International students come to Boothbay Harbor every summer looking for employment and to experience the American way of life, but two Bulgarian students found more three years ago. Petroslav Todorov, 25, and Snezhana Ferdinandova, 24, live only a few hundred kilometers apart in their home country of Bulgaria. In 2013, they traveled approximately one-fifth around the world and found love working in Boothbay Harbor.

Todorov began working at The Lobster Dock and Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club in 2011. He wasn’t an experienced cook and didn’t know much about preparing lobster, shrimp and fried seafood, but he quickly learned.

Ferdinandova began working at The Lobster Dock and Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club in 2013. She works as a food runner and cashier at the two establishments. The two have dated for the past three years. When Ferdinandova is asked about what she likes best about him, she replies, “I’m not sure.”

But Todorov has zero doubt about what he likes about her. “Everything!” he says, smiling ear to ear.

These Bulgarian students are two of thousands of foreign visitors who have come to Boothbay Harbor for decades to work in the summer hospitality industry. Students from Bulgaria to Beijing work as servers, cooks, cashiers, housekeepers and any other tasks the town’s innkeepers, restaurateurs and tavern owners can find.   

The international students make money for college, experience life in America, and usually end their stay visiting major U.S. cities like New York, Boston and Chicago. But Todorov and Ferdinandova did all that in 2013, and still found time for romance.

This year they’re contemplating visiting the U.S.’s westernmost state.

“Maybe we’ll go to Hawaii this year,” Ferdinandova said.

While the American culture may be foreign to most international students working in Boothbay Harbor this summer, the English language isn’t. Ferdinandova and Todorov’s native language is Slavonic which is similar to Russian, according to Todorov.

She began learning English in the first grade. He speaks English and French fluently. Todorov is a finance major and spent a semester in France last year. Ferdinandova is a business major who plans a career as an entrepreneur. She is considering opening her own art gallery or making jewelry.

She says learning foreign languages is expected in Bulgaria.

“It’s not a big deal. You need to learn English, Russian or French to find a good job,” she said.

The summer job provides students an opportunity to practice their English language skills. Chinese student Cheng Viy is working her first summer in Boothbay Harbor. She is a housekeeper at the Mid-Town Motel. Cheng, 21, is studying English and plans on becoming an interpreter.

She has studied English for nearly two decades.

“This is great for practicing for my English,” Cheng said. “It’s a whole new experience for me. I’m meeting new people and experiencing a new culture, but the best part is Tim (Lewis, Mid-town Motel owner); he is the best.”

Lewis feels the same way about all the international students he’s hired in the past 18 years. He finds international workers through the Council on International Education Exchange Global Instiitute (CIEE).

“Whoever they recommend I take,” he said. “I’ve never had one bad experience, in fact, they’ve all been great. These students are more like my family than employees.”

Lewis’s other summer housekeeper is Christina Elena from Romania. She is studying foods in college with plans of possibly becoming a nutritionist or manager. She thinks highly of her summer boss.

“Tim, he is really a nice man. He’s great,” Elena said.

For many of the international students, coming to Boothbay Harbor isn’t some random event. Many of them have heard about the Maine coastal community’s beauty and small-town charm from other international workers who spent a summer in one of Vacationland’s prime tourist locations.

“I love it here,” Todorov said. “I love my job. The people are friendly and it is so beautiful here. Before I came here five years ago, my friends told me how beautiful Boothbay is, and they were right. When I go back I tell my friends how beautiful it’s here, too.”

For the past eight years, the Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church has sponsored a luncheon for the international students. This year it was held on June 21. Dozens of students assembled and ate the buffet-style lunch. The luncheon welcomes the students to the region and introduces them to other international students who may be looking for a buddy.

“Not all of the students know somebody in town, so this gives them an opportunity to meet the other students and form some new friendships,” said Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church Mission Committee member Jen Marden.

After another summer of working in Boothbay Harbor learning about the American culture and improving her English speaking skills, one more word Ferdinandova wants to learn the meaning of by summer’s end is “Aloha.”