I Want to be Near You Always

Story time.  This is a tribute to my Albanian boyfriend, Alexamder, who I met in Greece.  We're all laying on the black sand beach in Santorini.  Just laying and sighing and getting sun.  Our four sun chairs were spread out pretty far apart because we were all trying to get in the sun, and the umbrellas were casting big shadows.

Mindy was probably 6 feet away, and Maygan & Kyle were much further over at the next set of chairs. Our chairs were right up front, and at one point, I looked up and saw these two gorgeous guys walking by in the water.  Like anyone would do in this situation, I smiled at them, because, if you missed it the first time, they were gorgeous and looked like models.  

Well as soon as I smiled, one of them smiles back, says hi, and starts walking over - Okay, this NEVER happens.  I think it's what you always dream will happen, but it never actually does, so I didn't know what to do or how to handle it when the model in the water actually started walking towards me like Adonis rising out of the sea towards my chair.  

So, like any smooth confident lady would do, I panicked, quickly laid down, and put my huge sun hat over my face, so that he could keep on walking by, and there would be no chance of us actually talking.

Oh, no.  He walked right up to my chair, stood over it (with me laying there with my hat on my face), and said "Hello", thus forcing me out from under my hiding place.  What?? Who does that?? Adonis models? Is that what you do? Didn't you see that I just laid down pretending not to see you and immediately fell asleep under my hat?  

Ignoring all cues, he just pulled up a sun chair and sat 2 inches from me and started talking in broken English, one of the questions being, "Are you done with school?"  Oh bless your heart! That's the sweetest question ever.  Wait, are YOU done with school??  He was, but obviously not too far out if we're still asking that question.  

Although I'd be very happy to stare at his face for the rest of my life, I'm just feeling weird because I'm laying there in my swimsuit trying to act skinny, aware that I have three friends who must be watching and wondering what is going on.

I'm also acutely aware of the fact that I will not be falling in love with a just-out-of-college Albanian model who barely speaks English.  So when he wants us to exchange numbers so we can meet up later, yes, fine, whatever will get you and your perfect teeth away from my chair so that I don't have to pretend like I'm comfortable laying here in a bikini taking 10 minutes to explain that I'm from the U-NI-TED STATES.

He accidentally put his name in the phone as "Aleksamder", and the voicemails and texts that ensued over the next couple days gave us some of the best laughs of the trip.  Mindy and I were almost crying laughing at his first voicemail, which I can transcribe from memory (in a thick Albanian accent) as follows:

"....(Long pause).....Excuse me!  Clock o ten.  ....No ten, eleven. ........Santorini.....Fira....." Click.

What?

Now, I'm well aware that learning a foreign language is no easy task.  But I think it's pretty universal to start a phone message with "Hello."  Ah, he's so pretty, who cares.

And then these text messages:

That's very kind of you. What time come fira shall we?  Thank you???

Has the goods.  Meet the better.  I want to be near you always.


Why can't every 5 minute interaction end this way?  That's all I want.

Blue, blue, & blue: Greek Island Bliss

Greece did not disappoint.

I decided this will be my apartment.  You are welcome to come visit anytime!  The address is Tiny blue window by corner flower pot, 1,000 Foot Cliff, Oia, Santorini, Greece.

But let's begin on the plane.

Please use Exit A if you want a raft to avoid drowning, or Exit B if you prefer to forget about the plane crash and use this opportunity to jump off the wing and play ring around the rosey in the ocean.

 My favorite things in life include France, food, travel, and airplane safety card drawings.

First Greek salad. It is love. 100 to follow.

Baklava in Athens, with a view of the Akropolis...but I chose to stare at the baklava.

Fanny packs are in.  Not just for hipsters, also for creepy Greek men.

The Greece of my dreams.

  View from our apartment in Santorini

 There was much appreciation, excitement and dancing at all times.

Sunset cruise.  What a day.

This is Mike. We're in love. Our love relationship mostly involves me taking stalker pictures of him while he sails the boat and does other manly things, like being Greek.

In case Maygan ever wanted to star in a Mythos ad.

The day's activities involved jumping of the boat, cliff jumping, swimming at the base of a volcano, pretty standard.

Back of the boat with the grill going.  Best restaurant yet.

 Amazing group.

This is our secret way of saying we love each other. And also his way of telling me I'm not very covert.

Everybody put your hands together now!

Then it turned into a bright orange ball, and we watched it sink directly into the middle of the Agean Sea.

Do you see this deliciousness?

 And this view?

And this fresh grilled fish??

Black sand at Kamari Beach

Mindy and I, with gladness in our hearts, returned for a second sailing trip. 

Sitting on the net at the front of the catamaran. Bluest water.

Mike and I discussing our future together, how he will sail the boat and cook delicious things like Shrimp Saganaki for me every day as we live happily ever after sailing around the world.

The view I'd been waiting for

 As you may know, Santorini is perfect for Parkour!  Kyle Parkoured like crazy.

Surf on top of a white washed church perched on a cliff, check.

Is this real?

Parkour!

We may have been sad to leave Santorini...

but Mykonos stepped up to the plate.

with sun so bright you hardly have a face.

and more beautiful sunsets.

Finally, what I will be dreaming of for months to come...my favorite beach, Platis Galios.

And our favorite super friendly waiter bringing us freshly made frozen fruity concoctions inches from the crystal clear water.  I will be back.  Oh yes, I will be back.