FOR US FELLOWS: Please do a preliminary check of the price of airfare from where you live to Sofia. Once you have a figure, please e-mail it to Missibftf@gmail.com. We are trying to come up with an average cost of airfare. Also let her know what airline you might travel from the US to Sofia on. BUT DO NOT PURCHASE TICKETS. We will tell you when to do so.

FOR SEED COUNTRIES (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia): I want you to do the same thing, check out the cost to travel from your home to Sofia. E-mail Missi at missibftf@gmail.com with that information. Also let her know if you will be taking a train or bus or plane. Also, some of you might need visas and AUGB will send you a letter inviting you and assist you in getting one. More on that later. Also DO NOT PURCHASE TICKETS.

FOR FSA COUNTRIES (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republica, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenstan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan): I want you to do the same - check out the cost of travel from your home to Sofia. Let Missi know at missibftf@gmail.com. Also let her know if you will be arriving by train, bus, plane, or other means. DO NOT PURCHASE TICKETS. If you need a visa, AUGB will send you a letter and help you with this.

FOR EUROPEAN COUNTRIES (all the rest): Under the terms of our grant we can not help you with your airfare. Your participatory costs in the BFTF program were by the U.S. Embassy in your country. I would contact them and ask them if they have any funds to help you pay for your transportation costs.

Right now I am trying to get an idea of which airlines most of you would take and to determine an average cost of airfare. I realize some of you will be doing other traveling on the front or back end of this conference. I will be sending out a form for you to fill out on this and other information.

Additionally, for the US fellows, we will arrange an “escorted” flight so that the majority of you can go to Sofia as a group. More on that later.

I am getting excited. It is going to be a lot of work but worth it in the end as I will get to see you again.