All the photos in this post belong to me.
Hey guys! Hope everyone's enjoying the weekend so far! It's a gloomy, rainy day here, in Montreal so that only means one thing - writing time! 😁
I decided to participate in this week's contest as the last of the three topics spoke to me. As some of you might know, I live in Canada but I am originally from Bulgaria. So I spent most of my life there: summers, winters - I've seen them all. And, as much as I love Canada and my life here, Bulgaria will always have my heart. Especially during summertime when it's hot but breezy!
This past summer, Sophia and I decided to gift ourselves a little trip. We felt like we needed some time away. We visited Bulgaria for a few weeks, and then France for a few days.
While we were in Bulgaria, we spent about a week with my dad. His place is near the seaside. So our first weekend back in my home country, we headed to the beach. It was such a hot day that by the end of it, both my dad and I were burnt.
Oh, the nostalgia I felt as soon as my feet touched the golden sand...The memories came flooding back. And there I was...In my head, I was still that 17-18 year old girl enjoying a sunny day at the beach. The reality...Well, it was a bit different as I had my beautiful gal with me 💕
The whole summer felt surreal because of this specific weekend. It set the tone for the rest of my trip. Being back in Bulgaria, seeing the sea for the first time in 11 years, feeling the summer breeze...It was magical. Even more so because I was there with my baby girl, experiencing it together, making her summer memories in Bulgaria.
That weekend, we also visited the Exotic Animal Expo where Sophia felt right at home. For some reason, she's been obsessed with snakes, lizards etc. I blame her dad, to be honest - he's into these 😁She really enjoyed it and actually made a new friend!
Apart from all the fun stuff we did, the most memorable one for me was the fact that I spent time with my dad. Haven't seen the guy in a little over a decade. Last time I visited, I took a photo of him. I did the same thing this year. And the difference between these two made me cry. When we're going through life, we often forget how fast time flies by. Seeing how much he's changed, made me realize how much I've missed. And I'm not gonna lie, that hurt quite a bit.
October 2012, my dad
August 2023, my daughter's grandpa
Leaving him behind was probably the most difficult and heart-wrenching thing I've ever had to do. He cried so much as we were leaving. However, knowing how little time I had to spend with him in Bulgaria, made me appreciate the many wonderful moments we got to experience that weekend (and the whole week, to be honest) so much more. Sophia got to spend her second summer in Bulgaria with her grandpa, and I got to be a daughter for a bit (because being a mom all the time gets a tiny bit tiring sometimes).
In the heat of summer, you'd probably find me at home with a big tub of double chocolate ice cream, trying to fight the heat off. But this year, I found myself in Bulgaria, enjoying a nice beach day with the family and exploring the city with my lovely girl. And life was beautiful and magical even if it was just for a few days. But in the end, those days end up keeping me warm until next time.
Thank you everyone for reading through - it means a lot 😊 Wishing you the most marvellous rest of the weekend!