Almost a year ago I went to Greece with a couple of friends from Rome. When I say “I went to Greece,” I mean that I went to the breathtakingly beautiful islands after exploring the ancient Acropolis of Athens: something I have wanted to see since I learned about it in history class at 13 years old. This trip was in 2021, at a time when people were still a bit hesitant to travel and unsure about the restrictions in every country. I loved traveling during this time because there was an available seat next to me on almost every flight I took, leaving me so much space to get comfortable. Not to mention, the lines and crowds were still at bay and I had the chance to get up close and personal with a lot of things I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise, hence this picture of me alone in front of the Parthenon:

We spent a total of nine days island hopping. Starting on the mainland in Athens, we then went to Santorini, Naxos, and Mykonos. I can’t say that I had a favorite; every single place we went had something specific and unique to offer. Athens had the ancient history and big city. Santorini had the most beautiful views and architecture. Naxos had cool, refreshing, clear water that looked as if you could drink it, despite being buoyant enough to let you glide across the glass-like surface. Mykonos had a little bit of everything: the beaches, the food, the nightlife, etc., but it definitely had the highest price tag.

While there wasn’t a favorite thing that I did on this trip, I think it was the perfect mixture of locations and time. I will say, it was the first time I have lost weight on vacation, though. Not because I wasn’t eating; I ate my body weight at every meal. But because the food was so fresh. I was eating fresh vegetables, meats, yogurts, and cheeses the entire time and I wish I could eat that way forever. I have never had a cuisine quite like it. Greek food is available all over the world, but the flavor reaches a whole other level in the actual location.

Shortly after our trip, my phone was stolen from my bag when I was back in Rome. I was heartbroken because I had lost most of the photos and videos. Luckily, I had the intention of creating a vlog so I saved most of the videos to my computer and I took quite a few photos on my actual camera. It took over six months to scrape together the content to make the vlog, but I finally did it! I am happy I was able to record and recover these memories and I hope you enjoy watching the video: