A childhood in the shadow of a Cold War border - this is how Kapka Kassabova grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria. After studying in Sofia and emigrating with her family to New Zealand, Kapka Kassabova, now a writer, poet and journalist, lives in the Scottish Highlands. From 2013 until 2015 she returned to the Balkans and embarked on a special journey into the (and her) past to finally explore the "forbidden borderland" of her childhood. Along the way, she met soldiers, (former) spies, fugitives, and the people living there – "ordinary people" on the ground, many of whom have an extraordinary story to tell due to the complex history of the area. Her book “Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe” reveals a fascinating look at the boundaries that exist between countries, between cultures, between people, and within each of us. In this episode of Unfolding Maps, Kapka tells us what she learned from this journey – and what we can learn from it.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.