What to expect when moving to Bulgaria

I haven't moved....yet, will in the future but so much depends on how much time you've spent there. I'm going for the holidays and it'll be my fifth trip to Sofia. I got married there. I've spent time in the villages. I know enough people and their daily struggles I'm well aware of the issues. I know dealing with regular paperwork can be a massive headache. Dealing with documents around my wedding sucked but I got to see how things operate.

My family has only been once. For our wedding. For some the cyrillic everywhere was shocking. For others it was the communist era buildings. For others it was the driving. So much is are you comfortable with a different culture. Some love it, some hate it.

You need to have a job first and foremost, plenty of links around here like jobs.bg. You need to find a place to live and to do that you must find that place in person unless you rent for a short time and look after you arrive. I don't know, I love BG. Do you like brutally cold winters? Spring and Fall are beautiful. Summer is very hot. Do you want the coast, a major city like Sofia/Plovdiv or a village? Just spend time here. That goes for anywhere. Spend time there before moving. Find out if it suits you.

An issue that keeps occurring again and again on expat fb pages is that Bulgarians are cruel to animals. If you're a PETA type, don't come here or your worst fears may be realized. If you're less radical, understand this: outside the bigger cities, and even within them, many people are poor, and spaying pets is extremely expensive for them- hence all the strays. Many people also think dogs are only for scaring away intruders, and chain them in the garden in sometimes inhumane conditions. I hate it too. But if you can't live with this reality, best stay away, because moaning about it all the time  makes you sound like a spoiled, rich foreigner. Sure, get involved with animal charities - and there you will learn a hard lesson. Most people don't want the strays you found and the charities are overcrowded with animals because of all the foreigners who keep bringing them in, even if they little hope of a home. Moreover, if locals see you as a soft touch you will have litters of pups and kitten dumped on your property constantly. Keep your perspective, please.

Jesus, do you get paid for writing all this?

I am the soft touch when it comes to animals, thank you for this advice. I will put on my big girly amoured panties and try not to end up as the local stray dumping ground!