Reflecting on the Beauty of Family, Nature, and Self-love
There is this incredible sense of serenity and child-like joy I experience each time I return to Greece. This past summer was all the more exciting though after Covid related restrictions postponed all our travel plans for 2 whole years. Now though, with the dust settled and countries around the world opening back up again, I finally made it back to Greece! I absolutely loved my time there visiting friends, family, and working on new opportunities for Calithea.
When I reflect on how much this trip meant to me, I’m filled with gratitude and a renewed appreciation for my culture. Obviously, every time I visit it’s a special experience, but something about this trip felt extra sentimental to me. Being reunited with my family has been incomparable. No matter how much time has passed we pick back up right where we left off. Our family here goes above and beyond for us when we fly out and it’s so touching. One of my favorite things to do with them is just sharing a home cooked meal made by my Theas (Aunts). The simplicity of just sitting at a table filled with good company and amazing food creates the most organic happiness I could ever ask for.
Time spent with my amazing family reminds me what’s truly valuable in life. To have such beautiful people around me is such a blessing, and sitting around the table sharing stories, throwing playful shouts across the table, and bursting into laughter, I can’t help but feel like I just want to bottle these precious moments up. Capture their essence and take them back home with me to share with everyone I know!
At Calithea we always preach about embracing the beauty in simplicity. Out of all the times I’ve been to Greece I think this trip really embodied this the most for me. Perhaps it’s just a new perspective I’ve gained now that I’ve grown up, or maybe it’s the post-pandemic freedom that sheds a new light on every experience so I appreciate it all the more. Either way, this past summer trip has allowed me to see Greece in its most natural and simple ways which in turn allows me to further learn to embrace myself in my most natural light as well.
As I laid afloat in the Mediterranean Sea, I paused and let myself really take in what I was surrounded by in that moment. The beautiful Messinaian coast is lined with the most gorgeous stone buildings, and the mountains where the highest points of the country kiss the sun. I look at all the flowers that are flourishing out of the beach cove walls. I then move so I can look down into the crystal clear warm water that hugs my body. My eyes are greeted with the most beautiful colorful fish swimming in the sea. It is so miraculous what you can find in nature all around you.
The rest of that day I took every single moment to be present. I appreciated all the fresh food at every meal, the laughter with my family and friends, the most stunning warm sunset, and watching the beautiful city of Kalamata light up as I sat at the overlook on the other side of the bay. My love for this country has allowed me to accept love myself because this is where my family is from and it is where all of our culture and values are built. It has also made me appreciate myself more because it is my body that has allowed me to see and experience these beautiful things. So in return I am so thankful for it, I embrace it, and I take care of it to the best of my ability.
It also motivates me to share this newfound passion with those around me. For this reason, my goal with building Calithea is to create a safe space and a set of products that support you and your journey to embracing your own beautiful self in a natural way!
~ Elena xoxo
