PhotosI’ve been living and working in Eastern Europe for the past eight years. Sofia, Bulgaria to be exact. Behind the former Iron Curtain. It’s far from the stark Communist days but still a little rough …
September 2, 2020
Dominic Carrillo is a teacher and freelance writer from San Diego, California. Dominic has taught a variety of levels between 4th and 12th grade. He also worked as a professor of history at Grossmont College and other area colleges. He began creative writing during graduate school at UCLA, where he was a contributor to the UCLA Daily Bruin. His blogs have won multiple San Diego Reader awards since 2008. To Be Frank Diego is his debut novel. It follows protagonist Frank Diego on a daylong journey through San Diego's spotty public transit system, while hitting the issues of cultural identity and relationships. He is currently teaching in Sofia, Bulgaria and just published his next book, Americano Abroad: a year of travel in stories If you're interested in additional travel stories from a San Diegan, there's a few on his blog: http://americanoabroad.blogspot.com/.
Articles by Dominic Carrillo
San Diego, Bulgaria
A European burrito mission
It’s the time of year when kids are graduating, and some of the lucky ones get to travel abroad on their own. The first time I traveled in Europe — with an oversized backpack and …
June 12, 2017
Sithonia: the Baja of the Balkans
Freedom. The first time I drove from San Diego down to Baja for a few days, I was 18 years old. One might think that the excitement and joy of crossing the border had something …
May 24, 2016
From Russia, with love
When traveling abroad, it's often our first distinct taste of the foreign that uniquely heightens our senses. For me, it was entering the hustle and bustle of a Moscow subway station and hearing the alien …
November 19, 2015
"For a remember of Sarajevo"
It was 38 degrees Celsius (100F) when we arrived in Sarajevo. The soaring minarets that mark the Islamic world were ubiquitous. It also happened to be a national religious holiday in Bosnia – Ramadan Bajram …
October 9, 2015
Craft beer's eastern front
Poland is the forerunner in the Eastern European craft brewing world. Serbia and Bulgaria are right behind.
June 3, 2015
Two roads diverged (in Bulgaria)
If you like your mayonnaise called aioli and your pastries gluten-free, then Bulgaria is probably not the place for you. If you prefer smoothly paved roads and lining up at world-famous museums, then Bulgaria is …
February 20, 2015
About the beer: Oktoberfest in Munich
I took another swig of crisp, clean German lager as I spied the nascent Oktoberfest fairgrounds across the street. Only the steel frames and brewery names were up – the stark beginnings of the world’s …
Five reasons to visit Slovenia
Preface: I do not usually gush about entire countries. I do not work for the Slovenian office of tourism. 1) Ljubljana (pronounced "lube-ee-ana") is a beautiful city with a central old town and a river …
July 7, 2013