Greece - Part 1 — kendra

Happy Monday! I'm excited to share all about our Greece trip with you guys - so let's jump right in!

Collin was part of the President's Club for his company this year and earned an amazing, all expenses paid trip to Greece because of it (we are SO thankful for this amazing opportunity!) We flew to Greece last Thursday (15 hours of flying - JESUS SAVE ME!!) and finally arrived in Athens on Friday morning! I have never left my kids longer than a night or two so this was SO FREAKING hard for me. I sobbed for two hours on the plane from NYC to Athens and was just SO anxious to leave the kids. I knew they were in good hands, but the thought of being away for that long was almost too much. Norah was a champ on the plane (per usual) and when we finally made it to Athens, we all went straight to our hotel for a nap. Jet lag is REAL.

We woke up from our nap, splashed some cold water on our faces and gathered ourselves. It was SO hot & muggy, which we loved coming from Seattle. Our hotel was GORGEOUS - very fancy. We took a tour of the Parthenon at the Acropolis (SO MUCH MARBLE) and had a beautiful dinner at the bottom of the Acropolis in downtown Athens. Norah ate her weight in white bread and pasta, and while I didn't love the food (I'm not very adventurous), the wine was jusssst fine. We went to bed relatively early so we could get up early the next day for a flight to Mykonos.

The airports in Greece leave much to be desired, but we finally made it on a quick 30 minute flight to Mykonos - where the Aegean sea is crystal blue and the buildings are bright white. After another nightmare airport experience (luggage in a holding garage anyone?), we made it onto a large bus towards the hotel, which was a 20 minute drive across the island.

Let me just tell you, the roads in Mykonos are insane. I thought I was going to die in the Aegean Sea in a city bus. The island is very under-developed, roads included, so there wasn't a whole lot of structure. You look at photos of Greece and see lots of beautiful white buildings on seaside cliffs, but fail to realize that to get to said buildings, you have to take one-way switchbacks in very large buses on hills that seem a bit too steep for reality (with NO guardrails). It's a nightmare. :)

Despite the roads, we managed to make it to our hotel, which was AMAZING. We stayed at the Myconian Avaton in Mykonos. Literally the most incredible hotel I've ever stayed in. Every details was impeccable, the design was unlike anything I've ever seen and the sweeping views of the Aegean Sea were mind-blowing. They have four other hotels in Mykonos which are all just as incredible - definitely a must stay if you’re visiting.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool, taking in the views and kicking off our vacation. (also, poolside cocktails - which happen to be my love language).

Norah was exhausted and fell asleep IN THE POOL! We let her nap for a bit and got all freshened up for a cocktail party by the pool before heading to bed! Closing in on our first few days! (swimsuit here) (tie dye cover-up) (watermelon float)