My bicycle...

I have been on a bicycle for the past five years. My first bicycle was a gift from my boyfriend. Long before that year's birthday, Antonis asked me what I wanted for a birthday present. As always, I told him the usual... "nothing, I don't know, whatever you want" etc. He asked what would I ask for if I was a child, what would I ask for if I didn't care who would listen. I said without thinking "A bicycle!"

Months passed, I forgot this conversation...

On the day of my birthday, I was not planning any big celebration. I came home from work and I was really knackered, because it was near christmas and the shop I was working for was really busy these days. As I walked into the house, Antonis asked me to close my eyes and he walked me blindfolded into the living room...

I opened my eyes and there it was, a shiny brand new bicycle, full of christmas lights and balloons hanging from it! It was like in the movies! First I cried my heart out thinking "do I deserve this wonderful gift?" And then I realized that this man must love me so much, he spent the little money he had at the time to buy me a bicycle! It was great!

That's how my life as a cyclist begun. I went EVERYWHERE with it! To work, to the supermarket, to a bar for a drink, everywhere. Me and my bicycle went everywhere together, back when almost nobody in Athens used a bicycle. Everyone thought I was crazy and I would get killed with those crazy drivers on the streets!

Nothing ever happened to me. And bicycles on the streets of Athens are more than common nowadays...

My first, beloved bicycle was stolen after four years of living with it. I was devastated. I could not believe it just left me after all those years...

Anyway, I got over it and decided to buy a new one. That was back in April. I bought my new bicycle which was one of those bicycles you can fold and have everywhere with you. I did not spend much time with my new bicycle, because I was away from Athens for three months, so we didn't have the time to bond. Today I sold it to a good friend of mine, who will take care of it and she might bond with it more than I have...

Waiting...

Waiting for time to pass... Waiting for the truck to carry my very personal things to my hometown. As always, the truck drivers have been on strike the past two weeks. It seems that time unfolds in it's own way to allow me to finish all I have to do.

Most of my books, CD's, clothes, shoes bags, have been sold or given away. My beloved bicycle has been sold. My house is almost empty and almost ready to be rented to it's new owner. I'm sad, but I'm also happy. I was surprised by my complete detachment from all these material things. I was ready to give up on everything I owned.

I remember I was like this always. I never wanted a couch or any other big furniture. Whenever I bought something big, I made sure it could be dismantled and moved easily. It seems that I was getting ready for this moment for the whole of my life.

Thanks to the generosity of my friends and of strangers who donated through this blog, I now have enough money to pay my bills and my ticket to Italy.

There's only one last bit. To go to my hometown and say goodbye to my parents face to face. Stand up to them and tell them what my dream is. Will they understand? They might not, but I have the feeling they will stand next to me, whatever my decision will be.

Anyway, the relationship with my parents is so complicated because I have mixed feelings myself. The little girl inside me wants to belong, while the adult me does not. I must have a conversation with the little one inside me. I must reassure her that family is the heart...

Battling with a monster called CLOSET

My closet has turned into a monster!

It is spitting clothes the size of a mountain, I'm digging through it's caves and finding even MORE clothes! I am swimming in a pool of clothes! My closet's mouth is like the mouth of a big whale. What will I keep and what will I give away...

As a matter of fact, I only need 1/3rd of the clothes I own. No, 1/4th. Some clothes for the winter and some clothes for the summer. Period. The rest is going into two big boxes and out of the house, in the street. I'm sure there are lots of families in need out there and they can have my clothes! You never know how many you' ve got until you have to move them!

I'll make a mental note. Don't buy clothes in the future! You have more than enough.

I'll only keep the beloved items I have bought in my travels. So much accumulation of material things! What for? So much burden! It feels like I had a rock tied up on my throat! I'm cutting the rope, but I have to fight.

Buy Buy, Bye Bye! Pheww!

Why am I leaving: Part 2

I wrote the greek post yesterday, because there was an article for me in a greek portal. So I wrote in greek. Something like an homage to my country and my fellow citizens. This article boosted my pageviews and I got lots of congratulations and supportive words from people who did not even know me. First of all: Thanks Yioula, for exposing my story! Second, thanks everybody for being supportive, kind and generous!

I feel I have been misunderstood by some. So I will elaborate for those who are interested.

1. I am not ESCAPING. Five years ago I made myself a promise. I will love myself and I'll try hard to find what my real destination in life is. I had to dig deep. I had to see all the dark points. I had to become a friend of my shadow. It was a rollercoaster. I found out things that were buried deep inside. I found the real me. The real me is a traveller. Working voluntarily in farms is a cheap way of travelling at the moment and I do love nature. I might find something else to do later on. I might help a group of women in Africa; I might go to an orphanage in South America, who knows? But most of all I want to work as a traveller, writer and photographer.

2. To follow my dream I have to give up some things. I have to pay a price.

I am leaving my beloved partner Antonis whom I have loved for the past five years and still love. He is a lovely man who knows that love sets you free. He is supporting me in my journey. He does not want to see me live a life I don't want to live. He understands. I will love him dearly, even if he decides to find another woman while I'm gone. I'm setting him free as well. It's difficult. It hurts very much.

I also have to give up my beloved pet. Freeda has been my loyal dog and we were together for the past one and a half year. She travelled everywhere with me. But now I have to leave her behind, with Antonis who will care for her. It's difficult. It hurts very much.

My best friend Vassilis was with me in both trips. He helped me and I helped him. Am I gonna miss him? Oh so very much! It's difficult. It hurts very much.

All my other friends, all the people I was talking to at the park walking my dog, all these friends I made through work, all these fantastic inspiring people, people who stood by me when I was in need... Afroditi, Ilias, Nikos, Iliana, Elena, Kostas, Giwrgos, Penelope, Marina, Giannis, Maria, Anastasia, Stamatia, Nikos, Spyros, Xaris, Peggy, Dimitris, Panayotis, Youla, Filippos, Lilia... the list goes on and I'm sure I forget some. Yes, I have many people I can call friends. And I will miss them all. It's difficult. And it hurts very much.

Yes, I will miss my parents. What if something happens to them when I'm gone? We have our ups and downs, but I do love them very much. It's difficult. And it hurts very much.


But my heart tells me, no, yells at me. TRAVEL! SEE THE WORLD! YOU ARE A TRAVELLER. And I have come to love myself too much to ignore it.

Yes I am crying while I'm writing all this. I'm gonna miss all these great, loving people. But they are going to be my home. My home in my heart and not in the physical form. It hurts so very much to leave them behind, and I just realized it. Shit! When am I gonna see them again? Thank you very much for being here for me and supporting me all these years! You will always be in my heart...

3. I do not expect anybody to follow my dream. My dream is my dream and nobody else's. I hope that everybody finds his/her own dream and give up EVERYTHING to follow it. It's not easy. I take full responsibility for my dream. I am what I am and I am proud of it.

4. My home is my heart. I can live with it. Every traveller understands this. My home is myself and I feel comfortable in myself.

Thanks,
elina

For my greek friends Γιατί φεύγω...

Γιατί βαρέθηκα να μην μπορώ να περάσω απέναντι την πανεπιστημίου με το ποδήλατο γιατί έχει δακρυγόνα.
Γιατί βαρέθηκα να εξαρτώμαι από τα σουπερμάρκετ για το φαί μου. Να μην μπορώ να απλώσω το χέρι και να κόψω ένα μήλο, ένα σύκο, ένα αχλάδι, ένα μανταρίνι. Να μην έχω ένα γείτονα που αγαπάει τις κοτούλες του, τις ταίζει, τις ποτίζει και τις σφάζει για να τις κάνει κοκινιστές.

Μια μέρα του Μαίου ονειρεύτηκα ότι ήμουν σε ένα βουνό με καθαρό κρύο αέρα.
Και έψαξα τα μέρη που θα μου πρόσφεραν ένα πιάτο φαί και ένα κρεβάτι. Κι εγώ ήμουν διατεθειμένη, σε αντάλλαγμα, να κάνω ότι μου πουν. Να μαγειρέψω, να μαζέψω την κοπριά των αλόγων, να ταίσω τις κατσίκες ό,τι να 'ναι, αρκεί να είχα καθαρό αέρα και να έβλεπα ουρανό.

Στην πρώτη φάρμα - στη Βόρεια Εύβοια - ήμουν κάτι σαν ένα χαζό πρωτευουσιανάκι με σπουδές Ιστορίας Τέχνης στην Αγγλία. Φτηνά εργατικά χέρια για όλες τις δουλειές. Με ρωτούσαν γιατί δεν μαζεύω την κοπριά με το μπικίνι (!).
Ναι, πέρναγα πολύ ωραία όταν καθόμουν στο χώμα και έδενα τις ντοματιές με τα χέρια μου. Ναι, ήταν υπέροχο να σελώνω τα άλογα για τις βόλτες και η κοπριά μύριζε καλαμπόκι. Οι βόλτες στο δάσος ήταν αναζωογονητικές. Θα έπρεπε να πληρώσω μία περιουσία για να έρθω εδώ έστω για ένα σαββατοκύριακο... Και έκατσα τρεις βδομάδες. Και πολύ τους ήταν...

Στη δεύτερη φάρμα συνάντησα μία αγγλίδα που μου έμοιαζε πολύ. Κι αυτή σπουδές στην ψυχοθεραπεία και το θέατρο. Και ο άντρας της κεραμίστας. Φοβεροί. Πολλή φτώχεια και πολύ αγάπη. Για τα εικοσιοκτώ άλογα, τις δέκα γάτες, τα τρία σκυλιά και τις κότες και τις γαλοπούλες.
Ποιοι είναι πιο τρελοί? Εγώ και αυτοί που μαζεύαμε τις κοπριές τρεις φορές τη μέρα, τρώγαμε ψωμί, μέλι, μοζίθρα (έτσι τη λένε στη Σκύρο) και άλλα Σκυριανά καλούδια χαρισμένα από φίλους και γνωστούς? Ή αυτοί που τρέχουν όλη μέρα στην αθήνα, μέσα στο καυσαέριο, που τρώνε τυρόπιτες και σάντουιτς αγνώστου προελεύσεως και γυρνάνε στο σπίτι για να παραγείλουν πίτσα και να δουν τηλεόραση μέχρι να τους πάρει ο ύπνος? Γιατί εγώ αυτό έκανα πριν φύγω... Και ποια ζωή ζούσα?

Στη φάρμα στη Σκύρο, εκτός από τις μακρόσυρτες συζητήσεις περί ζωής και φύσης και ψυχολογίας, βλέπαμε κάθε βράδυ τα αστέρια. Η φάσεις της σελήνης ήταν ξεκάθαρες. Τα Σκυριανά άλογα (υπο εξαφάνιση, αλλά αυτό είναι για άλλο άρθρο) είναι τα πιο γλυκά του κόσμου. Έχουν μεγαλώσει με αγάπη και φροντίδα. Με τί να ανταλλάξω το γεγονός ότι είδα δύο πουλαράκια να γεννιούνται? Ότι μπορούσα κάθε πρωί να τα χαιδεύω και να τα αγκαλιάζω?

Πρώτη φορά ήρθε έλληνας εθελοντής. Ο εθελοντισμός είναι ένα είδος ντροπής για τον έλληνα που έχει συνηθίσει να παίρνει 700 ευρώ και να σκοτώνεται στη δουλειά.
Χώρια τη γυμναστική. Δυνάμωσαν οι πλάτες, τα χέρια μου και τα πόδια μου. Σταμάτησε να πονάει η μέση μου. Ξύπναγα κάθε πρωί και ο ουρανός ήταν εκεί. Καταγάλανος.

Ναι, είμαι μία μορφωμένη γυναίκα, με θητεία στα μαγαζιά του κολωνακίου. Είμαι ένα παιδί που μεγάλωσε σε μια επαρχιακή πολυκατοικία. Είναι παράξενο το ότι μου δίνει ευχαρίστηση η αγροτική δουλειά. Δεν ξέρω σε ποια γονίδια το χρωστάω. Όμως πήρα μία απόφαση.

Αφήνω το νοικιασμένο σπίτι μου στην αθήνα, πουλάω τα πράγματά μου και πάω εθελόντρια σε μία φάρμα στην Ιταλία. Και μετά στην Ισπανία. Και μετά στην Αφρική. Και μετά... όπου...
Προτιμώ την ελευθερία του φτωχού από τη σκλαβιά του πλούσιου.
Γράφω, φωτογραφίζω  και ελπίζω στην καλοσύνη των ξένων.
Αντε γεια!

Parents

Mom Marika and foal Sylvia

My parents are like the waves in the sea. They come, splash into my heart's shore and go.

They have a wild child. They feel very unfortunate. Because they have a child who dares to dream of travelling around the world. They feel devastated. They feel abandoned. They feel very unfortunate because all these years they bred and supported a girl who does not want a family, does not want kids, does not want security, does not want to follow tradition. I try to feel compassion for their saddness and terror.

Right now they are playing an ugly game. A game of power and control. They are trying hard to make me change my mind. They are using all the ugly tools they have. They threaten me with financial abandonement. What they said was mine when I was doing what they accepted, will not be mine anymore. They want back all their gifts. Their material gifts I mean. Although I cannot understand this behaviour, I try to keep my cool.

No, I do understand this behaviour. They want their obedient child back. They want a child they can control.

They do not want an adult child.

And right now I feel the anger. I am so pissed off with them, my head is bursting!

It's difficult to forgive when you're pissed off. It's difficult to be gracious when you're pissed off.

So I'll stay pissed off. And use the force of my anger creatively.
I will create my departure to a heart's dream.

To travel around the world.

Thank you.

Making space

Cool automn breeze. That's what the weather is like today. My friends are all very supportive. They come and take my things. Buy them, I mean. My dream is only ten days away. I have to be very systematic in organizing everything. Again I am feeling the saddness. And the fear. And the excitement.

I'm gathering my personal belongings from the shelves. All these photographs. All these notebooks. They all represent a life. My life. 34 years. I am taking my time looking at the photographs and reading fragments from my journals. From now on they have to be stored somewhere in some basement. Who knows when the boxes will be opened again... 34 years in boxes. Loved partners and hated partners. Parties and birthdays and celebrations and vacations. From the era before the digital camera. Me with short hair. Me with long hair. Me with red hair. Me and friends long gone. Me and friends who are still here with me. We have grown. Our dreams are different. Our attitude towards life is different.

It is difficult to express all these in words. I feel that my posts are very repetitive at the moment. I'll keep them small. Have a good day.

Smooth

As the moon is getting bigger, things are smoother. My landlady called me and she offered me some sweet words. Everybody I meet and share my dream is supportive. They admire what I'm doing and say it's a brave decision that comes from the heart. My friends are excited about the sale next week.

Smoothness is a result of my own well-being of course. The world out there is mirroring my own excitement and deepness of my decision. Yes, I have put little papers everywhere that say "I will have -that amount of money - until the 25th of September". Yes, I believe what the little papers say.

I am writing in the beautiful dawn before going to work. I'm listening to the birds. The globe is out there and it's waiting for me to discover it.

I met a friend this summer - a fellow traveller - and he said that we travellers are collectors. We are the collectors of images and experiences. It is our duty to share these images and experiences with the world.

Goodmorning!

6 reasons to panic + 4 reasons not to

Last night I almost let the terror sink in.

I informed my land lady that I am leaving the house. She was already pissed off because I hadn’t paid the rent. Of course I don’t have to pay for September since it’s the deposit I gave when I first moved in. I offered to leave my air-conditioning system in the house as compensation.

I panicked

One – Because I haven’t paid electricity and water bills in ages. They sum up to the amount of a whole rent.

Two – Because she was pissed off.

Three – My decision to leave my house became more concrete. It’s an actual fact. I will not have a house from the 1^st of October.

Four – Because I started thinking of all these stuff I have in closets and drawers which have to come out in the light. I have to decide which I will keep and which I will sell.

Five – Will I have enough time to do all this?

Six – Will I have enough money to go to Italy?

I cried and asked for help. Silently. To whoever is watching me out there. Right now Italy is nothing but a dream. I haven’t got the tickets. I haven’t even got the money for tickets. It’s very easy to abandon everything just like that. Yes, that’s the easy way out. But I made a promise to myself. I will not abandon so easily. I promise that, in two weeks, I will have everything I need to travel. 

I am not whining. I have made some steps to raise money.

One – I have taken on a four day job.

Two – I am setting up a bazaar at home next week to sell my stuff.

Three – I am applying for writing jobs around the globe.

Four – I have a solid faith in myself and people. I have promised I will do my best and I am doing my best.

Writing makes me feel better. Like talking to a therapist. Doing it publicly may be selfish but I don’t care. Imagine if I make it! Imagine coming back to these words to find out that they were nothing but useless fears… It’s a record. A record of success or failure. Whatever it is, it’s just my story. The story of a girl who dares to dream big and step up to meet her own great, true self.    

On volunteering

I have come across many volunteerning organizations on my search for new travels and adventures. Some ask for money. When I was volunteerning in Skyros people where asking me where did I find the horse farm. Did I find it through some organizastion? No I am myself's own organization. I found out about the farm in Italy through friends. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with organizations, but it does not suit my style at the moment.


When you ask around you find solutions you never thought of. And when the time comes you have the answers you need. As I opened myself to the possibility of going to Italy, the information came without a struggle. And now I'm thinking that Spain is a possible destination after Italy and before Africa. I will ask around. I will meet the right people at the right moment. I just have to trust my intuition.

Right now, there are lots of friends in Spain and people keep telling me that Spain is a lovely country. Will I find a place to volunteer or work there? I speak a little bit of spanish and spending some time there will help me practice the language.

Sometimes I feel I am the player of my own reality show. Like the Truman Show. Writing about my adventures and my personal struggles is the kind of exposure that makes you doubt sometimes. Who cares about me and what I go through? And then my other self answers that I might be an inspiration to some. My own struggle and doubt and courage might make others try and follow their own dream. My miserable self and my otpimistic self. Hello guys! I love you both! There is no need to fight! You are both there and I accept you. Feel free to mess around in my head! I will watch you. I will do what I need to do. See you later!

On Italy

I am preparing for Italy.
Hopefully, by next week I will have a little bit of cash to move on. I'll take a bus to Patra and a boat to Venice and a train to wherever the farm is. Warm clothes. That's what I need. Automn is coming and I have to be prepared. Did I tell you where I'm going? In a farm in Nothern Italy. Somewhere in the area between Vicenza and Verona. In a country where pasta and pizza and good wine are a must. I dream of cool automn days in nature in a country where everybody - including me - speaks Italian! Bliss...

Selling my possetions is not an easy bussiness. There is a saddness in it. All these years I have been gathering books and cd's and clothes and furniture. In vain... I don't know what secret need makes us buy and accumulate things. Probably it's a sense of safety. I have-therefore I am.

What I will need from now on is a suitcase. All my possesions will have to fit a suitcase. Freedom in a suitcase!

Brave?

Everyone is telling me I am brave. Brave to break the rules. Brave to go against the flow and follow my dream.

I am a frightened brave soul!

I guess I am frightened because it hasn't started yet. Once the trip begins you have no time to be scared. You are in the trip. At the moment, making all the arrangements to go, I am in the waiting room for something great. The more the days pass the more butterflies I have in my stomach. As always.

Travelling through the city of Athens

Meanwhile I use buses and the metro to travel around the city.
All these people, what are they thinking?
All this noise from all these mechanic devises.
All the grafiti on the walls.
The smell of pollution. Gas.
Athens is not a beautiful city. It's dirty and polluted.
Yet it is the city that bred my dreams.
It's the city I was dreaming about when I was a teenager.
I spent my twenties here.
I was proud to be living here.
I knew all the bus routes and then I discovered I could move around on a bicycle.

And now I feel I need to leave my little box I call home. This city has become too noisy for me. This city is too dark for me. Too crowded. Too dirty.

I guess it served my previous, darker self. Thank you Athens. I met some wonderful people here. I met great friends. Goodbye Athens. Will you be the same when I come back? Will you have changed? Who knows...

Unbelievable

What have I been saying about the generosity of strangers?
Strangers who feel a heart connection indeed. Who feel inspired by you. Thanks for the first donation my dear stranger. You are the supporter of a heart project which is very unstable at the moment. Which has the certainty of the heart and nothing more.
I am grateful. But words are very poor at the moment. It's like I've dived into honey and now I am licking myself... Like Kaya, the little foal in the photograph, just standing on her own tiny four feet.

Less than 24 hours

In less than 24 hours the miracles have started. My mood has shifted and things seem to shift as well.

A little help from my parents - yes they do help when they want to. But we can't live without the drama beforehand... We have to act out our little soap opera before they actually show some signs of acceptance... In time I have grown to find it funny rather than depressing.

And a T-shirt. A gift from my dear friend and life companion. It says "pro TRAVELLER", it has a lot of handwritten notes and two stars. He saw it and thought of me. He is proud of what I'm doing. He is the one who took the picture of me writing my blog. It's great to have friends like this.

The truth is that my integrity about what I want to do in life is bringing forth all these miracles. Step by step.

Let's see what happens in the weekend...

20 days

That's the time I have to move. Until the first of October. Until I am in a car-boat-train to Italy.
Waiting for a miracle to happen. Waiting for myself to realize the miracle. Say my goodbyes once again. My emotions include excitement, fear, stress and happinness. Will I make it? I will.

By the way, thanks for reading and supporting everyone!

Reclaim my power

So I have to reclaim my power. Stand on my own two feet. I have set up this donation button for everyone who is willing to help me. And I will soon start selling my possesions. I have to make a list. I will have the money I need to go to Italy. There is no turning back. Travelling is my soul destination and I will honour it. Whatever it takes. If it is not my family who will support me, it will be friends, or even strangers. The kindness of strangers is surprising sometimes. I have been kind to strangers before. And I really liked it. Like my teacher Jonah says Let The Journey Begin!

Letter to my dad

Here is a letter that my dad will never read because he does not know the existence of this blog and he does not read English.

Dear dad

I know you have worked really hard to raise me. I know you have worked really hard to provide me with a decent education. I know you have been there when it was difficult.

And because of that, you now expect me to be the daughter you really wanted. I don't really know how is the daughter you always wanted. But she is definitely not me. She is someone else. My choises are different than the daughter you always wanted.

And now I can not even talk to you because you think I have betrayed you. My teacher says you will help me if I talk to you from the heart. But I cannot do this. I cannot tell you about all those things that excite me. I cannot tell you about all my plans that make me happy. Because these are the plans and dreams of someone else and not of the daughter you expected. I feel really sorry about the fact that I cannot speak to you. Oh, how I would like to share my dreams with you!

But you don't agree... That's what you said the last time. I was all excited back then, when I was telling you about my dream... And all you said was that you disagree... That I'm in my mid thirties and I don't have a husband yet! Well, I am really sorry I disappointed you. I am really sorry I have to lie all the time. I am sorry I am too scared to talk to you.

I wish I could tell you the truth. I wish you believed at me. I really need your support, not only finacially. I need your approval. I know I am a grown up now and I shouldn't need your approval. I am sharing my thoughts and dreams with strangers and they think I'm brave and they are supportive. And I can't see support because you are not there to support me...

I meet all these fathers and daughters that have become friends over the years. They might have their ups and downs but they are together. And I'm jealous. Because I too want to share all these wonderful plans with you... Italy and Africa and the fact that I want to travel to the whole world. It is because of you that I have become so adventurus and brave. It is you who taught me to always be brave and explore. And now the product of your upbringing does not fit the image you have created in your mind.

I am really sorry. I wish it was different.

I guess once more I have to take the little girl that lives inside me and tell her it's gonna be ok. Take her by the hand and walk with her in our joyous path. I have to tell her that even if dad doesn't love us anymore, we have each other. We don't need a dad to listen. We don't need a dad to support us. We will do what we have decided to do. Live outside the rules. Live a happy life. Live.

Inspiration

I saw a film last night and it inspired me. It was called Julie & Julia. It was about food but not only that. It was about two wonderful women who wrote with passion about what excited them. They did not expect any recognition but they kept writing. Like I do. And their talent was recognized. I cried when they got their first letter or phonecall of recognition. I cried because there is recognition at the end. You just need to focus and keep doing what you have the urge to do.

Passionately.

Writing this blog came like a little spark in the dark. One day I thought about it and the next I sat down and made it and then the words started flowing from inside me like a river. I stated I am a traveller and I immediately started travelling. I met these worderful creatures, the horses, who gave me a sense of purpose and a sense of freedom.

I found my next destination. Italy. And I am already thinking of the step after Italy. Africa.

I don't really care about recognition. My true passion is the travelling and it has started. My backpack in hand and my dog with me. We will travel around the world. Wherever the flow takes us.

Getting ready

Second day in the city and I have to make some moves. First to move my things. I am going to leave my Athens apartment. I feel numb. I like my home. I like my possesions. How does one live without a house? It's easy to say it, but difficult to actually do it. On the other hand it is not wise to pay for a house that I don't use.

On the end of the month I am travelling to Italy. I am going somewhere in the North. I will live on a farm and eat well and drink well. And practice my Italian. I will stay for a couple of months. I will take my dog with me. What a life I have created for myself! It's funny, but all the answers come in their right time. All the money comes in the right time. My wish was to travel around the world and it is coming close to realisation. I am so happy that I can transform my life! I am so proud of myself! Have a good day.

Full of light

I am back in Athens. Full of images, experience and light. I said my goodbyes to all the horses and these two wonderful people who gave me shelter and food and knowledge and peace of mind. Living in the nature of Skyros made me set my priorities and see what I really want to do. I realised that beauty lies in simple things and nature is always abundant despite any economical crisis. The trees are always going to produce fruit and the earth is always going to give you food and the sea is always full of fish. As long as we respect and help nature, she is going to give you back.

We are so lost in our city blocks that we call homes and we have become dependent on supermarkets for food. Whereas if we get out of the city, there is space. Space and land and animals. Farm life is not easy, but it is rewarding. Farm life is not for everyone, is it not? There were times were things were much simpler. No television and no electricity. Could we live like this? I have realised that the people of Skyros - and every other civilisation which is close to nature, will still be very independent even if there are no more supermarkets and television or internet.

So I will live as close to nature as I can. Even if that means I will have no internet and supermarket. I love nature. And she loves me.