[Sofia, Bulgaria]

I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to get my old high school classmates together the last few times I’ve been home, and this time was no exception. With the majority of us living abroad, mostly in Germany, the opportunity to see each other is very rare anyway.

On this occasion, I picked a restaurant called Manastirska Magernitsa (meaning a monastery/church kitchen). It’s decorated in a traditional Bulgarian style and, as it turns out, it is a popular place to bring foreigners to for a great Bulgarian culinary experience. While only 7 of us managed to make it this time, it was nonetheless a fabulous time. With life experiences in 3 different countries, conversation was always lively and interesting and informative, and the fact that food and wine and beer flowed didn’t hinder matters, either. Before we knew it, we’d been talking and eating for over 5 hours, and it felt like one. That is one of the things I miss most about home – sitting and talking around a table for hours, whether it’s over a ton of food or over a meager espresso, is a national pastime. People often joke that if Bulgarians put as much effort in other things as they do in eating, drinking and talking, the country will be in a much different state. Alas, that’s another topic entirely…

Mini High School reunion