You’ve only got one chance to make a good first impression.

An introduction to beautiful Greece is the type of task any Greek parent can romanticize: the whitewashed structures donning symbolic blue domes, farm to table cuisine, picturesque beaches, history coming to life, and filotimo enveloping it all.

Between seeing new lands, first meetings with native Greek family members and adjusting to cultural norms in a foreign venue, there are undoubtedly many twists and turns along the first family sojourn to the fatherland. Although admittedly, I am not a travel expert, my husband and I have taken multiple family trips to Greece. Some of our planning was on the mark, and of course we’ve learned a few – okay, many – things along the way. This article will share that knowledge as an added resource to the Diaspora in our desire to achieve that ‘best first impression possible’ in our ancestral homeland.

Our first family trip to Greece occurred when our sons were aged 11, 12 and 13. Knowing that there would be familiarity with the church, food, Greek dance and the language (we counted on years of Greek school amounting to some basic knowledge of the discourse), we also wanted them to create a pre-trip perspective and genuine interest in Greek antiquities.

We have since returned to Greece many times with our boys, including in 2021, when this photo was taken on Captain Spiros’ boat in Kythira, Greece.

Anticipating a possible challenge to engage our tweens, we had to think outside of the box, and suggested they read the Percy Jackson series. Thankfully, they accepted enthusiastically. The books left an impression. To quote our eldest, now 23: “I read them at age 11. They definitely got me to learn more about Ancient Greece, and served as sort of a gateway to being passionate about visiting Greek sites of antiquity.” Another son responded: “It made me think that Ancient Greece is cool.”

My husband and I always set the itinerary, negotiating a balance between seeing relatives from both sides, historical sites and the islands. Our trips typically were between two and three weeks in duration, allowing for multiple days in each location visited.

Another tactic used to engage our sons in the planning process was to assign each of them a day to plan. They were tasked to research the location and arrange a family excursion. This required research and advanced planning.

We provided them resources such as Tripadvisor and Viator. Any excursion had to be attainable for all five of us, within a designated budget and mindful of physical limitations. It was really fun and interesting to see what they lined up, and it took some of the burden off of us!

On our first family trip to Greece, we chose to visit my native island of Kythira. Both of my paternal grandparents had been born there. Now, I myself had heard the story of their meeting, which I had shared several times over the years: my grandfather, sitting at a cafe in the platea, swore as a bug flew into his coffee; my Yiayia observed with a loud enough chuckle for him to look up and take notice of her as she rode by, side-saddle, of course, on her donkey.

My Yiayia and Pappou together with baby Thea Chrys, shortly after emigrating to America.

He was smitten; his family, of greater means, was not in favor of the union. Decades later, on our trip to Greece, we went to sit at that same cafe and imagine the scene. He accepted her paltry dowry – a small parcel of invaluable land – and one tiny sheep herder’s-resting hut marking its only structure.

This spitaki rests on the hill overlooking my Yiayia’s dowry to my Pappou in Kythira, Greece.

They married for love at her little village church in Agia Anastasia. During our family visit we all stood on that very spot at the altar. I knew that my Pappou had paced in the dowry’s resting hut while my Yiayia suffered the long labor of her firstborn, carving the phrase ‘still waiting’ on the interior wall to pass the time. It was so special to see that story come to life with my sons and husband; the letter ‘A’ from his long wait was still visible all of those years later.

There was virtue in sharing this history, cultivating a deep respect within my sons for their ancestry.

We wanted the boys to be fully present for each visit. We anticipated battles with screen time on their devices. Although this is now the world we live in, expectations were set pre-trip so that they could fully immerse into their homeland. A few days before travel, each received a list of our expectations. You can imagine how thrilled they were- well, perhaps not – but maybe they will reflect on that one day when they have their own families and thank us later!

We hit screen time head on and addressed cell phone usage. They had to be turned in to us at night in order to create an environment to get the rest required so they could be ready for the next day. We also prohibited cell phones during excursions other than for taking pictures.

Having experienced challenges getting our boys all on the same schedule (different wake up times and mealtimes, etc.), we wanted to avoid the ‘waiting around for everybody to be ready’ game. We required family breakfast and dinner to be at specific times – and they had to show up. At breakfast we convened for the day and spent time together in order to go over the day’s schedule of events, to ensure everyone knew what the day would bring.

Lastly, obvious in its simplicity, we created a family shared album for each trip. Picture taking and sharing was another way to facilitate interest, focus and involvement in our young boys. Those photos now serve as a wonderful family album we created collectively. Some of our sons’ pictures offered a hilarious insight into some of the goings-on behind the scenes! It was entertaining to capture the perspective of their experience; their documented adventures definitely worth a thousand words!

Per Aristotle, “the aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” Indelible, beautiful memories that endure have espoused Hellenic pride and passion in our children. What’s more, it brought their hearts back to the fatherland, where the past, present and future intersect.

As parents, we are grateful.

Kalo Taxithi!