Greece Dreams

Remember those 5 Goals I sent to Novelista Barista back in January?  Well, here's my number one goal.

1. Go to Greece in the summer to celebrate my friend's and my 28th birthdays!

I can't express how difficult it's been to keep this dream alive.

Oahu, Hawaii, July 2007

Way back in 2007, one of my best friends and I made a pact.  Our goals for our late 20's would be focused on expanding our personal life experiences.  Plus, we both love to travel.  In fact, we were still feeling the glow from our trip to Hawaii.
We both have a continually growing list of places to visit.  But for some reason, at that moment, Greece was where we decided on.

So, 2 years later, we were getting really excited.  One year away from Greece!  We were constantly saying that 2010 was going to be our year.  We both turn 28, and we both go to Greece.

There's that idea that if you put something out there into the universe, then you're just helping it come true.  I know that's truly some magical thinking, and it feels so simple.

The part that they don't tell you is that you should continue to put that idea out there, and if you want it bad enough you have to put in some actions that go towards it.  Those actions can be as simple as talking about it all the time with others, and suddenly someone is there and willing to help you make it happen. 

I bought a book.

Greece Travel Guide

I sent this picture out to my friend as soon as I took it.  I was keeping the dream alive.

I started making lists, downloading Greek music, looking up movies based in Greece (which includes "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" even though it's not based in Greece, and "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" because really, what an appropriate movie for this trip!).  I feel like it would be so appropriate to have a marathon of movies in based/filmed in Greece!

But that year of planning was also 2009, a year of so many difficulties.  We were both unemployed for quite a lot of time.  It seemed like it just wasn't going to happen.

But I didn't give up, even if it felt like time was running out.

I put the Greece Travel Guide aside for a couple of months.  But not too far away.

My messy dresser.

I literally placed the book where I would see it before I went to bed and when I woke up in the morning.  I would occasionally look at it, but I felt that it was so unattainable.

At one point, my friend and I talked about postponing the trip to 2011.  It was just one more year.  I felt so defeated.  Like I completely failed, though I know it wasn't that I could necessarily help being unemployed.

Then in March, a friend came to visit.  This is the friend, like one I'm sure many of you have, who has the connections.  They're the person who can find you exactly what you need, though it might come about in a very unexpected way.  They're also the type of person who you would cal to bail you out of trouble, even if they might have to fashion some MacGyver move before you're actually rescued.

I told him about wanting to go to Greece but being broke, and he proceeded to email me a massive list of travel websites that I'd never heard of.  Being that he travels a lot, it makes sense that he would know.

After looking at one of the websites and realizing how much cheaper it was than I anticipated, I felt hope again.  I talked about it with my friend, and she agreed that we should try to get through with it.  We discussed our financial situations, and agreed on a solution.

I looked up optimal times and dates for the both of us, since we'd be doing a multi-destination trip (Boston to Athens, and Athens to Los Angeles).  Then I received an email.

YAY!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!  We're going to Greece!!!!!!!!!!  July 5th to July 15th, we're going to live it up and let some Greek men treat us like Goddesses!!!

Ya, I know the country is doing poorly financially speaking.  But isn't it good that we're supporting their economy by spending our money there?  The beaches are still going to be gorgeous, and the Acropolis will still be there (Goddess Athena willing).  And we're going to Greece!!

Goal officially accomplished!

Santorini, Greece