The desire of people to secure their financial future or achieve success in their career can often make them forget or put aside truly important things that are worth living for. They are simple, but somehow fragile, so we always have to be alert. First comes health, followed by love and family happiness. Each of these factors can make you rethink your daily routine, your habits, and reassess the results of your activities.

Recovering from a serious illness was what changed Ivo Radev’s life. After several years of working as a tourist guide on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, he decided to follow his girlfriend, who went to study in Germany. After recovering, he was convinced that he should spend every free minute touring the world and discovering new people and cultures. His girlfriend Maggie supported this idea and that is how they started to spend much of the family budget for trips around the world. Their passion for traveling emerged after their wedding, when Ivo decided to surprise his wife with a honeymoon that included six short trips across Europe, as well as a two-week holiday to the Maldives. So far, the couple visited more than 42 countries, with their number continuing to grow. Both of them work in the banking and consulting business but often leave their home in Dusseldorf as they have their 30-day leave every year. They are able to combine it with official holidays in Germany as well as Easter and Christmas, and this way they often enjoy a week of freedom and invest all their money in memories. Their luggage also includes something special - two Bulgarian folk costumes. What is the reason and how do people react when they see them?

“We started wearing them after one of our visits to Munich during the Oktoberfest,” Ivo Radev says. We were impressed that both young and old wear local folk costumes with no worries at all. We thought it would be nice to wear Bulgarian folk costumes when we travel. Maggie’s costume is from Northern Bulgaria and mine is from the Thracian region. They usually cause much attention because people cannot always link them to a particular country. The first questions are always about where we come from and about the costumes. Some people do not know where Bulgaria is, but we tell them about our traditions and we show them Bulgarian folk dances.”

English: Alexander Markov