The Spark

It was travel that brought us together.
The pure, unadulterated thrill of two uncommon souls, in unbelievable places. Never satisfied with someone else’s story, always seeking to create our own. Together, we wandered the streets of ancient winding roads of Greece, spinning moments into words, and unspeakable beauty into ethereal connection. It’s the power of a place that changes you. Makes you see yourself in true perspective, and if you’re lucky enough to be there with the right person, traveling isn’t just going someplace - it’s becoming one with the world. It’s opening yourself up to moments of beauty, truth, and vulnerability with other cultures, with souls, with lives outside your own.
He and I left early one morning, walking down a dusty road Epidavros, toward the orange groves. Our agenda was simply adventure, and the mention of a “sunken city” by a local was a sure bet. Up the hill, through the grove, approaching an ancient theatre we’d seen the day before with a group. In the early morning fog, it was serene and empty - except for the growling chatter of men digging a few yards away. Rather than adjusting my pack and moving on, trying not to interrupt their grumbling, he and I walked over. I greeted them with the traditional “Kalimera;” and their warm conversation fueled our souls as we paused, before continuing our journey up the hill. The sky began to change. We passed a chapel long since given up to mother earth, the shrine to the Madonna overflowing with candles like melting stalactites. As we climbed the rest of the way up to the cliff, the sky bursting with pink light to welcome the sun, we sat on the edge over the water - that passionately blue water - he handed me an orange, and the sun rose over the ancient city, it’s marble foundations glittering under that pure, blue deep. We saw every sparkling moment in this incredible place through each other’s eyes. Our magnificent adventure, together. We hiked back down the cliff, wondering if we had missed our bus to the next town. I felt alive, vibrant. We met people on the street, struck up conversations with strangers, melded with the culture. Together we weren’t tourists; simply kindred spirits, seeking connection with our fellow humans. Our insatiable hunger to become one with every corner of the world is driven to action, together. He is my inspiration. He is the moment that changed my travels forever. Together, we could spin the world into poetry, and share our love of it with the world.