Washington DC – The Lord’s Gift for My 24th Birthday – Part I
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Traveling by plane for the first time, visiting the U.S. Capitol, meeting an old friend, connecting with my coworkers from Topcoder, watching IT competitions, and exploring museums—this is an unforgettable adventure that God helps me experience.
How I Win a Trip to Washington, D.C.
I participate in graphic design challenges with Topcoder, a U.S.-based company. I am extremely grateful to them for the opportunity to learn and earn money. Thanks to Topcoder, I become a better graphic designer every day.
Graphic design is a relatively new profession in 2010 when I start. There is a lot of work and very few people capable of creating good designs. I manage to work for myself and earn enough money to make a living.
Although I don’t make it into the top 10 on the leaderboard for the final competition in Washington, D.C., there is still a chance to win a trip. Topcoder hosts a contest where you have to make a short video explaining why you deserve to be at the competition.
I create a humorous video, and to my surprise, I win the trip to Washington, D.C. Topcoder covers my tickets and hotel costs. It is an amazing birthday gift, as I am 24 years old at the time.
The Video for Topcoder that Won Me the Trip.
Topcoder sends me an invitation, and I travel to Sofia for a U.S. embassy visa appointment. I get approved, and they send me my plane tickets.
The Trip to Washington, D.C.
I take a bus to Sofia, ready to catch a taxi to the airport. Having never flown before, I imagine the airport to be like a large bus station. But following my grandmother’s advice, I wait for a relative to drive me instead.
My relative suggests exchanging $100 at the mall, and then they drop me off at the airport. The airport is much bigger than I expected, and I am thankful for their help. If I had gone to the airport on my own, I likely would have panicked and missed the flight. God helps me by guiding me to wait for the relative and exchange money before the journey.
I make it to the airport and catch the flight to Frankfurt, then to Washington, D.C.
As we fly over the Atlantic, I feel nervous. I am surrounded by strangers, mostly Americans, and their mentality seems very different from mine. I am afraid. But then, I decide to listen to Christian songs on my iPad. The man sitting next to me asks, “Hey, I know this song.” We start talking, and it turns out that he is a Christian too. He is an American who is returning from teaching science in Italy. We have a wonderful conversation about our faith, and I feel much more at ease. We also talk about life in general, and the hours pass quickly. This is the second time I experience God’s help on my journey. I feel so happy knowing that anywhere in the world, I can find Christians, and our faith makes us feel like close friends.
A View From My Plane as I Am Flying to the USA.
When I arrive in Washington, D.C., I go through passport control and am supposed to meet someone from Topcoder who will take me to the hotel. However, I can’t find the person holding the Topcoder sign. I begin to panic.
I ask a girl working at the airport to use her phone for a call. Fortunately, I know the Bulgarian trade attaché in Washington, D.C., from a Christian camp I attended in Bulgaria. I call him, and he suggests I take a shuttle bus. I am grateful I know him—it is the third time God helps me on this trip. The $40 I exchanged in Sofia comes in handy for the shuttle bus fare.
It is very hard for me not to fall asleep on the bus. I arrive at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., and am relieved that I make it despite the long 10-hour journey.
At the Hilton Hotel in Washington DC.
I also have a friend, Nikolay, who lives two hours away by train. He knows I am arriving in Washington, and he is waiting for me at the hotel. Nikolay, along with the trade attaché Ivo, is the only two people I know in the U.S., and I am able to meet both of them during my trip. This is the fourth time I feel God’s help.
I am so happy to meet Nikolay – I haven’t seen him for years; we had so much fun as kids before he moved with his parents and brother to the US.
Nikolay used to come back to Bulgaria during the school summer vacation and tell me stories about the U.S. I like his free spirit and intelligence. He also gives me excellent tips about life in general.
It is dark outside – at midnight but we go for a walk to explore Washington DC…
End of Part I