Greece: Return to the Motherland
““Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.”
Last summer, I went to Greece to see my family. I flew for two days, with a stopover in London and a connection in Madrid. I was happy when I finally landed in Athens.
When I was two, I was adopted from Greece and brought to the States. My family in the U.S. made sure I knew my biological family. When I was 13, we took a family trip to Greece to meet my Greek family.
When I landed at 5:00 a.m., I was greeted by my sister, Anastasia, my sister, Dina, and my niece, Joanna. A few years ago, Dina and Joanna visited me and our sister, Maria, in the States. The last time I had seen Anastasia was when I went to Greece over a decade ago. I had been a month shy of 30, and a trip back to the motherland was long overdue.
When we arrived at Dina’s, Anastasia went to her daughter’s, while, Dina, myself, and Joanna crashed for a bit. After our nap, the three of us ate breakfast, then hightailed it to one of the local beaches, Anavysos Beach.
The drive through the mountains with the water by our side was beautiful and peaceful. I had forgotten how gorgeous my country is.
When we settled into our beach chairs, I took a dip in the water. I was now on day 3 of not showering and wearing the same, dirty clothes. This is not my norm, so I was looking forward to the warm, crystal-clear sea water cleansing my body and soul.
We had fun hanging out in the water, basking in the sun, and chatting. We had a lot to catch up on since our last adventure a few years ago. We also had planning to do for my upcoming days in Greece.
On our way back, we stopped at a few of the breathtaking spots along the way. Dina knew how much I loved to take pictures, so she fed into my desires. Thank you, Dina!
When we got home, I had the best shower. Dina made an amazing dinner for her, myself, her two children, Joanna, and Haris, my sister, Anastasia, her husband, Athanasius, and their two children, Elpida, and Vasilis. She served an array of yummy, Greek dishes, fish, and meats.
I was happy to be reunited with my family. At first, I am always a little apprehensive when I go back to Greece. My Greek is rusty, and I wonder if I will be able to communicate in my native tongue. I only speak Greek when I am with my Greek family. Luckily, I got a little practice when Dina and Joanna visited me, and my nieces and nephews were fluent in English! That was a sweet surprise for me.
After dinner, a few of us went out for a cocktail in Athens, before heading to bed. What a great day and evening to kick off my big, fat, Greek vacation!
Check out my other blogs from this trip:
- 8 Hours in London
- Athens: Beach. Acropolis. Theater.
- Lakka, Paxos, Greece
- Spontaneous Stonehenge Adventure
Check out our adventures from Dina and Joanna’s visit to the States:
- 24 Hours in New York City
- Explore Boston
- MA: James Hook + Co. Lobster Roll
- Cliff Walk, Newport, Rhode Island
Pictures:
There Are 4 Brilliant Comments
Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed
Sites That Link to this Post