ABOUT STEPHANIE

My name is Stephanie Craig, and I fell in love with the city of Sofia from my first days here. I ended up here almost by accident:  In 2016 I was traveling full-time, and I happened to pick the cheapest ticket on Skyscanner from Athens…which by chance was headed towards Sofia. Back then, I don’t even think I knew that Bulgaria and Greece are neighbors or why it was a logical next destination. However, buying that plane ticket changed my life.

After spending a month here in the autumn (which is an amazing time to visit Sofia), I decided to come back to use this as my base for traveling. Starting at the beginning of 2017, I packed up my suitcases and my dog, and we moved into a little studio near the Serdica Station. I spend about half my time in Sofia (or traveling around Bulgaria) and half my time on the road. No matter where else I travel to, I’m always thrilled when I see Mount Vitosha from the plane window, because I know I’m just minutes away from being back in my favorite city. And even though I’ve gone on about a dozen road trips since getting here, there are many more places in Bulgaria that I’m dying to explore.

I am a history and travel writer. I host The History Fangirl Podcast, where I interview academics and experts about the historic places where I travel.  I’ve been to 59 countries on the Travelers’ Century Club list, and my love of history has taken me to 121 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to date. Some highlights for me was seeing every Balkan country on an epic backpacking adventure last summer, nearly getting thrown out of the semi-autonomous country of Transnistria, and spending time in almost every country in Eastern Europe. While my goal is to see the whole world eventually, the Balkans and Eastern Europe are the regions that I find more rewarding to travel than any others I’ve been to.

Originally from Oklahoma, I attended the University of Kansas for undergrad and the University of Pennsylvania for grad school. I am a die-hard Kansas Jayhawks and Philadelphia Phillies fan.  During my ten years in Philadephia, I worked as a Teach For America corps member and in corporate sales. However, these days I’m happy dividing my time between the road and coming back to explore more of Bulgaria and the Balkans. As a full-time blogger/podcaster, life can be hectic, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

You can also find me at History Fangirl, my global travel blog, and The Africa Cookbook, a food blog dedicated to African cuisine.

ABOUT ALLISON

My name is Allison Green and at any given moment, I’m likely either thinking about dogs, coffee, wine, Asian food, or travel. I ended up in Sofia after I had been traveling the world full-time for nearly a year and a half. As great as travel bloggers may make constant travel look on Instagram, the truth is, it can get tiring. I was exhausted and in need of a place to settle down for a month and catch up on work. I stayed in Sofia for a month in August of 2017 and I ended up falling in love with the city, vowing to return the following year to make it my base between my travels. And now here I am!

I work full-time as a travel blogger, which is just about as fun as it sounds. My “job” has taken me to awesome places and on insane adventures. I’ve hitchhiked through the Balkans, rode camels through the Sahara, boarded down an active volcano and slept atop others in Nicaragua, scuba dived on 3 continents, climbed the highest mountain in Montenegro, gone dogsledding in the Arctic, seen the Northern lights in Sweden, rode a train through the Swiss Alps, slept in an overwater bungalow in the Maldives, swam with sharks in Belize, caved in Guatemala, canyoned in Nicaragua, helicoptered over the Grand Canyon, and hot air ballooned in Cappadocia. I’ve been to some 50 plus countries, depending on how you count it, and my life goal is to — eventually — visit all of them.

It’s a crazy lifestyle, but of all the places I’ve gone, Sofia is one of my favorite cities in the world. Every time I get back to Sofia after a while away, I can’t wipe the dumb smile off my face. I look at the mountains and churches and buildings around me and feel amazed that I actually live here. I’m so excited to share with you why I think this city is so freaking special.