Greece Adventure -- departure

Departure – leaving almost everything behind

I can’t remember my last real vacation. It was always - can’t be away from school, can’t afford to be away from work, or can’t leave the country because of my visa status. When I finally had time to take breaks, it was usually visiting family and friends back in Asia, or attending weddings.

Albert and I realized that we ran out of excuses this time. Our jobs are now both vacation-friendly, our visa statuses are both secured, and our families and friends seem to believe we need a vacation more then they need to see us. So, we made an effort to have a long and real vacation. Now, where to?

Back in high school, I fell in love with Greece the first time I laid my eyes on this photo album called Cats of the Greek Islands by Hans Silvester. How can a place so calm, so relaxing, so charming, and so full of happiness exists in this world? The clear blue skies, white buildings reflecting the sunshine, the ocean views; every one of those pictures were the exact opposite from the place where I grew up.

We chose to travel in early September, because it would not be too hot, not too crowded, and tickets and hotels would be cheaper. We planned to spend 9 days and 8 nights in Greece.

Home --> Athens 1 night --> Crete 3 nights --> Santorini 3 nights --> Athens 1 night --> Home

We did minimal planning before the trip. Outside of hotel bookings and travel arrangements between the islands, nothing else was planned before the departure. I purposely did not even read any travel guides; instead I read two travel journals, one from a Japanese author, and one from a Taiwanese writer. From those stories that happened in Greece, I know what kind of feelings to expect when I get there, but have no idea what I will be doing or seeing in Greece. This will be a real adventure!