Backpacking was an adventure that could only be experienced by two Greek-American women in their early 20s right out of college in 1977. Travel with us as we take the ferry from Brindisi, Italy to Corfu, overland to Meteora, down to Volos where we boarded a ferry to Skopelos, onto Athens to visit my Aunt Dorothy (my Mom's sister), down to my father's villages in the Peloponnese, over to Crete and finally to Egypt. My diary is filled with detailed descriptions of what we saw and experienced but overall the word that exemplifies the trip is how the Greeks shared their Philotimo. What is a Philotimo personality? Filotimo describes an attitude toward fellow humans and humanity at large. It means showing empathy, compassion, and generosity without expecting anything in return, taking pride in doing what is right and honorable and being humble at the same time. Growing up Greek in the 1950s through the 1970s meant that you attended Greek School and Greek Orthodox services and Sunday School. Greek was spoken at home especially if your yiayia and papou lived with your family and most grandparents were on site. We were fortunate that in Chicago our aunts, uncles and cousins all lived within walking distance. Traveling to Greece was an extension of that Greek life that was instilled in us from birth. It was a privilege to photograph the sites and people of Greece during this beautiful summer of sleeping on steel hulls of ferries, beaches, caves, pensiones and family homes. Stay tuned for the diary that you will read in my very own handwriting! A collection of these photographs are on permanent exhibit at the National Hellenic Museum and the Greek Consulate in Chicago. Ευχαριστώ πολύ
