Mom's WORLD JOURNAL - Greece We flew from Istanbul to Athens, a short 2-hour flight, and looked forward to meeting up with our great friends from Florida who were joining us for a 10-day sailing trip, Kelly, Sari and their two kids Corey (15) and Jordan (7). We spent two days in Athens touring the Acropolis and the Parthenon, and wandering the streets of Athens. One evening, Corey who is a big practical joker, wore his "Billy Bob" teeth. If you have never seen "Billy Bob" teeth they are false teeth that look like they have never been brushed and stick out in all directions like buck teeth. They look real enough that people just stared at him with pity not realizing that he was joking. He would walk up to people and ask directions or simple just smile as they walked by. We all just sat and watched the people react and laughed hysterically. I thought Kelly was going to split her side! It was great! From our hotel terrace, we had a wonderful view of the Acropolis where we spent plenty of time catching up with our friends and drinking beer. It was so wonderful to be with good friends again. On Sunday, we left Athens bound for the marina where we would board our 62-foot sailboat and meet up with Steven, Mark's cousin, and his partner Sam, two of our favorite people. All together we would sail the Greek Isles with 9 people, not including the Captain. We had assigned everyone a Greek name. Mark was "Farticus", Max was "Gluteus Maximus", Steven (the Chiropractor) was "Spinus Correctus" and Sam (the Massage Therapist) was "Rubbus Downus", and Corey was "Bazurcules"…to name a few! Mark and I were so excited to just see the boat and see if it resembled the boat in the marketing brochure. It was definitely the right boat, however, it looked just a "tad" smaller in real life and with 9 people, luggage and kids it would definitely be a tight squeeze. Our Captain, Anthony or "Adonis" as they called him, was quite a character! He was a large man with a big smile, tons of character, a passion for food and a well-developed belly to show for it. He looked like the father in Fiddler on the Roof combined with the attitude of Zorba the Greek. And he had 20-years of experience sailing the Greek Islands. We loved him and he was a great mix with our inexperienced sailing crew! Prior to leaving the port the Captain informed us that we would not be able to sail the Cyclades as we had planned due to severe weather (27-foot waves). We were all a bit disappointed but with over 2500 Greek Islands, we would surely find another path. We left port and sailed 5 hours to Poros. I was VERY seasick in the 6-foot waves, as was most of our crew. As I tried not to barf overboard I thought perhaps this would be the worst 10 days of my life and wondered if we had made a terrible mistake. We had a great group of people, who made the best out of the journey and were happy to land on shore. Sam discovered that if you lay down on the deck you don't get as sick. His mantra was "one with the boat, one with the boat". Poros was a typical town with little white houses tiered on the hill. It was lovely! We all had a great dinner with the Captain at a small restaurant and sampled all the appetizers including a variety of eggplant dishes. The Greek salads are awesome, bright red tomatoes, a thick slice of feta cheese on the top and onions. Yum! It was quite warm outside and Steven and Sam decided they would opt for a hotel room rather than try to sleep on the boat. Steven is over six feet tall, a challenge in the narrow cabin. It was a difficult night sleeping on the boat, hot and muggy with no breeze. Everyone looked tired in the morning but did kept a cheery disposition stating, "I'm sure we'll get used to it, it was only our first night". But inside we were all a bit concerned, not to mention jealous of Steven and Sam in their hotel room. Every day we bought our groceries and made lunch on the boat. Kelly started a competition by making this awesome tuna, Greek salad and sandwiches for the kids followed up by Steven and Sam's famous "mosaic" of sandwiches, sangria and dessert. Sari and Mark was the designated crew and I enjoyed watching the Captain boss them around. He would yell "Rosario", Sari's real name, in his heavy Greek accent several times a day. Sari was in charge of making the Captains special Greek coffee to keep him happy. The captain swore he could tell your future by the coffee grounds thick like mud in the bottom of your mug. He would make up some story about our future after he hummed and hawed with great concern for a little effect. It was great! Several times a day the captain would loudly sing some old American song to liven up the crew..."I love you baby and if it's quite all right" and we would all join in. What a blast! Each day we left early in the morning for our next destination. Kelly, Sam, Steven and I tightly glued to the deck to avoid getting sea sick, Mark and Sari pulling and hoisting as the Captain commands, Corey, Jordan and Max with their bright red life jackets holding tight on the ropes of the bow eagerly awaiting the next big wave to soak them. We sailed about four hours each day and arrived early afternoon at the next destination, all near or on the Peloponnese Peninsula. Our next stop was Plaka, a small cove with two restaurants, a couple of grocery stores, pristine swimming area and bar. As we arrived the anchor malfunctioned. After several frustrating tries, the Captain called on his sailing friends for help. Like clockwork the other Captains untied their boats, turned them around parallel with the dock, sandwiched us in between and tied us to their boats safe and secure with amazing speed. Not long after that the owner of the boat arrived from Athens to fix the anchor. About 40-minutes away was a monastery on a winding road high on a hill that Kelly and Sari decided to explore while Steven and Sam searched for a hotel room. After the prior night's sleep, Kelly and Sari also decided to get a hotel but there were no rooms when they returned from the monastery. We ate at the Captain's favorite restaurant and had whole fish on the grill. I was amazed to see Max eat a fish with the head and tail still attached…he loved it! We were stuffed and sat on the deck watching the stars in the black night. Kelly saw three shooting stars for the first time. Beautiful! That night, I slept like a baby as the boat rocked back and forth in the port. It was still warm at night and some decided to sleep on the deck and on the stern. In the morning, we prepared again for the day's journey and headed to sea. The Captain has only one rule…plenty of fresh bread and plenty of water just in case we have trouble. We sailed to Spetses, one of my favorite islands! There are no cars just mopeds, bikes and horse-drawn carriages. It was a lively island with plenty of shops, people and great food. Kelly and Sari got a perfect hotel room right on the water, as did Steven and Sam. The guys rented mopeds and explored the island while Kelly and I explored the shops. It was great to have "female" company and catch up with Kelly; I really missed conversations with her since our move to North Carolina. We searched until we found the perfect setting and a glass (or two) of champagne. Later we enjoyed a picnic of Gyros. A great island! Mark, Max and I headed back to the boat via horse-drawn carriage to find the port quite lively with folks dancing to the live music that echoed in the still night air. Several other boats had tied up to our boat. All night, at all hours, you could hear the chatter and laughter of the other sailors as they jumped from boat to boat. It was our third day sailing and we were finally getting the hang of it. Just "go with the flow" and leave your expectations behind. From Spetses we sailed to Naphilia. As we approached we saw a sprawling castle high on a mountain accessible by foot, if you don't mind climbing one thousand stairs! The town below the castle was equally magical with plenty of shops, restaurants, and beaches and displayed more of a sense of community than the other islands. At night, the local kids gathered in the huge marble-tiled town square, surrounded by restaurants and shops, and played. The talented Corey jumped in on an "all out" game of soccer and was quickly elevated to team captain. We ate and watched him score point after point while Max and Jordan climbed on the street lamps. Restaurants can be a little slow in Greece and we were all STARVING! Before we knew it time had gotten away from us…it was 10:30 and we had not eaten yet. When our food arrived, the conversation came to a screeching halt as we stuffed down our tasty dinner. Aw! Much better! We walked around, dropped the others at the hotel, and headed back to the boat. As the streetlight streamed in the cabin window, the filthy port smelling of dead fish, we thought about how wonderful the sailing trip had been. The next day we set out to climb the castle, all but Corey and Mark who opted for a moped ride. We were huffing and puffing when we arrived at the top, the little guys did great, and the castle was awesome. We explored and headed back down for lunch. When we finally sat down, our legs shook from the climb. Steven and Sam climbed it in record speed! Later that afternoon, Sam rented a moped, a little different than the standard moped. The brake was in a completely different spot and when he tried to stop he flew right into a truck and flipped off the moped. He hurt his arm and shoulder but was so lucky that the damage was minimal. The next day he was quite sore and when he went to put on his watch it would not come close to fitting around his wrist! Thinking his arm was completely swollen he called to Steven in a panic, who pointed out that Sam had put on his watch by accident. They had identical watches and Steven had a much smaller wrist. We all howled as Sam recounted the dramatic tale as only Sam can do, Broadway has nothing on this guy! Next stop, Hydra, one of the most charming islands we encountered! Hydra is a favorite "getaway" for many Athenians. The only mode of transportation on the island is by donkey. It is about one-hour from Athens by high-speed ferry and attracts the "lifestyles of the rich and famous" crowd. Plush yachts, with anchors that appeared larger than our entire boat, filled the port as did many smaller sail boats. The weathered fishermen sat on the dock repairing their nets as the well-dressed tourists shopped for the perfect gold accessories while sidestepping the donkey droppings in their expensive shoes. Mark took Corey and Max to the layered rock cliffs to do some cave snorkeling. Plenty of topless young girls were catching sun, a first for Corey (age 15), who stared so much Mark gave him his sunglasses to conceal his wandering eyes. We had a great dinner followed by incredible baked goods that Sam and Steven bought in town. Later that night we sat on the boat drinking Baileys Irish Cream, recounting the tales of our incredible journey, and prepared for our friends to leave the next day. Kelly and Sari had to get the kids home for school, which started the next day, and Sam and Steven were headed to Mykonos and Santorini for another week of fun on land. We had such a wonderful time and I just hated to see them go. Mark and I felt fortunate to have chosen the perfect people to join us sailing. Everyone enjoyed each other so much, a perfect blend of personalities…an important decision when sharing 62 feet! The wonderful insightful conversations and laughter will forever be marked on my memories of Greece. It was just Mark, Max, the Captain and I for another four days out to sea. I was now an official crewmember and hurried to learn the knots needed to secure the buoys and the sails, and practice the art of Greek coffee making to ensure the Captain's good humor. We enjoyed in-depth conversations with the Captain, who was quite a philosopher with a wise old soul. He proceeded to tell me that he thought Max was "soft" and needed a little toughening up. There is no doubt that Max is a sensitive, often quiet, daydreaming kind of kid and I could understand how the tough and rugged Captain found him soft. He suggested, with a smirk, that we send Max to "Mama" for a while for a little Greek upbringing. One of the benefits of traveling is seeing the various ways different cultures raise their children. It gives you a chance to think about how you are raising your child and adopt new ideas. From that point on, the Captain bossed Max around for the rest of the trip giving him odd jobs to complete, one after the other. He sent him to buy his cigarettes in town all by himself each day (even though he had several packs already), wash dishes, sweep the floor, and learn all the knots. After completing each task the Captain would shout "Bravo, Max!" in his deep loud voice. Max beamed and eagerly awaited the Captain's next order. The Captain was right! Unknowingly, I had underestimated Max's ability to really help and in doing so had robbed him of some competencies and the esteem that comes with a job well done. With limited time and the dramatic day-to-day pace of corporate America, it was always easier to do the small jobs at home myself. How did I miss this? I know how to build esteem; it was my specialty in working with sales representatives for the past 12 years, yet I missed it with my own son's development! It is amazing what you can miss working at warp speed. This year off will be an amazing year of important personal growth and discoveries…this would be my first big "AHA!" My son, who had taken me eleven years, twelve surgeries, and five pregnancies to have had gotten the worst of me for all those years I struggled to make the big bucks. All my best energy was spent at work each day and my family got the leftovers. Sound familiar?