Trusting the Journey: Three Weeks in Greece

Today, one of my best friends sent me a picture from a trip we took to Greece seven years ago. Seeing that photo brought back so many memories that I found myself smiling at my screen. We had booked our flights to Corfu and our return flight from Zakynthos, and we had accommodation in Corfu for the first few days. And that was pretty much it. No detailed itinerary. No hotels booked for the next destination. No carefully planned route. Just an idea of where we could go and three weeks ahead of us.

We wanted to keep it that way. We wanted to be open to the signs, the opportunities and the unexpected things that life might bring our way. We would decide where to go as we went along, trusting that we would figure it out. And we did.

We started in Corfu and then travelled by ferry through Paxos, Antipaxos, Lefkada, Kefalonia and Ithaca, eventually arriving in Zakynthos for our flight home. Looking back, I’m amazed at how much we managed to experience without really having a plan! One of the moments I remember particularly well happened after Corfu. We had originally thought about going to Igoumenitsa, and we really tried to make it happen. But somehow, everything seemed to be telling us not to go. The ferry times didn't work for us. We kept looking for a way to get there, but somehow the journey just wasn’t coming together.  And then, almost as if the universe wanted to make its point very clear, we came across a sign giving directions to Igoumenitsa… with a big red cross on it! At that moment, we just looked at each other and thought: okay, message received!

So we went to Paxos instead. And what a good decision that turned out to be. We arrived in Gaios, a beautiful little town surrounded by turquoise waters, colourful houses and that unmistakable Greek island atmosphere. It was one of those places where you immediately feel that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. And that became the spirit of the whole trip. We enjoyed the sunshine, swam in stunning beaches, ate an unreasonable amount of delicious Greek food, took boat trips, met people along the way and collected little stories that we couldn't have planned in advance.

At one point of our trip, our Airbnb host invited us to his birthday party. We had only just arrived at the property in Lefkada, and suddenly we were celebrating with people we had never met before. It was spontaneous, unexpected and completely part of the adventure. There is something incredibly liberating about not having everything figured out. When there is no fixed plan, you have to pay attention. You notice the opportunities that appear in front of you. You listen to your intuition. You make decisions based on what feels right in that particular moment.

Of course, not every sign in life is as obvious as a road sign with a red cross. Sometimes the signs are much more subtle. But I think there is something to be said for allowing ourselves to pause, pay attention and ask: What is life showing me right now?

Seven years later, I may not remember every detail of that trip. But I remember how free we felt. I remember the laughter, the sun, the sea, the food, the people we met and the feeling that we had three whole weeks to simply enjoy ourselves. And maybe that's the beautiful thing about looking back at old memories. Sometimes a photograph doesn't just remind you of where you were. It reminds you of how you felt—and perhaps of a part of yourself that you could bring into your life again.

So, when was the last time you allowed yourself to be a little more spontaneous, to stop trying to control every detail and simply see where life takes you?

Until the next adventure,

Teresa

Not to Igoumenitsa!