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I could live anywhere in the world, why Bulgaria?

East of the West

81,524 views

I was pretty reluctant to make a sit-down video like this, but after a recent community poll, the majority of you asked for the backstory of how I ended up in Bulgaria—and why I’m still here.

In this video, I break down how a simple 1-year corporate contract from Luleå turned into a long-term home in Sofia. I share my early culture shocks—from accidentally dining at "Pectopot" and mastering Cyrillic, to reversing head nods, navigating immigration without English, and moving from Doctor's Garden to Boyana.

I also answer your top comment questions about official paperwork, local food, Rakia, favorite golf spots, and why I started East of the West.

0:00 - Intro & Community Poll
0:31 - Leaving Sweden
1:21 - First Impressions
2:45 - Reversed Head Nods
3:35 - One More Year
4:32 - Why We Stayed
5:36 - Answering your questions
8:12 - Why I started East of the West
8:55 - Outro Links & Connect

💬 Join the conversation: Are you living abroad or thinking of moving somewhere new?

Drop your story or questions in the comments! 👍 Like & Subscribe for more down-to-earth perspectives on life in Eastern Europe.

20 Comments

@Markusousa 4 weeks ago

So basically your story is quite similar to mine here In Sofia, came here because of work, and in the meanwhile met my wife and 6 years later I am still here.

@fifthgear93 27 minutes ago (edited)

About the Bulgarian head shake meaning "yes", it's actually not the same motion as the western "no". It's not a perfect side-to-side but a tilt from side-to-side with a circular motion. Imagine drawing an 8 figure laying sideways with your chin. Like this infinity sign ∞. Try it and tilt your head in the direction of the motion while doing it. On the vertical axis the top of your head is leading while the chin is following. It's a very different motion than the western "no". I find it surprising how a lot of westerners can't catch the difference.

@fifthgear93 12 minutes ago

On the drinks question Ayran is pretty popular but I feel the brown thing you mentioned Bosa is something only old people would drink. I am 32 yo and the last time I drank that shit was probably when I was 13 when my grandma got me one. Not my thing for sure. Food I feel is pretty international here. You can get anything you like and be fairly okay, unlike in parts of Asia where western food is botched to put it lightly. I tried eating an "italian" pizza in Phuket once. Worst pizza I've ever had. Also from travelling around Bulgaria I've found that the best food is often outside of Sofia, in smaller towns or villages. Restaurants in Sofia I think are pretty meh. High prices and medium quality. The WORST food is definitely on the seaside in places like Sozopol where they have tons of tourists and most restaurants are pretty much tourist traps. Very high prices, very low quality food. They rely on the fact there's a lot of customer volume in Sozopol so even if their food is bad they will always have customers.

@fb62631 4 weeks ago (edited)

I have seen a few of your videos, it is very rare to see a foreigner that understands our country/society/problems so well and is not judgemental. Keep up the awesome videos.

@Popchev 4 weeks ago

Im happy that we have people like you moving to our country. In the last 6 years I'm living in Austria but in December we are coming back. Not everything is money, some things are more important to me.

@noiseless123 4 weeks ago

Another banger, my dude, happy to see you thriving in my country!

@bogdangaliceanu6326 4 weeks ago

I always thought your accent was non-slavic, but didn't imagine you were from Sweden. You seem so incredibly well-versed in Eastern Europeanness that you could pass for a life-long Bulgarian. Cheers from Romania!

@AliHassan-zg8it 4 weeks ago

Don’t worry sir if you are patient . I lived in Bulgaria 11 years as student and I enjoyed a lot, I have no regret whatsoever that I have been there . You feel being in very old country with its beauty of culture, history and nature plus nice food and beautiful ladies. I loved football too .

@DNikolov89 11 days ago

This channel and the videos you make are a pure gem! I was instantly hooked! Love the way that all the videos make a small documentary of the way we live and perceive the world around us. Thank you for all your effort and passion that you put in your channel. You are the type of guy that I would love to share a coffee with and speak about life and people.

@tae_ethusiast 4 weeks ago

Great video! I moved to Bulgaria from the UK. I'm a Slav. I speak quite a few Slavic languages but haven't managed to learn Bulgarian properly yet. Our family loves it here. We are much freer than before, have a much higher income thanks to low Bulgarian taxes. The weather and nature are so much nicer. Skiing in the winter, swimming in the summer. It's still a much better place for us to live in even with all the negatives we don't like. I am not too keen on rakija as a whole but muskatova is nice.

@KamenKunchev 4 weeks ago

First time I visited Sweden was in 2007, and I wanted to stay. It was such a nice place. I visited again in 2016 and it wasn't the same place any more. I am happy to see you here in Bulgaria. I hate airan and boza myself, so don't be too hard on yourself about that.

@DigitalSpectator 24 minutes ago

Your story is interesting. I enjoyed every second of that video. Except for the fact that you don't like rakia and ayran. Yet, nobody is perfect XD

@pavlingeorgiev1134 4 weeks ago

Bulgarian politicians should watch it,take notices and fix this problems.thanks for all the critic's and the good things

@dimitargenov6452 2 weeks ago

Bulgaria is a tourist destination for many foreigners, offering mountains, the sea, nature, history, and traditions. It is the world's largest producer and exporter of roses and rose oil. In recent years, many foreigners have even moved to Bulgaria, settling in small villages amidst nature to enjoy the peace, quiet, and a slower pace of life. Bangaranga everyone 🤩

@galinrizov9847 4 weeks ago

Happy that you stayed. Enjoy Bulgaria. Best wishes all the way from USA ;) The golf courses around Varna are indeed gorgeous (especially Thracian cliffs). I've recommended them to American golfers and they loved them.

@boykogify 4 weeks ago

you hit ot on the nail my friend. Dare to call you friend, many people really get a wrong impression of us, Bulgarians! Youve got to earn trust and respect of our people. We have been for a very long time "nurtured" by the world powers - from East and West. With the same catastrophic result. Politically, economically, emotionally ... thats why we dont trust anyone. And the least - our politicians! Who we elect!
😢

@kurkapans 3 weeks ago

We in the Balkans and Bulgaria in particular feel forgotten by the world so it's always nice to see people talking about our country and in a positive way at that

@c.t.7386 3 weeks ago (edited)

For younger people, it makes sense. If Bulgaria painted its buildings and fixed its horrible healthcare system, it could become a top retirement destination too. But considering Bulgaria is now even more expensive than Spain and Portugal, I am not sure the weather is enough to attract immigrants.

@maxibalkan1578 7 days ago

Bulgaria is very nice country beautiful nature and people.

@davidgwynjones2071 9 days ago (edited)

9 years in Bulgaria so far. I have residence permits in Cyprus and Spain too, but I spend most of my time here. Many great options for living including Black Sea Coast, somewhere in the mountains (Balkan, Rodopes, Pirin, Rila), great cities (Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, etc.). I live between Plovdiv (former European Capital of Culture), Bansko (the largest ski/mountain resort) and the Balkan Mountains near Shipka/Kazanlak (Valley of the Roses/Valley of the Thracian Kings) - all three are delightful.