If you had to describe 2010 in three images...

...what would those be?

I've been struggling with this self-imposed task for a couple of days now. At times it seemed that three pictures would be not nearly enough and at others I thought I could sum up the whole year in just one photo.

These are not necessarily my best photos this year, or my favorite ones, but each tells a piece of the story that was 2010.



I have a theory that one should not go back to places where one had been very happy, and so I stayed away from my university town for years. It is a strange theory, but loosely based on the idea that you cannot step in the same river twice--going back to the place that holds so many happy memories, but without people who made those memories possible, would have to be disappointing. So it was that with a big lump in the throat I sat on the bus from Sofia to Blagoevgrad, going to one of the regular alumni reunions that I never attended before.

It was amazing and completely uplifting to walk the familiar streets, to pass by all the special places, to see people I hadn't seen for years; the most amazing was a complete sense of belonging, finally. I have a feeling it was somehow the tipping point of the year--from then on there was energy, drive and happiness where it had been lacking before. For those in the know: AUBG is still AUBG.



More than any other, 2010 was the year of foot-the-ball (copyright: Terry Pratchet). First there was a warm up in the shape of the Champion's League and then came the World Cup, probably the best in years. It had all the elements of a gripping telenovella: suspense, drama, twists and turns, scandals, surprises and, of course, tears. It was fantastic, and it left a huge hole in the shape of a round ball once it was over. On a side note: if you love football and you haven't read "Unseen Academicals" yet (Terry Pratchet), do so, and you won't regret it. Hilarious!



In Bulgaria, it is a custom to put fortune-telling pieces of paper wrapped around small branches into Christmas banitsa so that you know what the new year will bring (other than cholesterol) while you are munching on cheese-filled pastry, grease trickling down the chin. My fortune for 2010 was learning and I think banitsa never got it so right. It's not just that I learned (or am learning) to dance salsa, or re-learned to ride a bike (think Critical Mass, 22km to Szentendre, and many miles clocked on the hilly terrain of Peak District) but it's more about re-learning to be me, with a huge sense of relief.

That was 2010 in pictures for me. What about you?