I present to you Ivan Krastev – writer, traveler, blogger and his first book “Profession Traveler” – a collection of travels from different corners of the world. A pleasant and relaxing read, with which you will experience the impressions and emotions of the author during his stay and adventures among the beautiful nature, local landmarks and attractions.

1. A few words about you: who are you, where are you from?

Hello! I am Ivan Krastev, 38 years old from Sofia. I work in the financial sector, but in my free time I love to travel and invest every free minute in new journeys.

2. When did you decide to become a traveler?

Becoming a traveler is not something you decide to do overnight, as they say. I have been traveling with my parents since I was a child, and I inherited my passion for traveling from them, because they showed me a new and different world.

3. What provokes your desire to travel?

First of all, I look for the new and different. I also like to return to familiar destinations. When traveling, one becomes addicted to constantly discovering new and new places, and my dream is to set foot on every continent. So far, I have visited 4, I still have a few left.

4. How do you choose your destinations?

Every time it's different and impulsive. I plan some of the destinations in advance, especially if they are far away and require longer preparation. Others I decide on the spur of the moment when I feel like going somewhere or my friend says "Let's go somewhere!". That's how the idea of going to Cuba was born - my friend said she would go there and literally in a few days we organized ourselves and left.

5. Are you always looking for low-budget travel options?

I can say that I bet on mid-range travel. When I plan a trip, I always look for the best and most affordable option. I research flights, hotels, and the standard of living in a given destination. I don't bet on the trip being the cheapest possible and making savings, such as sleeping in guesthouses or bringing food with me so as not to pay on the spot. I never skimp on experiences when I'm somewhere. I'm on the principle that I came and I have to see everything interesting. I don't succeed sometimes, but that way I have a reason to come back somewhere.

6. Do you prefer to travel alone or with company?

I have never traveled alone before. I love traveling with friends and family. Shared travel is more interesting to me and brings a different emotion. It is possible that one day I will go alone – I almost did it this year when I decided to go to Copenhagen in January. But my father and sister found out and decided to join me.

7. What does each journey leave in your soul? What does it enrich you with and what does it take from you?

Every trip is different and unique for me! The idea that I will go somewhere charges me and gives me wings so that I can transcend everyday life until the moment for the trip comes. And the trip itself enriches me mentally and emotionally – to touch new places, people, culture, way of life and lifestyle … this leaves a mark for a lifetime both in my mind and in my heart. I can say that this only enriches me and gives me – it gives me an incentive to forget my problems, to dream and to be happy that I have been able to visit all the fabulous places so far. And there are not a few of them – 30 countries on 4 continents, with over 200 different cities and places in nature. Yes, all the trips take a large part of my finances, but this is an investment that returns many times over!

8. What are the next destinations you have in mind?

In about a month I plan to celebrate my birthday in Naples, and towards the end of October I have planned to visit Tel Aviv. I hope to visit Sicily in September. This is one of the planned destinations, but I am sure that 1-2 more unplanned trips will arise!

9. You travel a lot. How do you finance your adventures?

As I already mentioned - I work in the financial sector and a large part of my salary goes to travel.

10. When and how did you decide to write your first book?

The idea for my first book "Profession TRAVELER" was born at the beginning of 2019. After each of my trips, I always tell my acquaintances where I've been and what I've seen, and they found it interesting. Some of them have even gone to the places I've been to after I told them about them. And many of them have even asked me to help them organize their trip. And I told myself that since they're interested, other people will be interested, so I decided to experiment, and 2 years after the book was released, I can say that this is a pretty successful experiment.

11. Will there be a second book?

Yes, there will be. I'm currently working hard on it and I expect it to be a fact by the end of the year. It will be for a specific country and will cover everything about it. But I still have 2 more trips there to make so I can cover almost all the interesting places there.

12. What do you think makes your book stand out from the others?

There are already quite a few travelers on the market who describe their adventures. Each book is different and unique in itself, just like we humans are. Especially for "Profession TRAVELER" I can say that this is not the typical guidebook or travelogue! I have invested a lot of myself in the book and it reflects me myself during different stages of my life in different places around the world. I have included 9 exciting stories from 4 continents in it and I have tried to present different and interesting destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Mexico, Egypt and other places. The feedback from readers is positive and the interest is not waning, which is also evidenced by the 4 editions that I have released so far. I am glad that in such a short time I have become a recognizable author among readers in Bulgaria, and I also hope to one day conquer international markets.

We wish Ivan many more fulfilling, interesting and inspiring journeys.  and we look forward to sharing the emotions of his new stories.

© 2023 Iliana Dechkova