I’ve been living and working in Eastern Europe for the past eight years. Sofia, Bulgaria to be exact. Behind the former Iron Curtain. It’s far from the stark Communist days but still a little rough …
September 2, 2020
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Stories by Dominic Carrillo
San Diego, Bulgaria
A European burrito mission
It’s the time of year when kids are graduating, and some of the lucky ones get to travel abroad on their own. The first time I traveled in Europe — with an oversized backpack and …
June 12, 2017
Sithonia: the Baja of the Balkans
Freedom. The first time I drove from San Diego down to Baja for a few days, I was 18 years old. One might think that the excitement and joy of crossing the border had something …
May 24, 2016
From Russia, with love
When traveling abroad, it's often our first distinct taste of the foreign that uniquely heightens our senses. For me, it was entering the hustle and bustle of a Moscow subway station and hearing the alien …
November 19, 2015
"For a remember of Sarajevo"
It was 38 degrees Celsius (100F) when we arrived in Sarajevo. The soaring minarets that mark the Islamic world were ubiquitous. It also happened to be a national religious holiday in Bosnia – Ramadan Bajram …
October 9, 2015
Craft beer's eastern front
Poland is the forerunner in the Eastern European craft brewing world. Serbia and Bulgaria are right behind.
June 3, 2015
Two roads diverged (in Bulgaria)
If you like your mayonnaise called aioli and your pastries gluten-free, then Bulgaria is probably not the place for you. If you prefer smoothly paved roads and lining up at world-famous museums, then Bulgaria is …
February 20, 2015
About the beer: Oktoberfest in Munich
I took another swig of crisp, clean German lager as I spied the nascent Oktoberfest fairgrounds across the street. Only the steel frames and brewery names were up – the stark beginnings of the world’s …
Five reasons to visit Slovenia
Preface: I do not usually gush about entire countries. I do not work for the Slovenian office of tourism. 1) Ljubljana (pronounced "lube-ee-ana") is a beautiful city with a central old town and a river …
July 7, 2013
Sofia, Bulgaria: rakia with Boris
I hung out the other day with a 50-something-year-old Bulgarian bus driver named Boris. He'd taken one of my classes on a field trip, and I’d offered to buy him and the tour guide a …
June 10, 2013
Bulgaria in Translation
“Wind of Change” by the Scorpions was on Bulgarian radio again. I listened while staring out the window at Sofia’s graffiti-speckled buildings on the taxi ride back to my downtown apartment. The next song sounded …
December 14, 2012
Moving Sale
When I went to bed Saturday night, I’d almost forgot that my girlfriend had posted a Sunday morning yard sale on Craigslist earlier that week. She wrote that it would start at 9am, which meant …
August 8, 2012
An American in Dublin
"Just pretend they’re all leprechauns, and I bet it’ll start to get much better." That’s what we temporarily agreed on after our first few cold, terse encounters with Dubliners, as the light rain poured down …
July 13, 2012
Who Tipped Over the Cats?
Another Pacific Beach day was coming to an end on the scenic sidewalk that hugged the bay. People were walking their dogs. On my right was a five-story condo built in the 1970’s, worth less …
April 1, 2012
Notes on American Freedom
My first 2 hours on American soil — Dallas Ft. Worth airport to be exact — were spent in long lines: ‘Freedom’ lines. Because I’d complained about the wait to the person next to me, …
December 21, 2011
An Absolutely True Story of Being Deported at Age 14
At first, I was scared to share this story about me getting deported. First of all, I am not a good writer yet. I am only 16 years old. English is my second language. Spanish …
July 23, 2011
Confessions of a One-Time PB Bum
Vomiting near a loading dock on a rainy night in a Pacific Beach alley isn’t the best feeling in the world. In fact, just the thought of it brings back the acidic, post-puke taste in …
May 31, 2010
Man Without a Neighborhood
I suppose I am a man without a neighborhood. As a life-long San Diegan, I have called many neighborhoods “home.” Often I find myself in the minority and my native claim second only to the …
June 23, 2008