Travelling is for many people the purpose of their life. They save money the whole year to have the opportunity to spend some days in the destination they are dreaming for months. And how about me? Things for me were different. When I was a kid, I found travelling boring. For a kid, the daily routine is something stable and precious that no child wants to leave. And then, I grew up and as an adult, packing and unpacking was tiring for me. I thought it would be better to stay home sleeping and watching movies, if I wanted to get rest. I thought travelling was the opposite of rest.
Well, this is not completely wrong. Travelling is not quite the synonymous of relaxation. You have to wake up early to catch the flight and explore the new destination. You walk the whole day, visit museums, learn new things and try to communicate in a language that is not your mother-tongue. And basically, you sleep in a hotel you don't know, in a bed that can't offer you the comfort of your own mattress. Yes, all of these are true. And with this kind of attitude, I was avoiding to travel, I was sitting home when I was tired, and my vacations were only on an island near Athens, my hometown. But as an adult, I haven't realised that I needed something different, something that could pull me away from the boredom and the frustration I felt. I haven't given myself the chance to feel free and alive. I was only 25 years old, and I was acting like an old woman.
Someday, a friend of mine invited me in his country house on a small, unexplored island of Greece, in Kythnos of Cyclades. My first reaction was to refuse his invitation. But then, I took a look at my life, at my boring, ordinary life. Did this life have a meaning? Dreams, wishes, adventures and inevitably frustrations? Or was it a life full of gaps, a story, which was not interesting enough to be narrated to my children?
I went to Kythnos, and I was impressed by the crystal waters of its sea, the authenticity of the local people, the white-washed houses and the pebbled streets of the main village. But most of all, I was impressed by its aura, the resuscitative atmosphere that exploring a new place can give you. And suddenly, I have found the purpose of my life. I wanted to explore every island of Greece. I wanted to start with the unspoiled, away from mass tourism, islands. And then, continue with every corner of this blessed country, learn the culture of every location, meet new people, go out of my comfort zone. Of course, I know that for this goal, I need years. Nothing is easy, and nothing can be given to you without effort. Happiness needs effort. And this is why when we reach it, we feel enough satisfaction to keep trying with our life. At the end of the day, we only live once.