Skiing and mountains have been my passion for quite a while now. It takes about 25 min to drive from my house in Sofia to Aleko - a nearby ski resort on Vitosha Mountain. Needless to say, this is where I spent the winter weekends while in high school and during the first year of college at The University of Sofia. It's unfortunate that now I need to travel quite a bit longer to truly enjoy skiing or hiking again.

Together with my brother we've been to many of the gorgeous Bulgarian caves, including Temnata Dupka (Lakatnik Rocks), Duhlata (North Vitosha Mountain), and Karlukovo region caves. We value deeply the traditions and the heritage of historical and cultural centers like Trigrad and Koprivshtitza, and enjoy the ethnic festival "The Sun & the Moon", which brings together performers from all over Eastern Europe. Meeting the locals at places like this and listening to their stories never failed to remind us that we come from an ancient nation with rich history and culture.

I generally enjoy knowing the history of the places I visit, and I definitely try to speak the language of the locals. One memorable trip where I failed to speak the local language was the trip to Mexico in the summer of 2005. Our research group from Truman State University was invited to present at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) at El Batan. CIMMYT is a unique research institution that brings together scientists from all over the world, whose goal is to improve the livelihoods in developing countries. Originating from a combined effort of the Government of Mexico and the Rockefeller Foundation during the Great Depression, it became the birth-place of the Green Revolution. For many years, CIMMYT has also been a home to the Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug (The Nobel Peace Price 1970), who is also known as the "father of the Green Revolution". It was our great honor to meet him by chance in the center's cafeteria, and enjoy a sincere and inspiring conversation.

This trip was a cultural journey for us as well. We climbed the Aztecs' Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon - Teotihuacan, visited the Mayan Pyramids El Tajin, the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, and many others. One can easily see how being equipped with more phrases than just "¿cuánto este coste?" and "huevos" coldn't have hurt.

Coming from a family of civil engineers and architects, I suspect that my fascination with architecture and urban design is only natural. Having lived in and around the capitals of Bulgaria and Russia my entire life, I miss the dynamics and the spirit of the big city and hope to one day return to a similar lifestyle.