Skiing in Bansko, Bulgaria

To ring in 2026, we spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day skiing in Bansko, Bulgaria. I have to start off by saying, I learned about Bansko from a travel podcast that recommended it as a great place to ski that hadn’t been discovered by tourists yet. After visiting, I can safely say that Bansko has very much been discovered by very many tourists!

The ski area was quite crowded, which of course can be expected for ski areas that week after Christmas. Overall, it was less crowded than most ski areas in the US would have been, with hardly any lift lines apart from the main gondola that takes you from town to the ski area. The beginner trails were packed with people and it was hard to find a seat at lunch, but the top of the mountain was emptier and more spread out. The lift tickets were also cheaper than they would have been in the US, coming in at around $65 per day.

We rented clothing and equipment from BSR Ski Rent. The skis and boots were pretty decent, but the jackets and snow pants had seen better days. We got spoiled last year in Japan with their amazing organization systems and high quality rental gear, so we came in with high expectations. Bulgaria, as you might expect, was not so organized as Japan, but we got some skis, boots, and clothing for about $25 and only reserved a couple of days in advance. I don’t think they actually track the reservation system and instead just see what they have when you get there, but our friend “Bob” from Bansko got us set up with what we needed, save for a few rips and tears and limited selection. We brought goggles, hats, and gloves from home, which were all very needed since temperatures were in the single digits (Fahrenheit)!

We stayed in an apartment at the Belvedere Holiday Club, which also had some pros and cons. It was a little overpriced for Bulgaria (at just under $200 a night), but on the other hand, where in the US can you stay walking distance to the lifts for that price? When we arrived, our room had not yet been cleaned from the previous guests—that’s the first time that’s ever happened to me with an Airbnb type of place! But it was an easy fix, and our host had it rectified in under an hour. They made up for it by leaving a bottle of prosecco to celebrate the new year.

The ski area was unique, since you walk to a gondola in town and then the gondola brings you to the base area to take other lifts. At the end of the day, there’s a long ski road to get all the way down into town. I’m not sure if Bryan had fun, since the trails were icy and crowded, but for me, it was enjoyable to get to see what skiing is like in another country.

We were also walking distance from the restaurants in town, so we tried a few places for dinner. The House was nice and cozy for traditional food and Alpen was a deliciously memorable Italian meal. We found that a lot of places would turn you away without a reservation, even if they looked completely empty, so it’s best to book in advance. Generally, Bulgarian food was delicious, with a lot of barbecued meats, fresh veggies, and really good bread. There were slim pickings for breakfast, so if you’re thinking about opening a breakfast cafe or coffee shop—you might find a market in Bansko. We either grabbed protein bars from the convenience store or skipped breakfast altogether, but Station had good omelettes on our last day.

The little town was quaint and peaceful with nice views of the mountains. New Year’s Eve was pretty subdued for us, but there was some live music and dancing at the restaurant we went to for dinner, and we saw a lot of fireworks going off at night.

On January 2nd, we were done with skiing and booked a day at the spa. We chose Pulse Therme in Banya because they have a brand new location with lots of baths and saunas to choose from. There were some issues with our arrival, because as we arrived the electricity went out, so the spa was closed. They brought us to their other location back in Bansko, but as soon as we got there, they told us the electricity had come back on at the first location and that it would be much less crowded. So we went back, and it was still extremely crowded! But after all the back and forth, we settled in, used the gym, and bopped around to all the baths, pools, steam rooms, rain rooms, and saunas that we could fit into our four-hour visit. It was a nice spa, besides being overcrowded, and I’m not sure if it was due to the electrical issue, but the hot tubs were more warm than hot.

That was all for our three days in Bansko. As you can tell, there were some ups and downs, but overall it was a unique experience and new place to ring in the new year. Happy trails!

**It’s a privilege getting to ski in other countries. I make sure I’m covered with affordable and reliable travel medical insurance in case anything goes wrong. I choose SafetyWing because their Nomad Insurance policy covers activities, including skiing, in 185+ countries. To sign up, visit this link.

Happy New Year!

Can we still say happy new year in the last days of January? Since I haven’t been here yet this year, I’d like to think so.

I ended the year in the best way: An LBI tiny wave sunset surf session with the greatest of friends. It was the perfect cap on a year that has, for me, been a transformative year in learning to surf and actually “getting it.” I’m starting to understand the power of winter wetsuits, and I swear, it’s really not that cold (until you get out of the water)! This picture was followed by a warm shower and many NYE snacks and cocktails.

The following week offered a much needed slowdown from working in the startup world. But you know I can’t stay put for too long. I decided to road trip down to North Carolina to visit my uncle with a stop in Harrisburg to see my sister on the way. We indulged in a cookie skillet for her belated birthday celebration.

And the next stay stopped in Frederick, MD for some of the best Detroit-style pizza I’ve ever had. Can you tell I haven’t made any diet-related new year’s resolutions?

My uncle has been recovering from a mid-year stroke and I was happy to see he’s doing well and taking care of himself. Besides him being in a wheelchair, it was a pretty normal visit. We played cards, cooked healthy meals, and watched a movie directed by Madonna. Being with family (and mostly off my laptop) was a nice way to reconnect and ease into the year.

My adventure partner was a bit skeptical about the long drives:

And so the sun set on 2023. I’m excited and ready to see what the next one has in store…

Let Yourself Land

There’s such a difference between the beginning of January and its final days. Here in the third week, I wonder, are you sticking to your resolutions? Have you altered them? Softened them to fit your real life? As we come back from the holiday chaos—increased energies, hectic schedules, indulgent diets—we try to take back the reigns at the beginning of the year with schedules, rules, and controls.

I, for one, enjoy this. It’s easier to have strict guidelines than to make a new decision every day. “I’m choosing not to drink this month.” I’m doing 30 minutes of cardio per day.” Ok, no questions. But then we get to the third week, and it’s time to check in on what’s working for us. There were the two mimosas on a football Sunday. Plus the day work was crazy and I only had twenty minutes to exercise before teaching a class. A few imperfections. They’ll have to be OK.

If you notice yourself slipping up a lot (and I mean daily or a few times a week), don’t start by beating yourself up or questioning your willpower. If you messed up, first offer yourself forgiveness. Then reflect. Where are you coming from—how was your energy and your life a month ago? Have you been realistic in what you could take on? Are your goals right for you or were they perhaps superhuman? Consider sharing them with a trusted friend.

I’m not suggesting you throw out all of your goals and lie down on the couch (although it’s Friday afternoon so I won’t be mad if you do), but allow some space to assess and readjust. Set yourself up with the best habits that you know you can, and then leave a little room for life to flow in between.

Have a wonderful weekend.

<3 Cori

First Week

I had to follow a sad fire post with a positive life post, because it really has been a fine first week of 2020! In spite of reading/worrying about the fires and feeling guilty about living a normal life while people are facing loss and disruption, I did some regular old fun things. I found a new yoga studio:

It’s in a neighborhood called Rosebery that is a little sleepy but sweet and reminds me a whole lot of California. There’s a market where you can order coffee and toasties and have yourself a pretty nice Saturday morning, if you so choose.

We had our first brewery and first beach day of 2020:

At the beach, there were announcements of rough currents and a SHARK SIGHTING so they kept closing the water to swimming. As someone who was not in the water at the time of the shark, I found this very exciting! And I’m glad to know they have a beach-wide announcement system to let you know about these important things.

My English friends introduced me to a game called beach cricket. I’m certain I didn’t follow all the rules, but I laughed a lot in the process of learning them.

And, wow, look at this view from the ferry on the ride back:

It was SO HOT on Saturday night, but it’s since turned into cooler weather and bits of drizzle here and there. Keep the rain coming please.

I went to my first show of the year on Sunday night! There will surely be more to come.