Why is my name so ugly in Bulgarian?

So it's official. While some men may have shaved off their beards to blend in with the sleek look of the European male I too have had to assimilate by going by Ellie. I kinda like Ellie so it's ok and I'm tired of being called "Loni". For some reason my thought process goes from Loni Anderson to conjuring up an image of Louie Anderson (please google both of these people immediately if you do not know who I'm talking about). 

While I've definitely had to get used to certain Bulgarian nuances I'm also making Bulgarians get used to some things that I cannot give up. For example, even in this blistering heat I still make time to go running. So first off, no one in this country runs. I was surprised to hear my students say that they like to go running, but I'm realizing that it's just an easy verb to say. After a run with my friend the other day we saw some people sprinting down the street, we thought FINALLY, but nope, it was raining and they were just trying to get inside. It's nice to finally be doing something a little more physical though. We spend all day in class and lectures and while it may be mentally exhausting I need something physical to match that. Sure we may have to sprint across the highway but the back road that we run on usually has horses and sheep and other wild life that creeps along in the bushes making sure I keep my pace up. And while people usually stare (and sometimes yell "Where are you from?!" in Bulgarski of course) people more seem to be fascinated. One man even made the gesture that you make to get a trucker to honk his horn. I'm not really sure what that had to do with us running but he was smiling so I think it meant something good.  I'm positive that the assimilation will happen more and more over these next 2 months with the host fam and even more over the next 2 years. Let's just hope that it doesn't involve me chain smoking and dating men who wearing fanny packs across their chests and mesh tank tops.