Greece, 2009 – Where It All Started

Before Notes from Elsewhere

This is not my best travel story.
But it might be the one that matters the most.

Long before Notes from Elsewhere existed, I was already writing about my travels.
Not for a blog. Just emails — sent to a few friends.

Nothing structured. Nothing planned.
Just trying to put the feeling into words.

Looking back, this was where it all started.

Athens Came First.

Standing in front of the Parthenon, I realized how long I had waited for that moment. I had seen it everywhere before — books, movies, school.

But the real thing felt different.

Not just beautiful.
Also meaningful. The kind of experience I knew I wanted more of.

Then came the islands

Santorini felt surreal at first — almost too perfect to be real. White buildings, blue domes and spectacular sunsets.

And then, reality would quietly interrupt.

“The driver asked where we were going, loaded our luggage into the trunk, and sat down.

Just then, a couple walked by. Without missing a beat, the driver repeated the whole process — tossed their bags in and had them join us. No questions asked!

That’s how I found out taxis in Santorini are shared.”

It was the first of many small moments where expectation and reality didn’t quite match — and that, somehow, made everything more interesting.

Mykonos was something else entirely.

It had a rhythm of its own. Music starting before sunset and stretching into the night.

It wasn’t just a party.
It was a constant state of movement.

The first thing we did was head straight to a shop to rent ATVs. After some back-and-forth with the rental guy, the inevitable question came up:

“Who’s going to drive?”

Without hesitation, we both answered, “Me!”

Ok. Two ATVs.

At some point, I tried to describe it in an email.

Not the place itself — but the feeling of being there.

“Mykonos is known for being open-minded. Here, anything goes — and everyone acts like it’s the most normal thing in the world. But even knowing that, I was still shocked when I saw a completely naked man lounging on a beach chair. It was surreal. And I SWEAR it wasn’t a nude beach.

On one side of me, there was an elderly couple in full swimsuits. On the other, a family with a four-year-old child — all dressed. Just two umbrellas away, a topless woman sunbathed next to her partner. And then, as if it were nothing, a man as naked as the day he was born strolled slowly along the shore.

No one flinched. No raised eyebrows. Nothing.

Now that’s modern.”

I can’t go any further without sharing a piece of wisdom from Mônica — the friend who once joined me in Prague and Vienna.

She had already been to Mykonos and gave me one of the most valuable travel tips I’ve ever received:

Bring the darkest sunglasses you own to the beach — strictly for observation purposes.

Turns out, it was pure gold.

And then there was Paradise Beach.

At some point, I tried to describe it in an email.
Not the place itself — but the feeling of being there.

“We started the day at Paraga Beach, one of the busiest — just like the one we went to yesterday. We stayed there for a bit and then made our way to Paradise Beach, which became our favorite spot.

From a distance, you could already hear the techno pumping. We claimed a spot at a huge beach bar with even bigger speakers. The later it got, the louder the music grew, and the crowd kept swelling. I’m not even that into techno, but somehow it’s the perfect soundtrack for Mykonos. The energy is infectious. First, your shoulders start moving, then your neck… and before you know it, you’re dancing with your hands in the air. Depending on your level of shyness — or how much you’ve had to drink — you might even end up dancing on top of the table.

There was a host hyping up the crowd (as if that was needed), wearing an outfit that was… let’s say, hard to forget. From behind: just a red thong, basically a string. And in the front: the face of an elephant, with the trunk strategically covering you-know-what. I swear! Good thing he had a fantastic body — otherwise, it would’ve been the stuff of nightmares.”

It Was Never Just About Mykonos

Reading it now, it’s not really about Mykonos.

It’s about trying to capture something that doesn’t stay still.

Looking back, it was never just about Greece.

It was about noticing.

The atmosphere.
The contradictions.
The feeling of being somewhere entirely different — and trying to hold on to it for just a little longer.

I didn’t know it then.

But somewhere in those emails,
Notes from Elsewhere had already begun.