A Day in the Village (Part Two: We Went Back)

As some of you may remember from yesterday's post, our spontaneous trip to the village came with a small adventure of its own. We had forgotten our house keys, and Maria had to drive back to the city to collect her bag and the spare keys before returning.

But the day still had one more surprise waiting for us.

As the afternoon went on, we sat outside with my parents, enjoying coffee in a quiet corner of the garden while our little one danced, climbed onto his toy car, climbed off it, climbed back on again, and repeated the process so many times that I eventually lost count.

Soon it was time to head back to the city. We packed our things like modern-day nomads and got into the car. In Greece, we have a saying:

"When people make plans, God laughs."

In our case, another version seemed more appropriate:

"When parents make plans, toddlers cry."

Not long after we started driving, our little one burst into tears and began asking to go back to the village and to his grandmother. We didn't think about it for very long. And so... We turned around and went back. By then it was almost evening, and staying overnight suddenly became the most sensible option.

When we arrived, my parents had a surprise waiting for us. They had ordered souvlaki* for everyone, partly to thank us for staying and partly because they were genuinely happy that we would spend the night there after all. Our little one was so excited that he stayed awake much later than usual. We ate, talked, laughed, and played together until the day slowly came to an end.

This morning we enjoyed the countryside even more. We walked among the flowers, breathed in their scent, and watched bees eagerly collecting nectar from blossom to blossom. The tiredness is still there, of course. Life is always easier when you're sleeping in your own bed and following your usual routine.

But then again...Who could possibly deny a child the chance to experience nature? Last night's star-filled sky wrapped itself around us and offered a few peaceful hours of sleep. This morning's blue sky and warm sunshine tried their best to melt away the signs of fatigue.

And so another day begins.

Recently, we've also been discovering wonderful blogs written by people from all over the world. For us, blogging is more than a hobby. It's a way of life. And connecting with other people is part of that life.

We belong to a younger generation that refuses to fully surrender to the frantic pace of the modern internet. We want to live more slowly, more intentionally, and with genuine connection.

Will we do it perfectly? Probably not. But we will keep trying.

Over the past few days, we've been incredibly happy to see visitors from other blogs stopping by our little corner of the internet and leaving comments. Every single one of them brought a smile to our faces. Thank you for joining us for a coffee in the village, and for sharing these simple moments with us.

And wherever your own journey takes you, please know that we look forward to visiting your corner of the world as well.

 *What is Souvlaki? For our international friends, souvlaki is a very popular and delicious Greek fast food. It consists of small pieces of grilled meat (usually pork or chicken) pierced on a skewer. It is often served inside a warm pita bread with tomatoes, onions, tzatziki, and fries. In Greece, ordering souvlaki is the ultimate way to celebrate a cozy night in with family!

 

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If you read all the way to the end, thank you. We would genuinely love to hear your thoughts, memories, or feelings in the comments. And if you ever feel like writing to us more personally, you can always send us a letter at:

✉️ unplug.thrive@gmail.com

— Mary & Chris