Our time at the worldschooling hub in Bankso finally arrived. We have been planning and talking about it for months. We joined ArcticTerns in Bankso after hearing great things about the program from people who participated last year. Emmy Hermanos and her family have created worldschooling pop-ups and hubs in the Netherlands and Bulgaria.
We moved from our Airbnb in Bankso our next home for two months. We have two studio apartments next to each other in an apartment building about 15 minutes’ walk from the ski gondola. Lucas and Henry have a room of their own for the two months we are here. The accommodations are basic but comfortable.
On our first day, we ran errands. It felt like going off to college. We went to the store to get toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and other essentials for our room. We invested in an immersion blender and hairdryer. I am excited to cook consistently again. The hair dryer comes in handy for drying wet ski clothes since we have a clothes washer but no dryer.
There are twenty-three other families at the hub. It was a whirlwind the first week getting to know everyone. We played ice-breaker games, and our first group dinner was at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant. Lucas and Henry will learn someday not to keep ordering chicken fingers. They can be hit or miss, and traditional Bulgarian food is good.
There are many activities each week at the hub. The kids are divided by age groups for certain activities. Lucas and Henry are in a group with 6-12-year-olds. Volunteers organize game nights, movie nights, art projects, and science experiments. There is a skiing with friends three days a week.
Parents have access to a co-working space, and there are parents’ night-out events. There are group family dinners. We volunteer once a week at Bansko Street Dogs (a dog rescue), walking the dogs. Our first week, we walked Bandy. She is a strong dog and strong-willed, but she is sweet.
It is exciting to be here. We love meeting new families who share our passion for exploring the world.
