In June 2019, I had a relative of mine visit. Being the same age, Michael and I grew up together, and have always been close. For him, this trip was special, as it was his first time outside of the United States, and I was eager to show him around.
In Athens, we spent a lot of time exploring areas near downtown. However, our day in the city center was my personal favorite, as we went to see the Parthenon and the Acropolis Museum. At the start of the day, I felt like I was not prepared for a full tour of Athens, but nonetheless, we embarked on this journey.
On our walk to the ancient site, I recall Michael pointing out a stone (probably a part of an ancient structure or house) that a hotel had built around, asking me “is this really old or do they put some of these stones for decoration?” I laughed and reminded him that Athens is thousands of years old, and that the modern architecture in certain areas must adapt to its predecessors.
At this point, I had been to the Acropolis Museum five or six times. As one of my undergraduate degrees was in Modern Greek Language and Culture, I love every visit. I connected what I had learned in the classroom to the up-close visits, taking in new information with each trip. Of course, I had expressed my hesitations about giving a full tour at the beginning of the day, and after going through the Acropolis museum from memory, he and I had a good laugh at how wrong I was. It was then that I realized I have absorbed knowledge not only from my degree, but also from all my time at the many beautiful cultural sites of Athens.
Wanting to give my cousin a more “local” experience, our dinners varied from Greek tavernas with raki (a liqueur made primarily in Crete) and live, traditional music, to my personal favorite restaurant in Athens, a little hole-in-the-wall that is always reserved a week ahead by the locals who have managed to keep it a local “secret.” Additionally, I showed him around the beautiful Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, and many places (and beaches) along the Athens Riviera.
One weekend, Michael and I ventured to Mykonos, enjoying the beaches, night life, and restaurants. Of course, Mykonos is a dream destination for so many young people, and so it was Michael's personal "requests" as part of his trip to Greece. Lastly, I arranged a solo day trip for Michael in Nafplio. Booking his bus ticket, giving him shopping and lunch recommendations, as well as famous sites (including a beautiful, historic castle) to visit.
Overall, I think my cousin’s first trip abroad set a very high standard for the next.
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