Write a letter to your friend and tell him about your summer holidays. You can begin like this: Dear ..., My summer holidays were very interesting. I spent them ... .I visited ... . Most of all I enjoyed ... .

Dear Alex,

My summer holidays were very interesting. I spent them partly at my grandparents’ place in the countryside and partly traveling with a couple of friends along the coast. At my grandparents’ I helped in the garden in the mornings—picking tomatoes and cucumbers—and in the evenings we had small bonfires by the river. I finally learned how to make proper shashlik without burning it, which everyone appreciated!

After that, I visited three cities: Varna, Burgas, and Sozopol. In Varna we stayed near the Sea Garden, rented bikes, and rode along the promenade at sunset. In Burgas we explored the pier and tried a tiny bakery that sold still-warm banitsa; we ended up going back there twice in one day. Sozopol was the most charming—narrow streets, wooden houses, and a little beach where the water was so clear we could see schools of fish from the rocks.

Most of all I enjoyed a day trip by boat to a small cove outside Sozopol. We took snorkeling masks, and I spent an hour floating above the seaweed and stones, watching crabs scuttle around. The captain let me steer for a minute, which was both terrifying and amazing. In the evenings we played cards at the hostel and met travelers from Poland and Spain; we swapped playlists and now I have new favorite songs.

I also managed a couple of “firsts”: I tried paddleboarding (fell in three times), read two novels I’d been putting off, and finally beat my 5 km running time by a full minute along the seaside path. On the way home we stopped at a roadside stand and bought peaches so sweet they tasted like jam.

Now I’m back, sorting photos and trying not to forget the smell of the sea. How was your summer? Did you get to travel anywhere or try something new?

Yours,
[Your Name]