English with Bistra

13/04/2026

What is YOUR experience reading difficult books? What has helped you make the most of a book even though it was a challenging read? Are you currently a member of a book club? Tell me about it.

07/02/2026

When you are an immigrant, coming “home” can be tricky. What even IS home? I often struggle to feel completely at home, both in my host country (Italy) and my country of origin (Bulgaria). Having lived abroad for the past 13 years has created in me a permanent sense of dual identity. Residing in some sort of limbo, I see myself as a local foreigner in both countries 😅. They call it the “One Foot in Each Country” syndrome.

This awkward feeling of cultural “homelessness” stems from gradually replacing one’s familiar routines with new ones, putting one’s native language on hold while functioning in a foreign one on a daily basis, losing old social and professional networks while trying to build new ones, and undergoing an inevitable (and not always comfortable) personal transformation. All this has made me feel like I no longer fully belong in either place. 

At the same time, I consider myself privileged to actually belong to two countries, enjoying the best of two worlds. I make the most of my time when I’m back in Bulgaria. I hang out with my favorite people, laughing, reminiscing about the past and celebrating the present. I eat all the banitsa, lyutenitsa, sirene, and lokum I’ve craved for over a year. I wander downtown Sofia with no particular aim, just to soak up all the colors, smells, faces, and sounds. I travel around the country to visit all my relatives. I take lots of photos so I can remember all the precious moments of fleeting happiness. I buy all the Bulgarian books my Ryanair hand luggage can hold. I remember all those beautiful, uniquely colorful, and utterly untranslatable Bulgarian expressions. For a week or so, I do belong.

Then it’s time to fly back to Italy and it feels like… homecoming. Over the years, I’ve discovered that “home” is more of a feeling rather than a specific geographic location. 

What’s YOUR experience as an immigrant (or someone who has lived abroad for a while)?

21/01/2026

The is for speakers who are book lovers, curious, open-minded, and eager to share their insights with people from around the world, exchanging ideas and exploring noteworthy language in a safe, nonjudgmental environment. ✨ DM do join! ✨

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

😕 Yes, learning another language takes time and effort: hours upon hours of memorization and practice.

😕 It can also be costly and
demanding, and can sometimes leave you feeling disheartened when you fail to see progress.

One thing that can keep you going is YOUR MINDSET.

⭐️ Do not look at learning as if it's a burden. Consider it A FASCINATING JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY. An invigorating walk. An exciting adventure.
Between where you are and where you want to go, there is so much beauty to discover! Do not waste time counting your steps or looking at your watch. Keep walking. Keep breathing.
Marvel the scenery. Trust the process ONE STEP AT A TIME.

⭐️ Having a clear goal to pursue, a proper study plan to stick to, and the right teacher to guide you and keep you accountable are essential too, but the thing that will keep you going is THE ENJOYMENT YOU FIND IN THE PROCESS.

🧐 OK, but HOW exactly?

⭐️ Glad you asked! By USING THE LANGUAGE AS A TOOL

* To find out more about the world around you and become more tolerant and empathetic.
* To gain new insights into how societies and systems function so that you can make better, more informed decisions.
* To connect with like-minded people from all over the globe, joining forces with them to make our world a more equitable and just place.
* To unlock doors of career opportunities and financial growth.
* To enrich your life and broaden your perspectives.

✨✨ Discover the joy of learning English with me! I help curious, ambitious professionals level up their English and speak their minds in global conversations. ✨✨

➡️ www.englishwithbistra.net

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

01/01/2026

2025 was a challenging year for me and my family: business downsizing, tough decisions, personal struggles, serious health issues, feeling the pinch, being away from loved ones, trying not to lose my mind over the crazy state of the world and all the human suffering…

Despite this, I choose to remember the good moments as well. All those happy interruptions, like improvised granita or hot chocolate dates, long video calls, reading by the sea for hours, soaking up the last rays of the sun, walking in nature and breathing in Life, spending time with friends, enjoying delicious food, no-make-up days, do-nothing days, Netflix-and-chill days, reaching dream destinations, savoring world-class art, meeting IG friends in real life, moving my body, learning new skills, being a part of something bigger than myself… I’m grateful for it all!

I have no New Year’s Resolutions, only intentions. To be more grateful and more present for the people around me. To have the guts to face uncertainty and do what needs to be done. To embrace change without regrets. To say no to anything/anyone that drains my energy without making my life more meaningful. To continue reading and educating my mind and my soul. To keep speaking up for women and to commit acts of feminist microaggession (down with the patriarchy!) To make more local friends. To donate more and buy less. To create more and consume less. To listen more and criticize less. So help me, God! 🤞🏼😄

What are you treasuring from 2025? What are your intentions for the new year? 😊

30/12/2025

this year has been my ultimate , my escaperoom , my and my anchor. My and my act of subversion. It has helped me remain sane and hopeful in a world gone mad and hopeless. It has made me feel deep (great books always do) and reflect on my own life, beliefs, and values. It has taught me lessons and has broadened my perspectives. Most importantly, it has kept me humble and human.

Out of the 30 titles I read, not everyone was my favorite. Most of them, though, I would fervently recommend and reread at a later moment.

The ones I enjoyed less:

😖 Ridge Runner by Rusty Barnes (too much bro energy and graphic violence, poorly written, and vulgar)

🫣 The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus (too abstract and hard to follow, filled with complex references to other thinkers, and dense philosophical language that felt like rumbling; it put me to sleep every time, and I had to do some research to be able to understand those deep philosophical concepts)

😕 Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi (I loved the story and the message, but I found the writing style rather annoying (possibly because part of it had been lost in translation, idk) - it was either too simplistic or too melodramatic, and there were lots of repetitions.)

My top 5 choices (in random order) bookrecommendations📚❣️

🤩 James - Percival Everett
🤩 Go Tell it on the Mountain - James Baldwin
🤩 North Woods - Daniel Mason
🤩 Beloved - Toni Morrison
🤩 Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

🥳 Overall takeaways from my 2025 reading:

😎 Genres I explored: literary fiction, dystopian sci-fi, non-fiction, memoir/essays, and classic American literature.

😎 Common themes: identity (racial, national, gender), memory and trauma, power and oppression, migration and belonging, truth and integrity, resilience, and the ethics of action.

😎 Core lessons across the year: personal courage and authenticity matter; communities and dialogues are vital for healing and justice; systems (policies, cultures) need critical scrutiny and reform; meaning is something we actively create through choices, voice, and solidarity.

09/12/2025