Just a glimpse…

(Of an alternate possible reality)

I’ve been traveling for more than 31 years and it is by far one of my favorite pastimes- It is something that defines who I am, gives meaning to my life and is ingrained in my soul. Now with places finally opening up .. I actually get to resume my love affair with the world!!!!!

I tend to love every place I go because I love to experience the culture, run away from reality and just be in a new place that holds endless hopeful possibilities however there are some places that feel like home. They feel like you’ve never left even though you’ve never ever been there before. The vacation with a glimpse of reality is what I love the most. What I mean is… there are some places where you just feel like you belong.. where you can almost see the alternate reality – where you could live and have a totally different life. One of those places is Naxos Greece.

From the moment I stepped off the ferry from Athens I was excited and weirdly relaxed. It was so bright with the sun shining onto the port and off the water… it made my heart immediately happy and carefree. The people, natives and those that immigrated there, were friendly, kind and interesting while they were so proud to belong to Naxos. Their enthusiasm deepened my need to belong too. In fact everything about Naxos made me want to belong. The great food (cheese, honey, fresh fish, grapes, meat and citrus fruits), the landscape with its gorgeous soft sand beaches, the towns with their fresh markets and white washed houses… just enchanted and mesmerized me.

We stayed at the prettiest Airbnb’s-one overlooking the Apollo temple… and the other in the hills close to the villages. Both hosts couldn’t have been kinder to us. The hospitality was genuine and welcoming. Our stays were comfortable, equipped with gorgeous views and new furry friends.

Patrick my partner rented a motorbike and drove us around the hills. He took the sharp bends with grace and I have never felt freer in my life. It almost felt like being in a a 1950s movie. Where something exciting could happen just around the bend! We spent our days exploring the town and villages and laying on the beach. It was perfect.

Coming home from any vacation is always exciting for me… it gives me a chance to reinvent myself. To start something new I’ve learned, dive into work with more gusto, organize my life more precisely and pursue the feats I’ve been putting off. However this time…The combination of being with the man I love and this wonderful bright warm, loving place..I didn’t want to return. I wanted to stay and start my alternate reality. This vacation gave me hope- hope to start making changes and sculpt my life into exactly what I want. I am hopeful that it will be sooner rather than later! I don’t want to wait to start my alternate reality. I’m impatient.. and now that I’ve seen how happy I can be… I long for it… and dream of it tirelessly.