HARTFORD, Conn. -- Iran Brugueras, a longtime fixture on Hartford’s Park Street as owner of Hip Stop clothing and shoe store, is going on a journey. Actually, Brugueras is on three different journeys.
Right now, Brugueras and his wife, Nora, are on a 40-day vacation, with stops in Australia, Bali, Thailand, Maldives, Egypt and someplace in Europe they haven’t decided on yet. Iran and Nora named their vacation “You Only Live Once.”
They’re on that YOLO trip as a result of a journey Brugueras started in the fall of 2021, when he was diagnosed with stage-four gastric cancer. The diagnosis led Brugueras to retire, to enjoy his life, family and however many years he has left.