1 | Ena | One

Hi! Hello! Well, here we are in the last quarter of 2020. It’s been a strange year in a string of strange years for me, and probably many others, maybe even you. This blog, however, isn’t meant to focus on the past; it’s about seeing the possibility of the future through the lens of the present. 

After years of living on my own, creating a life around a professional career, I had a couple of years of pretty intense self-evaluation and was able to really focus on the kind of person I wanted to be, not just who I had become. This site is an expression of that self-evaluation, and I hope will serve as a tool for future growth. 

So what does this have to do with a blog? Great question, glad you asked it!

This year has held a lot of grief for me, and for so many people. It became overwhelming. I could not focus on anything beyond the suffering of humanity (typical Aquarius) and I knew I needed to do something to snap me out of it, and to feel hopeful again. So, I’ve started this blog to talk a little bit about myself, but more than anything, to share my passion for food, travel, and authentic experiences in all places, but especially Greece. This is an attempt to look forward with a clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose attitude. So, here we go!

I was born and raised in California. My dad was born in Greece, as were his parents. My mom was born in California, but her dad was born in Greece. My mom’s mom was born in California, but her parents were both born in Greece. It’s an interesting patrilineal story of emigration and assimilation, but that’s a whole other blog. 

The first time I visited Greece was in 1996 with my parents and my brother. It was the first time I saw the house where my grandmother gave birth to my dad in 1948, and the first time I met my many of my cousins, the first time I saw the gleaming blue waters of the Mediterranean and the wobbly winding streets of Athens’ Plaka. It was a trip of firsts, and I’m so grateful my parents gave me and my brother the opportunity to experience that. 

I’ve visited many times since then, both with family and on my own, and each time it gets harder to leave. With each visit, Greece feels more and more like home. I feel more connected to the land, to the people, to the culture, and to myself. In 2019 I vacated my life in Baltimore so that I could go to Greece for ten weeks. I left my job, put my apartment in storage, and my beloved cat, Lil’ Bootsie stayed with my friend Tracy in NYC. 

After spending nearly three months traveling through Greece, spending time with family and friends, I came back to the US with a specific goal in mind: to finalize my Greek citizenship, wrap up my American life neatly with a bow, and relocate to the land of my ancestors. This blog will endeavor to document that journey, and I hope you’ll join me for the ride!

Feel free to follow along on twitter and Instagram, share the blog with family and friends, and subscribe to the sporadic newsletter that I’ll be sending out. If you have questions, thoughts, ideas or general comments, I’d love to hear from you. Please connect however is easiest for you.

Thanks, and welcome to GreekLikeMe!

xo, Anastasia