Brest, Bulgaria population, 1518

In 2023 my parents, younger brother, brand spanking new wifey, and I traveled to the small village of Brest, Bulgaria where my father had grown up.

We spent our days exploring the quiet streets around the town center, sipping homemade moonshine by distant relatives at a blistering pace, and enjoying the company of extended family, even if “nazdrave“ (cheers!) was the only word we all understood.

This was the first time my wife and brother had been to Bulgaria, and my first time as an adult. Time in the village felt like it was standing still, there was never a rush, nowhere to be, and nothing to do but soak in the culture and quiet life of the village.

Before departing Bulgaria, we spent a day in Pleven, the seventh most populated city in Bulgaria.