Anna's moved around quite a bit since leaving New Zealand at the age of 15. She'll be in Bulgaria for at least another two years, working in the travel industry, while her husband continues his work with the British Embassy. For Anna Shaw, working in a foreign country is nothing new. Born in New Zealand, she has since moved on to live in England, Israel and now Bulgaria. The road that led Anna to this country began in the UK six years ago when she met her husband to be. They were married two years ago, and a year or so later his work as a diplomat landed him a post at Sofia's British Embassy. Her arrival in the country last year brought back memories of her time in Israel. "Sofia has almost a desert feel to it from the airport," she said. "The roads were dry and it was one of the hottest days of the year." Since then, she's made herself quite at home in the capital city. "I like it a lot. It's very easy to get around and go out to bars and restaurants - I like the atmosphere." She admits that she has some work to do in terms of learning the Bulgarian language - especially considering the fact that the instructor who gave her lessons back in England will be arriving in Bulgaria soon. "I manage with basic dialogue in shops, but the teacher is coming out - it's a bit embarrassing," she said. It's also one of the more frustrating parts of life in Bulgaria for Anna. "It would be nice to be able to communicate better with salespeople in shops. It's so frustrating that sometimes you give up." Not coincidentally, frustration number two for Anna is finding clothes that fit properly while shopping. Anna was fortunate enough to arrange for a job in the country ahead of her arrival. She's currently working as a travel consultant for Jamadvice, something that lets her put her degree in tourism and planning to good use. "I handle hotel bookings for people going abroad," she said, adding that everyone she's met at work has been friendly and helpful. "It's like one big family." Anna, who has been here exactly one year as of last week, has managed to see quite a bit of what the country has to offer. She's travelled to Bansko, Varna, Melnik, and Borovets - where she and her husband occasionally enjoy the use of an embassy villa. "Borovets is beautiful in the summer and the winter," she said. "I also enjoy walking on Vitosha." The only thing that limits the amount of time she spends enjoying the country's natural beauty is the prevalence of street dogs. "It's a bit annoying," she said. "I would do more walking and cycling if there weren't so many dogs." She's also been a little disappointed by the food in Bulgaria, simply because of the lack of variety. "There are no low fat alternatives. But the selection is improving with all the new supermarkets." When you've travelled as much as Anna has, there are always things you miss about where you've been. She said she feels very close to Israel and misses the lively and interesting people she met during her seven years there. She spent her time teaching English in the Israeli army to eighth grade kids. She also misses the convenience and metropolitan nature of England, but added that she's comfortable wherever she goes. "I feel at home virtually everywhere," she said, pointing out that Bulgaria offers some things which England doesn't. "The weather is great, there's no time limit on pubs, and it's so close to so many places in Eastern Europe." She's already managed to take some extended weekends to places like Prague and Istanbul. She and her husband are also planning a trip to Greece in September, and she might make a return to New Zealand for Christmas. Anna's not really sure what the future holds for her. Her husband's job in Bulgaria will last for another two or three years, and when that's done, it depends on what other postings are available. If it were up to Anna, she thinks she'd like to stay in Eastern Europe for a while longer. "Maybe Yugoslavia, or Albania," she said. "Although, from the stories I've heard about Albania, maybe I'd rather not go there." One thing's for sure, a return to England isn't all that likely. "My husband refuses to go back to the UK," she said. "He loves it here."