09. 02. 23. — Athens, Greece.
I don’t spend enough time in the city, back home. The islands call and I answer. But the mainland is a more realistic interpretation of what life is like in Greece. And from where I’m standing, life looks good. Slide 1: I always cherish my time w Alexaki. When he’s not being a complete malaka or driving his ATV into the ocean in reverse, he’s actually one of the smartest ppl you’ll ever meet. He’s always teaching me something about Greek culture. If u hang out w him long enough u may experience it too, or a headbutt. He likes to give those as well. Slide 2: Scrivanos, another beautiful soul I’ve been blessed by meeting, handed me this book and said tell me what u think. It only took me 7 pages to fall in love w the writing. There’s something beautiful about the narrated fatalism of death in contrast w the physical paradise I was just living in. Slide 3: Talk about fatalistic paradise. Slide 4: just a boy and his joint. Slide 5: My first Europa Match. I cried. Not as hard as I cried at my first Champions League Match days later 🥲. Slide 6: Watched Oppenheimer at an outdoor theater. Told the girls it was a movie about basketball (it’s not even a little bit about basketball). Slide 7: Business on the left. Party on the right. Slide 8: The bouzoukia. If you’ve never experienced one I feel sorry for you. Not only is this a concert that goes until 8am but it’s also a love story bcus if u haven’t noticed, Katerina almost ended her performance early to come sit w Costa. The next day she msged me on IG asking for him but sadly he blew it. Slide 9: Like I said, I never stay in Athens long. This is me checking out of my hotel and heading back to the islands. Or so I thought. I checked out and back in to my hotel 3x before I actually left Athens. I was abducted by the city and let me tell u, Stockholm syndrome is real bcus I fell in love w it. Slide 10: I met the owner of my hotel in Naxos and he kept up w my travels. This was his interpretation of what he witnessed. If u know Jacky G u know this is high praise. Thank you Ελλάδα 🇬🇷❤️🔥
Μονεμβασιά — 09.09.23.
Each year I return to Monemvasia, the trip starts the same way; An invite from Alexaki’s mother for a home cooked meal on their beautiful summer home patio. The trip usually starts there, & it usually ends there too, but not before we log a few hours at our favorite castle bar, Vathysfairo. The owner, (a 60something yr old going on 23) named Vasili Zerrigas, is the head bartender & he never takes a night off. My first time there, I attempted to buy a bottle of tequila but he refused me. He prefers that you don’t order a thing but instead sit at his bar & let him concoct deliciously elaborate cocktails/shooters like the mad scientist he is. His daughter, Eva, is the server. His son, George, is the dj. & his wife, Nectaria, is the manager. Not only is this the cutest family dynamic I’ve ever witnessed, but it’s also the most fun I’ve ever had at a bar. At the end of the night, there is no bill to pay. Instead, Vasili asks that you stop moving around so he can get a head count. Then he does what any Greek man would do — just ball-parks a number based on how he’s feeling, & that’s what we pay. Of course, he always sends us home w a few extra bottles of wine bcus sometimes the best nights end the next morning. Before we stumble back up the castle steps to Alexaki’s patio for what will certainly be a night full of dancing under the stars, there’s only one thing for certain, Themi keeping his Art Gallery doors open to make us a 4am crepe. Thank you to the Zarrigas family for defining hospitality. Thank you Themi for always keeping your doors open & stove on hot. And thank you Monemvasia for wonderful memories which have become yearly tradition. Some traditions die hard, I hope this one dies last. 🇬🇷❤️🔥
Μήλος — 08.19.22.
The island so nice, I visited twice. This historic fishermen town in the middle of the Cyclades is bursting w beauty. From countless private beaches that can only be reached by boat, to endlessly delicious plates of fresh seafood. They say it’s not a party island, though we sure did our best to bridge the gap. I took the group for a famous shrimp pasta tapsi on our first night. 3 bottles of wine appeared at our table — the server came over & said to me, “the owner likes your shirt, these are on the house.” They blasted Greek music, we threw chairs & plates as we danced between dishes, right up until the police showed up to shut it down for noise complaints 😂. I met a 65yr old island resident cabbie named Διμιτρι, who became my personal chauffeur. During our drives he would drop wisdom on me. He told me, “The key to life is sex & when u stop, u die.” He then asked if it were ok for us to make a quick pit-stop to pick up his girlfriend from the beach. When she got in the car I was a fly on the wall to their conversation. They spoke to each other as if they were teenagers flirting for the first time. He wasn’t lying, sex truly gave him life. I once called him late at night for a ride home. He was sleeping & I woke him up. I tried apologizing but he said “nonsense, I’ll have my son come pick u up now.” (His son wasn’t a cab driver). U could always count on Διμιτρι. I wonder what he’s up to rn.. probably having sex. 🇬🇷
Nashville — 03.16.23.
I had no preconceived notion of what Nashville would be like, and then I fell in love w it. On day 4 I canceled my return flight and found a realtor. The people were so kind and welcoming. On my flight in, the lovely lady sitting next to me gave me her daughters phone number. On the way out, my Uber driver texted me to ask if I made it onto my flight ok and said I could stay at his place next time I visit. This place is something out of a movie. Our Airbnb had superbeds so the boys could cuddle, bunk beds so the boys could soak and a walk in closet that Paul converted into a master bedroom. Meeting Kevin’s childhood friends from Ohio was a long time coming (so was beating them in civil war 🍻). I learned a lot from the Ohio boys, here’s some of what I learned: Johnny Bridge taught me that it’s ok to break up w your gf mid-vaca but then still call her to pick u up from JFK. Schilling taught me how to gamble, $69 at a time. Booze bag taught me that it’s ok to party under the bridge of a freeway w a dude who maybe lives there, and then invite him over for a sleepover. Mason taught me that it’s ok to cheat at civil war. Evan taught me that u should never pour a beer onto his mustang, even if it’s going to rain later. Troy taught me that no matter how drunk he gets or how many pieces of ID he loses, he can still introduce me to my future wife at KungFu. Long live Kevchella 23’. 🇺🇸🦅
Colombia — 02.12.23.
This trip was truly La Dolce Vita. Everyday in Colombia felt like 3 days. I booked a one way ticket bcus I planned on staying indefinitely but on day 9 I woke up & booked a return, out of fear of who I’d become. I’ve been best friends w Micheal since middle school but I don’t think we’ve ever flown this close to the sun. We slept in the same bed for 16 days straight (by choice). This wasn’t a vacation, this was a test of our physical & mental capabilities. We passed w flying colours, but at what cost? A group of Mexican women taught me how to El Scorpion & how to shotgun a cocktail, for that I am forever grateful. My Colombian weed dealer, Juan, taught me that it’s ok to invite strangers into your home to have a dance battle. Thank u Edoardo for flying all the way from Italy to be my translator. Ty Besar for being my photographer. Ty Peña for always believing in the Bash Bros & ty to everyone for respecting The Great Hall (except for Despotovic, but karma came for him so fast 😂). Most importantly ty to Dolce Vita for your staffs hospitality & exquisite pizza. And I guess ty Varlo. Here’s to Colombia 23’ 🦂🛌🇨🇴
Whistler, BC — 02.03.23.
You learn a lot about yourself when you take a wrong turn during a white-out and end up coming down the rock wall of a double black diamond. “Is that Chris? No, it can’t be.” Well let me tell you, ya, it was. Sometimes you can’t imagine yourself doing something until you do it. I think I’m going to chase that feeling for a while. 5 days in Whistler w the lads, what a time. 🎿🏔️
Μύκονος — 08.04.22.
I’ve never been as sick in my life as I was in Mykonos. That’s how u know we had a good time. The doctor prescribed me enough steroids to take down a small village (Mykonos village). He told me: “In 24hrs u will be able to dance. In 48hrs u will be able to drink.” He didn’t lie. Slide 1 is of Victoria & I 3hrs after our prescription party. Thank you doctor for positively impacting our short term lifestyle & most likely negatively impacting our long term health. 🇬🇷
No rain, no rainbow.
This past yr I found out that I’m not bulletproof. I loved, I lost, I learned. Life’s full of lessons. Sometimes you have to smash the puzzle just to put it back together again. Here’s to another yr of choices, it’s up to us to make the right ones. Happy 23’.
