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Bulgaria | Pirin National Park
Staying Sane and Motivated Isn’t Easy
But escaping in nature helps boost my energy
With one last huff-and-puff set, I make it over the next hill and am greeted by the pristine waters of Muratovo Lake, one of 16 glacial lakes making up the Banderishki region in Pirin National Park. As I catch my breath, I take in the views and wonder how come I have never been to this Bulgarian mountain before. It’s by far my favorite, and I love all mountains.
There are no other people around when I arrive, so I relax on a nearby rock, listening to the gentle susurration of wind while transfixed by the wispy clouds passing in the sky. I could stay here forever, I think. A nature fix was exactly what I needed, and it sure helped that I had zero reception and thus no temptation to pull out my phone, except to take photos of course. And I took a lot of photos (you’re welcome!).
A couple of weeks ago, as I wandered about the cobblestone streets of Old Town Plovdiv, the realization hit me that I haven’t been spending much time in the outdoors lately. In fact, I have been feeling quite unmotivated to even go out for my daily walks. It is a good thing my parents live in the countryside, so at least when I visit them (usually every weekend if I’m in Bulgaria), I am surrounded by the…
