Greece

An opportunity presented itself for me to be able to cross off a bucket list item. It was a trip to Greece with my little family. My husband’s Dad was born and raised in Greece, and all of his family still lives there.  Some of them live in Athens and some live on this tiny island town called Limni where the family is originally from. The family house from the 1800’s is still there and being used to this day. Actually most of the homes on this island are original and have that beautiful old world charm architecture to them. The pathways are small, mostly made of cobblestone, the population in the summer is only 3,000 people and in the winter 1,500. The lifestyle goes a little like this: you lazily get up late morning and have a small breakfast maybe play in the water or visit with family. After that you eat lunch, then take a nap while the whole town shuts down, wake up, shower, and head to meet up with family.  Which then leads to more eating which is dinner at a small café or something starting around 10:00pm. It takes a bit to get used to but once you do you wonder what is all the day-to-day rushing really for?

I think the lesson that keeps showing its face to me this summer and throughout all my travels is to try and live a little more simply. Simple is less stressful, simple is how it all started, simple leaves time for what matters, and simple is just that simple. In this beautiful, old village the people were some of the nicest I have ever met in my life. Not once did anyone ask us where we worked or what we did for a living.  They would ask things like: how did you meet? Did you go swimming today? Are you full? Do you feel rested? Did you enjoy your nap? This way of life is a shock for any American.  Your not defined here on what you do or what you have you are just you. Do you even know who you are without those things? There in Greece nobody cares about things just each other. The streets were filled with families chatting, kids running, the doors open to their homes, and there always seemed to be a lot of cooking going on.

I have heard of the European art of doing nothing; which most American’s feel is just wasting time but until you experience it you just don’t understand. It’s a beautiful thing.  Greece was an opportunity of a lifetime for me. I am glad I went and it inspired me to want to see more of the world.