I think of this picture.  My mom and my/dad's cousin Angela in Mykonos, Greece.  It was the day we arrived in Mykonos, sitting at a restaurant on the waterfront.  There was just no stress in us that day... we were perfectly happy and together in this faraway, familiar atmosphere.  It was so great to see my mom and cousin that relaxed and loose.  Greek music and phrases blowing around us in the breeze, sun shining, talking about everything, making plans for which beach we would visit that day...

My mom had never left the country before meeting me in Greece during my trip around the world.  I watched her confidence swell during our 3+ weeks travelling through Greece and Turkey together... finding her way around foreign countries, picking up on local culture, speaking Greek more than she had in forty years (and doing it well!), connecting with my dad's family and finding her own roots... I believe she regained her independent spirit there in the "homeland".

Since visiting Greece for the first time in 1992, I have pondered the thought of moving to the Mediterranean and working/running a taverna on the beach... making cocktails, meeting people, the endless blue sea as the backdrop for my everyday.

FOKOS (we joking call it "Fuck-offs") is a remote beach on Mykonos that Angela's friend bought and on which she opened a little guesthouse/taverna.  This is their backdrop.

Sunset view out Angela's kitchen window.