Little Alexx Blog

Hello hello! Hope everyone had a wonderful week. I worked like a crazy woman the past few weeks, making up for time taken off for traveling, and finally had time off this past weekend, which was much needed. I actually had a day off to hang out with my best friend at her new apartment and some quality pool time. It was so nice to be outside, instead of being cooped up inside at work all day.

I got a comment last week about perhaps I traveled too much in the beginning of the summer, that my travels seemed ‘hallow’. Well, to that, I do have to say, my trip to Hawaii was indeed hallow, in a sense. After what seemed to be the darkest 6 months of my adult life, I was ready to do absolutely nothing on my vacation, knowing full well I was going to be going nonstop when I was back in Europe and then back to Missouri to work. While I did visit Pearl Harbor (there were no photos from it, due to the fact the memorial was shut down for repair, so we couldn’t get near the ships at all) and was taken aback by the history of it. Call it what you want, but I laid on the beautiful beach, read books, drank a few pina coladas, and mostly slept. What insight did I gain from my trip to Hawaii? Well, I gained a perspective of peace and quiet. I got to recharge, and really truly relax.

For my Greek trip, as mentioned a few posts back, I was honored to have been accepted and given a faith grant to pay for a trip to Greece with Ionian Village, sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese out of New York, as well as Leadership 100. My mom attended when she was a little girl as a camper, and while I never got to attend as a camper, I was able to attend IVNext, which is an adult version of camp, bringing other Greek Orthodox young adults such as myself, to take us around Greece, to monasteries to connect us closer with each other, as well as our faith and culture. Located in the Peloponnese region, a small but beautiful camp is hidden away in the woods, on the edge of town, giving you the χωριό (village) experience. With it’s private beach front, and small farm, it’s a true Greek experience.

“The twelve-day itinerary includes time at the historic Ionian Village campgrounds, as well as excursions to the cornerstones of the travel program. Throughout the program, participants will engage in discussions about career goals, the financial realities of being a millennial, and how to successfully incorporate our Orthodox Faith into everyday business life. These conversations and sessions will provide not only a more solid understanding of vocation, but also serve as an excellent inter-community networking opportunity.

Through a varied schedule that includes churches and monasteries, meetings with political and religious figures, and museums and archaeological sites, IV Next participants will become intimately familiar with all aspects of Greece, her culture and people.”- IVNext 

 

In total, it took me 55 hours from leaving Hawaii to that beautiful piece of land in which all of our grandparents came from. It’s something magical when I am able to walk in places my ancestors walked. I haven’t been back to Greece in a few years, and wow, was I homesick. I remember stepping out of the airport the first time in Athens, and breathing in the air. There is just something about seeing the mountains, seeing the signs, smelling the food, I was completely and 100% choked up.

 

I’ll be honest, I was very nervous about this trip. I didn’t know what to expect. I haven’t really hung out with other Greek people who aren’t my family. Being raised in Branson, there wasn’t anyone ethnic I knew of outside of my family, and even when I was in Greece growing up, everyone in my village was a Tsahiridis. So, I meet these people, and I’m taken aback by them. First off, there is just something about Mediterranean/Middle Eastern. We do a few things right. 1. We make some bomb ass food, and we’ll never let you go hungry. 2. We make some bomb ass babies. I mean, everyone on that trip was just drop dead gorgeous. 3. We are a complete blast and will dance till the sun comes up.

okay, so back to the trip, granted, I am so delirious at this point, and I start chatting it up with this girl Christen, who I think is actually my long lost twin separated at birth. There was a moment over the trip in which I looked at her and got kinda freaked out because it was like I was looking at myself in the mirror…. is that how twins feel??? We hit it off completely. I mean, we all hit it off completely and although I was 50+ hours without more than 3 hours of sleep, Alexandra came out of her cocoon. I mean it when I say this, I was in my zone. So, I guess sleep deprived Alexandra is really my true self.

almost 6 hours later on probably the most comfortable bus ever, I made it. I really truly made it! I could have kissed the ground, not only because it took me multiple days to get there, but it was months and months of some serious shit that I was proud of myself for getting there.

That first shower was….. amazing. Having been taking half baths in the airport bathrooms, it was much needed). I think I stood under the water for a solid 5 minutes doing absolutely nothing with my eyes closed. I can’t remember if I fell asleep or not honestly. We had a little bit to refresh and unpack before evening vespers and then dinner, and LORD, DID I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. I remember thinking, these people aren’t going to know who the hell I am when I actually put on some makeup and brush my hair. Let’s just say that everyone looked and smelled a lot better once we all showered.

It was weird. I had known these people less than a day, but I felt like I had known them my whole life. Although our lives ran different paths, and no one knew where Missouri or Arkansas was, we all had the same funny Yiayia stories to tell, or felt the pressure to marry a Greek guy or girl. As many Greeks as there are, it is a very small community, in which we found out that we were all just a few degrees from each other. Had we had better service, we probably would have found out we were all related….

Oh the stories I will tell you….

To be continued next week…… See you Tuesday!

Please enjoy one of my favorite songs, since I was a little girl! We danced our faces off to this song.

Today’s Mantra: 

“I AM proud of my past.”

loving you from afar. always.

blessings, a