Greece & Grace

I was working away one evening in April 2017.

I’d been putting in the hours, tons of overtime, weeks on end.

The company I worked for had a system called “Bank of Hours.”

Basically, you couldn’t get paid for your overtime.

Instead, all the extra hours you worked got stored in a ‘bank’ and you could take time off using those hours, separate from your regular annual leave.

I had 4 weeks of annual leave a year and on top of that, I’d built up 144 hours in the bank.

Other than a short trip to Bali with a partner at the time,

I hadn’t been overseas or done any long-term travel.

The time was there.

And the pull to go to Greece… was strong.

I’d always had a yearning to visit the homeland to discover my heritage.

I didn’t know anything about my family outside of my immediate circle.

But ever since I was a teenager, I felt it a pull, a curiosity.

I’d wanted to go ever since I turned 18.

But it hadn’t worked out that way.

Then one day, out of nowhere, something in me just decided, I’m going.

I went upstairs to chat with the new store manager.

He was approachable, easy to talk to, a decent guy.

I walked into his office and said,

“I’m thinking of going to Greece. Would you let me use all my annual leave and my banked hours? I’m thinking of going from June through August.”

He looked at me and said, “Absolutely. No problem at all.”

It was heading into winter, the quiet months and they didn’t need as many people on the floor.

He approved it on the spot.

I was overjoyed.

I went home and spoke with my mum.

She told me she’d reach out to family in Greece and let them know I was coming.

“They’ll look after you,” she said.

About two weeks before I was due to leave, my mum approached me.

She told me she’d spoken to my Yiayia, her mum and mentioned the trip.

Then she said, “Yiayia asked if she can come with you.”

And I said, “Yes, of course.”

No hesitation.

And so it was settled.

We’d go together.

I didn’t know who the extended family were, I had a few names but no real connection.

Still, something deeper was pulling me there.

Not just blood.

Not just culture.

Something else.

And I would find out soon after landing.