As some of you may know, I am of the Greek heritage. My father is from Peloponnese which is a large penninsula (technically an island) in Greece. My mother is from a small island in the Mediterranean called Cyprus. Although they are different, they speak the same language and are similar in some ways. This summer I had the chance to visit Cyprus with my boyfriend Alex, and my cousin Cassandra. It was such an amazing experience and for the first time, I felt extremely connected to my roots. It was the first time visiting since my Grandmother had passed so it was a very emotional and enlightening experience for me. It was also beautiful because I got to share this experience with my boyfriend who had never met my family overseas. It was overall an amazing trip, that I will remember for the rest of my life, and even though I lived there at one point, and have visited many times, this trip meant more to me for some reason. Since I got such a great response to all of my other traveling blog posts I decided to share some photos from this trip as well, because it was extremely meaningful and a very great experience for many reasons. I divided this up into sections as to not overwhelm anyone.

FOOD!

Let me start off by explaining that the Greek culture is filled with food. Every aspect is related to food in some way, it’s a way to feel comfort, and share laughs with your family. It’s a way to really express gratitude, happiness and love. The Greek culture is very similar to the Italian culture in the fact that we love to cook for people and make sure they leave happy! And also, it’s rude NOT to eat anything, so even if you’re hungry we don’t really care, you better make room!

The village that has my heart

These pictures are extremely close to my heart, and now that my Grandparents have passed away, I think back to my childhood and wish that I had paid closer to attention to the small things. I miss this so much, more than anyone could ever imagine. I spent summers there with my sister and our cousins, and I would wake up with the rooster at 5am, and sleep with the stars all shining above me. It is such a beautiful place, and even writing this post is getting me choked up. My grandmother was the absolute most amazing person I have ever met in my life, and to be able to go into her house, and go to the village where she lived her life, is always such a great feeling. I was overwhelmed with emotions that day. It was tough, but extremely great at the same time.

The nightlife

Although we did not go out that much at night, we usually went out for coffee or just casually throughout the day. Another thing that Greeks are known for is our dancing. We love to go out, dance and have a grand ole time. We enjoyed ourselves, drank the best beer/drinks and cut a rug at some awesome boozookia. It was fun seeing all of my family too, and spending time with cousins I haven’t seen in years. I miss them so much, and when I do see them, it’s always such a great time. 

That’s all for now, my next post will be more family photos, the beautiful beaches and some of the sightseeing we did. Stay tuned friends, and have an amazing weekend!