4 years ago today I was heading out on a two-week long vacation to Greece with my husband and two best friends. Despite being hit with crippling food poisoning on the third day of the trip, and even though two thirds of my travel companions now wish that my E.coli infested spaghetti Bolognese had finished me off, I still reflect on that trip as two of the happiest weeks of my life.
That being said, Greece, though beautiful, isn’t a place I’d like to go back to. The mainland was crowded and poverty stricken. There were cats and dogs literally starving in the streets. As an animal lover, I cried each day until we reached the islands. Rich in comparison to the mainland, the islands bustled with tourism, and though I spent a night feeding dumpster kitties my leftover pizza, I truly believe all the strays were well fed even without my assistance.
So ” Why?”, you may ask, does that trip remain my favorite of all time?
By no means do I consider myself a jet setter, but I’ve seen enough places in my 34 years to know which factors truly make or break a trip. When it came to Greece, I couldn’t have asked for a better alignment of these key components.
Timing
Only weeks before we set out, I had completed my MBA. Along with the satisfaction of knowing school was FINALLY out for me, I had received a promotion at work to compliment my new degree. I hopped on the plane that day not only feeling accomplished, but optimistic about where my career was headed.
Weather
There’s just something about Spring! Fall may be my favorite season for it’s amazing colours and dry hiking trails, but Spring has something special. The air at that time feels electric with new life. Every part of you is grateful that the sun has started to shine its warmth after a long, cold winter. Spring temperatures are also perfect for touring. Warm enough that you’re comfortable, but not so warm that you break a sweat crossing the street. Side note : temperatures at this time are STILL too warm to climb the Acropolis without breaking a sweat… buckets and buckets of sweat!
and the final, and most important of all key factors,
Travel Partners
After our honeymoon, I swore I’d never take a 2 week long vacation with just my husband again. It has nothing to do with location. Ireland was an absolute dream! It sounds awful… but the reality is we just enjoy different aspects of seeing new places. Divided by priorities, we butted heads on numerous occasions, often killing the romantic vibe of our beautiful setting.
Travelling with another couple, especially one we were so close to, eased the pressure of relying solely on each other for companionship. Romantic moments had to be stolen, making them that much more special…and on the other end, whenever we disagreed about how our time should be spent, it was easy to pawn one another off on a travel mate.
Unfortunately it’s impossible to recreate an amazing trip. I could gather the same people, set the same schedule, visit the same exact sites, and it could end up being awful. All I can say is, do your best to enjoy the moments while you’re still in them.
I often think back to one morning in Santorini nearing the end of our trip. Everyone else was still sleeping and I snuck out of bed up to our rooftop patio. A staff member was outside folding clean laundry. Upon seeing me, she greeted me and without even asking if I needed anything, she ran and brought me back a coffee. Sitting alone up there, sipping my coffee, and staring at the sea, I felt truly blessed. I had everything in the world I could possibly want at that moment, and I damn well knew it.
The Zuf Truth 