When we first moved here 10 years ago, we already knew things would be different. We had been visiting Bulgaria twice a year for almost a decade, so we’d had little glimpses of the contrasts between England and Bulgaria. But visiting and living are two very different things. This is a reflection on how life in Bulgaria has changed us over the past 10 years — in ways we never expected.
Slowing Down
This has to be the very first thing we noticed. Life in Bulgaria moves at a much slower pace than it did back in England.
Even little things — like paying bills — involve standing in a queue rather than paying online. It is possible to pay online, of course, but many people still prefer to do it in person. And strangely… it’s satisfying. You know exactly where you are with your finances. There are no surprises — and there’s a sense of completion when you walk away from the payment booth.
Another thing we’ve noticed is that things rarely start on time!
People arrive when they arrive. There seems to be no rush, no urgency. We’ve even been gently chastised for eating too quickly when we go out for a meal. Bulgarians sit, talk, and linger over their food. They don’t mind if it goes cold — the purpose is to enjoy the moment together. It’s something we’re still learning… but we have definitely slowed down — and I think it’s a beautiful way to live.
Village life moves at an even gentler rhythm than the towns. Horses and carts are still a common sight on the roads. There are few fast cars. People rise early, tend their gardens, complete their chores — and always have time for a chat.
We’ve Become Less Materialistic
We are far less materialistic than we were in England. Back home, we lived on a fairly affluent new estate. People noticed each other’s cars, home extensions, conservatories, holidays… there was an unspoken comparison that seemed ever-present.
Here, none of that exists.
A car is considered “new” if it’s six years old! No one has a conservatory. Many people are genuinely poor — yet there’s far less competition and far more contentment.
In England we were surrounded by constant advertising — messages telling us we needed the latest thing. Here, that pressure feels distant. Partly because we don’t fully understand the language… but also because commercialism simply isn’t as dominant.
Christmas doesn’t appear in the shops in July. Easter doesn’t arrive in January. And when they do come, they don’t take over entire supermarkets.
Halloween is barely noticed — thank goodness!
And Valentine’s Day is overshadowed by the much older celebration of Trifon Zarezan, the wine festival — something deeply rooted in tradition and the land.
We are especially grateful that we left the rat race behind.
There’s more a sense of community
We did have friends in England, and we lived in a Cornish village that had its own charm and community spirit. But I know that isn’t the norm everywhere — especially compared to what we experience here.
There are countless village celebrations — many linked to ancient pagan traditions — and we love taking part in them.
And then there’s the dancing…
Communal dancing is the order of the day. No one feels left out. Everyone forms a huge circle that winds its way around the village square or dance floor, hand in hand. Anyone can join at any point — you’re simply welcomed into the chain.
It’s impossible not to feel part of something.
There are also regular meetings at the village hall, hosted by the mayor, who keeps everyone informed about local matters. The mayor feels like a much more present figure here — a real head of community life.
In our village, everyone knows everyone. People know when someone is sick… when someone has passed away… when someone needs help.
You truly feel part of something larger than yourself.
We have Grown Closer to Nature
We had a garden in England — but it was small. To grow vegetables, we had to rent an allotment.
Here, between our two properties, we have over an acre of land.
Everyone grows their own fruit and vegetables and preserves produce for winter.
Life in Bulgaria is guided by the seasons:
• Plums ripen in June and July — jam-making begins.
• Grapes arrive in September — wine and vinegar follow.
• March sees us planting and visiting the local plant markets.
• October finds us bottling and preserving for winter.
In many ways… we’ve become true Bulgarians.
There’s even excitement when the famous pink tomatoes appear in the greengrocer’s — far tastier than anything we knew in England.
Leeks herald the coming of winter — time for leek and potato soup.
Storks arrive in spring and depart in autumn, marking the wheel of the year more faithfully than any calendar.
And perhaps most importantly…
We’ve learned to rest in winter.
This is something we never did in England. There, life continued at full speed regardless of season. Here, winter invites stillness. The garden sleeps, the preserving is done, and evenings are spent indoors — cooking, reading, reflecting.
It feels natural. Human. Restorative.
Silence is golden
One of the very first things we noticed when we came to Bulgaria was the quiet.
Our village felt unbelievably peaceful compared to England.
The cockerel, distant dogs, and the occasional horse and cart were the only sounds — except in winter, when chainsaws buzzed as people cut wood to keep warm.
One nearby village is Roma, and there is often music drifting across — something I’ve grown to love. It feels alive rather than intrusive.
But none of it compares to England’s constant backdrop — traffic, aeroplanes overhead, the endless hum of modern life.
Here, the loudest time of day is early morning — voices calling in the street as people head to their gardens before the heat rises.
When we used to visit on holiday, we would return home feeling deeply rested…
…and now we realise why.
And perhaps that is the greatest change of all…
We came to Bulgaria searching for a quieter life — but we didn’t realise how deeply it would reshape our hearts, our priorities, and our way of seeing the world.
If you’d like to see more of what our everyday life looks like here — the seasons, the village rhythms, the beauty and simplicity — I’ve shared it all in my latest video.
I’d love you to join us there.
Life in the Bulgarian countryside has changed us in ways we never expected — teaching us the beauty of slow living, community, and seasonal rhythms.