U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton in Sofia

Today, Tuesday, it is another snowy day in Bulgaria.  It's 12˚ F / -8˚ C in my region.

Sunday I traveled to Sofia for a brief "Meet and Greet" with the Secretary of State.  What a privilege for me and about 50 other Peace Corps volunteers (the 50 of us who decided to make the trip - all the volunteers were invited).  It was the first time I had visited the Embassy and the first time I saw Hillary Clinton in person.  Aside from any political agendas one way or another, I appreciate her as a 21st Century woman. She's intelligent, powerful and has a compassionate heart.  She actively works to improve lives of the people on this planet.  So yes, for me it was worth the 10 hours of traveling round-trip to see her for 15 minutes.

Here's an excerpt of comments she shared with us - Embassy employees and Peace Corps Volunteers: 

"I’m delighted to have Peace Corps volunteers here somewhere. (Applause.) I know they’re not a quiet group. (Laughter.) I expect to get some reaction whenever I run into them. And so 20 years ago, Peace Corps volunteers started arriving to teach English, working here in development... And we see democratic institutions taking root and growing stronger. In fact, starting next year, Peace Corps members will start leaving...I know that you love serving here...But Bulgaria doesn’t need Peace Corps volunteers the way it once did...that’s the story we want to sell,...our aid, our people coming, and help in the democratic transition."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with James B. Warlick, Jr., the US Ambassador to Bulgaria.  She took the time to shake hands with everyone on the front row - including me.

If you are interested in more details about her trip to Bulgaria (she was here for about 6 hours) you can read more on the US Embassy - Sofia site.

A flag from each state hangs from the ceiling in the meeting hall.