Singled Out: Bulgarian Beauty Seeks Average Joe

It was a particularly hot day on Honolulu Avenue, and I wasn’t sure that anyone was willing to stop in the glaring sun and tell me his or her life story. And frankly, I couldn’t blame them. Indeed, this weather had me hallucinating, but I knew when I saw Mariya that she was not an illusion, but rather the real deal. Her intelligence helped me look past her beauty, but let’s be honest, that only lasted for like, a minute.

Name: Mariya Z.

Age: 28

Occupation: Bartender/Pharmacist 

Current Location: Montrose

Relationship Status: Single

Interested In: A man who can make her smile.

Where are you from? 

Bulgaria.

How long have you been here?

Eight years. I have a good story about how I got here, too.

Please tell.

I came here on a cruise ship where I worked as a roulette and blackjack dealer. I was supposed to be there for 10 months, according to the contract, but after five months, me and a few of my girlfriends were kicked off for not following rules. People wait years for this type of job and I go and not care by getting kicked off.

Nice. How much were they paying you?

They paid $1,200 a month. We worked every single day, no days off.

That’s terrible. Where did they give you the boot? 

In the Bahamas.

Not bad.

Then we were flown to transfer in Miami, where I met an immigration officer who was very nice and started asking all about Bulgaria, and we chatted for a while. He stamped my and my two friends’ passports, and we left the offices.

OK …

And when I went to look at my passport, it was supposed to be stamped with a three day transit. But when I looked, I saw that the officer gave me a six-month tourist visa instead.

Wow. That’s crazy. So you stayed? 

Yes. I stayed in Miami, eventually I got citizenship, and now I live here.

What about your friends? 

They only got a three-day transfer, and they are still mad about it. 

That’s so funny … and kind of sad. Do you want to get married one day?

Maybe. I have a 1-year old daughter, and I am very happy being single. I just left a relationship with her father. 

What are the top three qualities you look for in a man? 

I would say the first thing is that he has to make me smile, and he has to be somebody that I can learn something from. Looks are not that important anymore. When I was younger, it was the priority, but right now other qualities are more important.

I also believe that when you fall in love with someone because of their personality, they become much better looking. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Does your dream guy have to have money?

Well, he has to be successful. And a girl would want a guy that is successful, right?

Are you asking me or telling me?

Both.

Do you have a nightmare dating story?

Well, when I was, like, 19, and those dating websites had just started coming out, there were no photos to go with the profiles. So my friend and I would set up dates and hide in the bushes to see if they were attractive.

Did you ever leave?

Yes (laughs).

What language do they speak in Bulgaria?

Bulgarian. I wouldn’t put that in the interview, though (laughs).

Why, because it might make me look like an idiot? I think it’s far too late for that. What are your aspirations? 

I am in school to become a pharmacist.

Like for or something?

No (laughs). I want to eventually open my own pharmacy.

People in Bulgaria are much smarter than me, huh? What else do you like to do?

I am an . I love to draw and paint. But in order to be an artist, you need to be selling your art.

I disagree. I think one in every few thousand artists actually make a living.

True.

Speaking of art … I was once down and out in need of money, so I got hired by one of the largest psychic hot lines in the state.

You’re kidding. 

And so far, I can legitimately attest to the fact that I am not a . But I believe that psychics say things that we then truly believe, hence making it happen on our own. We are the creators of our reality, not some stranger that can see our future better than we can. Are you religious?

No. I believe in fate. I believe in energy and that we all emit energy. I think there is a guiding energy for every person. I don’t believe in coincidences ... or psychics anymore for that matter.

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