Beautiful landscape of the Acropolis (valedol (123RF))

When I planned my trip to Greece, I wanted it to be authentic. Making a trip to the homeland of Socrates was my lifelong dream. When stationed in Germany at my first duty station, I was scared to go to Greece; I wanted to travel around Europe and get some experience before I checked that mark at the top of my bucket list. Unfortunately, when I finally booked a trip, I had to cancel because I had too much pregnancy sickness. I could not fulfill my heart’s desire to travel to the birthplace of democracy.

After Germany, I left my Army career and Europe behind and embraced the adventure of stay-at-home motherhood. I had a lot of regrets about canceling my Greece trip. For years, I wondered if I could have just sucked it up and gone. I decided to rid myself of regrets, and there was only one way. When my daughter was 3 years old, I took her by the hand and let my dreams come true with her.

I had been studying and romanticizing ancient Greece since I was a little girl. This trip had to be meaningful on many levels. I wanted to experience Greek culture as authentically as possible while still seeing the major tourist destinations. Therefore, I made sure to book a flight with a full-day layover in Athens before the final destination of Santorini. When my daughter and I arrived in Athens, we picked up our rental car and headed straight to the Acropolis (the country’s most popular ancient heritage site).

Author and daughter on a donkey smiling at the camera (Elizabeth Bird)

Driving through Greece was quite an adventure! Greek driving is scary, fast, and hectic. But I loved every second of it! As I was driving, I was taken aback by the amount of olive groves and grape vines. These two crops seemed to be methodically planted in every open area possible, even in two-foot-wide gaps between the sides of buildings. I cried tears of joy as I drove through the ancient city, fearless moped drivers swerving around me. I was finally here with my 3-year-old daughter as my travel buddy.

I parked our rental car at the bottom of the Acropolis. My daughter and I were still in the same clothes we had been traveling in for 12+ hours (we had flown in from Kansas). My daughter climbed on my back and we trekked up the hill through the ancient olive groves to the ruins of the Acropolis (which encompasses the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike). The Acropolis was used as a home to kings, a citadel, a mythical home of the gods and a religious center dating back to 495–429 BC. It was breathtaking. I was so happy to be strolling along the pathways that were once walked on by groundbreaking philosophers, mathematicians and politicians who paved the way for Western civilization. To me, the ancient Greeks were so advanced that it is hard to wrap my head around their scientific discoveries and philosophical achievements.  

Little girl standing in front of architecture (Elizabeth Bird)

I noticed that I stood out as a tourist. People watched me in amazement as I carried my daughter through the ancient ruins by myself. I felt so proud of myself for traveling across the world with my daughter. I had a few hours left until our flight to Santorini, and while I would have loved to visit other world-famous ruins, I decided it was time for some 3-year-old fun. So, we headed to IKEA. I let my daughter play and eat some food. After that, it was time to make our way to our final destination, an island many people believe to be the most beautiful place on the planet!

Santorini is one of the most popular of the Greek islands. From the volcanic sand beaches to the iconic, blue-domed cathedrals, this island attracts visitors from all over the world. When planning my trip, I knew I wanted to see how local Greek people lived. Therefore, I stayed away from the big towns of Oia and Fira. Instead, I opted for the smaller, authentic medieval village of Pyrgos.

Pyrgos is carved into the highest mountain point of the island, with castle ruins at the very top. Like most of the carved architecture of the island, the residential dwellings in Pyrgos are cave homes. Talk about a cultural experience! We stayed at Cycladic cave-house with mother-in-law quarters, a hot tub and a panoramic rooftop balcony typical for this style of house.  

Backside of donkey walking up white steps (Elizabeth Bird)

At night, we would climb to the roof, breathe in the salty, misty air of the Mediterranean Sea, look out at the rugged mountains left by volcanic eruptions and live in the moment. Walking through Pyrgos’s narrow alleys was unlike anything I’d ever seen in Europe. Eucalyptus plants were sprawling out of cracks in the medieval brick walls. Potted succulents were growing at six feet tall: fig trees, pomegranate trees, olive trees and grapes where everywhere! We ate hearty Greek salads, rode donkeys through the village (donkeys are still used as a means of transportation), indulged in Greek baklava from the bakery, made friends with the gregarious locals, saw stunning ancient artifacts at museums, visited cathedrals and splashed around at the beaches.

I feared traveling to Greece at first. It was hard for me to click the button and reserve my flight. The unknown is scary. But I’m so glad we went. It was so easy to travel there with a child. Almost everyone spoke English and were kind. The public transportation system in Santorini is easy to navigate, affordable, reliable and thorough (the local kids use it to get to school). The mild September weather allowed for a comfortable sea swim, yet not hot enough to dread a long walk. Pyrgos is clean, safe, and fun. Now that my family is stationed in Europe again, I can’t wait to go back and have another Greek adventure.