on skis. Only 5 seconds into my first run I hit a wall of boredom. But the next bus isn't for another two hours (which, as we learned earlier, means nothing).
 
Eventually, I make it back to the hostel with a disorienting emotional state resulting from perpetual switching between good and bad news. If you'd like a visual representation of said disorientation, look no further: