Eimai eva kalo paidi

So my final days in Athens drew to a close ten hours ago. Maura and Manos, in their infinite generosity, have tolerated my constant presence for about a week now. Not only was I welcomed into their home, but I was also fed in a very Greek fashion. mmmmm bugatsa

I said my goodbyes to the Family and received possibly one of the best comments ever. Katerina said, "Eisai eva kalo paidi." meaning "You are a good child." which Manos translated to "You're good peeps." Yiayia recognized me every time I stopped by. I gave her kisses on the cheeks, she shook my hand and smiled. As soon as I'm home, I'll hyperlink those photos to you.

I'll miss yiayia. She's a beautiful woman. I'll miss Rosa, who is the fastest worker I've ever encountered, only to be outdone by the speed of her Georgian (the language). I'll miss Katerina who never failed to make me feel welcome. I'll miss Adonis who practiced his English with the line, "Good morning girls" then reverted back to Greek for the rest of the day. He still owes me an autographed photo! I'll miss Maria who is one of the most independent Greek women I've met, dancing the zebekiko. I'll even miss Alex, especially because I never got to hear him yell, "Manolis! Manolis! (Get my hat)" to which Manos whispered to Maura, "Pretend you don't hear him." I'll miss Manos' endless supply of nicknames for me, two of which are: The Little One and Noelle Baggins. I'll miss Maura's advice and will always remember the look on her face when she burned rubber throughout Athens.

I was incredibly lucky to have stumbled upon the Kalaitzakis doorstep in January.