Bella Scipione

Sep 29 2022

Kythnos was a dream. G and I arrived on the island early yesterday morning. It is located 56 nautical miles from the Athenian harbor of Piraeus and is 38.68 sq mi in area with a coastline of 62 miles. When I was planning our trip I wanted to find an island that was more underrated than some of the other Greek Cyclades. Kythnos was the perfect match.

We rented an ATV and drove through the island’s bald hills and dry-stone walls to reach our hotel in a village called Loutra. Loutra’s laid-back atmosphere and elegant architecture made us feel immediately at ease. The people of Loutra seemed surprised to see two Coloradan girls walking around town, as we were asked many times how we ended up on the little island. We had an incredible meal right on the beach at a restaurant called Sofranos. The sea bass ceviche is Peruvian inspired and is absolutely to die for.

After our routine nap we got dolled up for a photo shoot and sunset cocktails. Our server, Stathis, not only recommended the most delicious mango martini, but engaged with us in some pretty deep discussions. I’ve put a lot of thought into these discussions and will definetly be reflecting on them in the days to come. G and I went for some calamari, were gifted numerous shots of Tsipouro (traditional Greek vodka), and returned back to Stathis’ bar for some more good vibes. Stathis let me show off my bartending skills and I whipped us all up some green tea shots.

We met a beautiful man named George who works as a scuba diving instructor on the island. George and I have a shared perception of the world we live in and it felt refreshing talking with someone so intelligent, kind, and genuine. George set a good reminder that we should never take life too seriously.

This morning we enjoyed breakfast at our hotel and decided to visit George for a scuba diving lesson. G has a little cold and was unfortunately unable to join me on my finding Nemo adventure. I had never been scuba diving before and was extremely nervous at first. However, George was, of course, a brilliant instructor and made me feel safe as we dove under the Mediterranean Sea. I eventually became adjusted to breathing under the water and entered a state of pure tranquility. This was, hands down, the best first date I have ever been on.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore” – André Gide. This quote may seem a bit cheesy but is one of the major themes of our trip. G and I both have a passion for helping others and are in search of answers on how to effectively do so. I have spent the last four years in school learning how to promote the social change, development, and empowerment of people and communities. I have been taught about the ways in which we can help those most vulnerable but still struggle with finding an answer as to how to truly make a difference. We cannot understand the needs of others without understanding the deepest parts of ourselves. By losing sight of the shore, we step outside of our comfort zone and are forced to experience a world different than our own. While there still is so much to learn and explore, I am confident in where the rest of our journey will take us. Next stop, Rome.