If you read my last blog about finding bliss and comfort while waiting for my delayed flight at the Athens airport, chances are, you then imagined me, spending the rest of my time in Greece sipping a cocktail on a pristine white, Santorini balcony, and watching the sun set over the Mediterranean. Uhm, no. That’s not exactly how it happened, because…
Back at the car to leave the airport. You can see it's a pretty blustery day.
The flight to Santorini was cancelled! No kidding. The weather never improved, and it was cancelled! When they made the announcement, my “go with the flow” bliss morphed into instant “pissed off-ness.” I mean, sure, I didn’t mind a little delay, but not going altogether? Arrgh! I suddenly found that I had been really looking forward to overlooking the Mediterranean and marveling at the sheer beauty of it. Of finding quiet solace in my little cave-like room, with its balcony. The charming little room that I was never going to see. Instead, I was going back to impinge on my relative’s company, horn in on their activities, and eat more of their food.
And then I remembered – there’s going to be a wedding tonight – a Greek wedding. And I’ve been invited. And although I always cry at weddings and crying is something I try to avoid since I lost my husband, maybe I won’t cry at this one because I don’t understand the language. And there’ll be dancing. Greek dancing.
Okay. The wedding didn't work out either. But I did make it to stunning Delphi, once considered the spiritual center of the earth.
And I started thinking – maybe this was meant to be. Like my not being able to use my phone since landing in Greece, inexplicably not being able to log on for emails, and fighting a case of bronchitis for the first four days; maybe the universe is just making sure (making damn sure) I was going to go with the flow and not expect too much. Then again, maybe it was protecting me; telling me that I was not yet ready for the sensory over-loading bliss of the sheer beauty of nature in Santorini. Or maybe s!*t just happens sometimes.
Like it, or not, though – I am going with the flow. And sometimes it works out that, the further we get away from something, the closer we get to something else. One thing’s for sure – life was not listening to my plans that week.
And as I got over the initial shock and indignation that my flight was cancelled, I started to relax again. This is not bad. Not too bad. And then I started thinking about the wedding…and oh, wait, maybe I’ll make it to Delphi after all…and besides, my relatives are really wonderful, delightful people…and I am already feeling like a part of my Greek family.
Kitten outside the Delphi museum.
- Statue inside the Delphi museum.
Hi Lisa, I love your blog as always. This is a beautiful philosophy of saying they thwarted a plan can be an adventure instead of seeing the negative things. That’s my philosophy! Always much love and God bless you. postscript: I love the photo of your cat!
Hi lisa, Just one question.How do you manage to still look good while being windswept? Kelly x
You be crazy. I look totally tired. But! I never turn down a compliment (well, sometimes I dodge them). Thanks, L
Grecia es la cuna de la democracia. Un país digno de ser visitado.
Me alegro de que la boda fuera bien. ¡Ah! y llorar en las bodas es bonito; se supone que son lágrimas de felicidad. Por cierto, hablando de bodas, me gusta mucho la foto de su boda. Patrick con un traje de color azul, dándole un trozo de pastel. Está usted realmente encantadora con su cinta en el pelo.
Saludos desde España.
Hi LIsa, I didn’t know you where Greek as well as from Finland , what a nice combination!
We are not related by blood (in-laws). I can’t remember the Greek name for what we are for each other, but there is a name for it. If anyone knows (in Greek, or English), I love to know!
pps. & of course I have Finnish/Greek niece & nephew. They’re awesome kids.
Koumbara!
Oh, no! That’s horrible that you didn’t make it to Santorini. But, it sure looks/sounds like Delphi was a gorgeous replacement. Regardless of the circumstances, I’m so glad you had such a wonderful time with your relatives!
As always, much, much love to you, Lisa! XXX
PS. I bet the authentic Greek food was delicious…not to mention the wines! 🙂
I am very happy when I’m eating Greek food. XL
Oh, that was too good!! I just laughed and laughed!! Do you speek Russian(earlier I was reading your trip to Russia tweet) as well as Spanish??? You are truely a lady of many talents! Your Blogs are getting addictive. You ever quit, I’ll go into a state of depression…..absolutely love’m.
I’ll share my secret – translate. google.com
Я похвалил тем не менее
Wow, you just taught me something new….translation on google. Thanks
Добро пожаловать
Ok, we’re speaking in strange languages at 4:40 in the morning….would you like for me to share my Ambien with you???
Hah!
to grant or to welcome….is that right?
Yes! “You are welcome.”
Hi Lisa
love your stunning pictures of Delphi museum and the kitten posing there outside museum, and your pic of you at the Delphi you look so great in all your pics, a beautiful strong lady doing her best to get her life together and it will happen Lisa it just takes time.
You have traveled to some beautiful places, it must be lovely to visit such, wonderful interesting places.
Love to read your blogs they really are great and you express so much in your writing it makes me feel as if I am reading a real friends heart felt feelings you take care God bless love julie xxox
Good time of day to You, Lisa! In any case, You will not miscalculate. I admire you. Your life’s resistance. The ability to appreciate and take life as it is.
Thanks, and you know…sometimes you wonder if you have a choice!
Wow!! You do have your share of badddd luck! You need to get back here on OUR soil….back to reality. Maybe things will turn around for the better? Hey, your animals miss you I’m sure.
I love the way you write as you speak, it makes reading it so much more realisitc and funny.
Whenever we go away my husband says “i take more pics of the stray aninmals rather than what we are there to see” keep up the writing.
Helen
Hah! Patrick and I were always more exciting to see our pets in published photos than ourselves!
Yea, they never have a bad hair day and don’t have to deal w/makeup!
Hi Lisa,
I got a laugh from this ‘ little piece of you life’…these things are sent to try our patience all the time. Having no phone etc for a while is probably the best thing ‘the universe’ can do for you…even though we love to read your blogs and tweets, we do realise that you need private time too. The cat picture is lovely..and I hope your chest infection is better. Best wishes Cherrylm.
What adventures Lisa! I´m always nervous travelling abroad but i hope that i´m going to get used to it.Thank you for sharing the stoy with us.<3
I know it is late, but this is when I do my best “soul searching.” I have personally found that there is nothing in this life such as a coicidence. There are just some things that are “meant to be” so that we can “learn from them” in spite of ourselves. I have learned the hard way that, being the organized person whom I am, well I believe that there is not one single thing that can ruin or change my plans because I set them in motion; so, therefore, of course they will “take place” as I planned them..(yeah, right)… My thinking is totally, totally wrong. I have always hated “cliches.” I hate when people say to me that I am to “bloom where I am planted,” etc. I hate it when my plans go awry!!! However, I have learned the VERY HARD way that when “plans change” without my “approval,” that I had best “pay attention!” That is exactly the time that I “really pay attention” to the changes that are taking place and where I am supposed to be, according to the “new plan.” At any rate, Lisa, I do know for certain that the spirits of our loved ones WILL change what they feel may be harmful or not in our best interest… Therefore, it is “that particular flow” that I try hard to “go with.” I hope this has been of some help. It has always helped me to know that when situations take a different turn, that I am to “pay close attention” because those who love me and are not with me physically ARE watching over me and “allowing” me to be in the places where I will feel safe and comfortable….. Praying for you, Karen
Hey Lisa,
Think the word you are looking for is…SINGENIS!! ;o)
We are off to Greece in July to see the relatives as didn’t make it over last year and I am so looking forward to it. Join us if you like!!
Slight subject change, did you receive the CD I sent?
Hugs Jo xx
Thanks! Enjoy your trip in July. L
Lisa;’
Sorry things did not go as planned. Yes, s!*t does happen to us all, you just have to make the most of it. Pictures are beautiful, so guess it was not all bad. Blessings to you.
Hi Lisa,
Good to hear you made it to Delphi after all. How was it?? And…have you danced the Sirtaki while you were in Greece? Having relatives in Greece isn’t the worst thing in the world…are you going there often?
It’s always a big bummer when flights get cancelled or delayed because of the weather…But safety first, right? .Last November there was a lot of fog in Europe and I had to fly to Milan for dancing championships but many flights got cancelled….I was very lucky cause mine was delayed and not cancelled.
I like the pictures 🙂
Love,
Ineke
Only had one good night of dancing, and it was more boogying down stuff. The Greeks know how to party!
Hello Lisa,
Thank you so much for your beautiful Pictures. I love your blog contributions. Thank you for your great Work 🙂
Love Greetings from Amberg in Germany
yours,
Simone
– A new verse for Patrick’s song, perhaps?!?… i.e: “She’s Like The Wind – In Santorini… She rides the night – like Houdini…” (Or maybe not!!!) Who knows, Lisa, you could have had a past life in Atlantis, which some people link to Santorini and is said to have been engulfed by the sea in the ancient mists of time! Once when I was travelling overseas, there were unprecedented floods in locations which had associations with dramatic events in history, and some people believe the waters cleanse the energy of a place even though extreme weather events can be violent at the time. It sometimes appears that our own energy can trigger such events, in the same way as Shakespeare uses the weather conditions to reflect inner turmoil ( as in the storm, in “King Lear”) At least it was very fortunate that you were not flying at the time the winds kicked up so that you were safe, though thwarted in your travel plans! And good that you managed to soak up the greek goddess energy at other sacred places on the Greek mainland, and so boost your inner strength and fortitude. Who knows, one day you may get to beautiful Santorini and hopefully next time around in weather matching the beautiful travel pictures of the island!!! Thwarted travel plans can sometimes turn out to be life saving, or in other cases the over-ride of our plans is the means to get us to another location for a more significant event or encounter to take place than the one we had anticipated. I love John Lennon’s quote: “Life is what happens to us while we are busy making other plans!” ( or words to that effect)! So perceptive, and sometimes so true!!! Take care Lisa, and keep up the good work! Your next book could be full of such stories, as in your blog! It would surely be yet another bestseller! xxx
Thanks, Lynn!
Hey Lisa, All iI can think is everything happens for a reason!! I hope you enjoyed your extra time in Santorini with family.
Lorna.xx
Funny comparison between “Statue inside the Delphi museum” and “Kitten outside the Delphi museum” 🙂 🙂 🙂
Lisa, is this your own Kitten or an indigenous Greek? Handsome 🙂
Seriously. This cat was sitting just outside the Delphi museum. It made me laugh when I saw how the picture compared the the statue inside. Sweet!
Great to see you embracing the flow of what happens when you are on a trip! You can plan it down to the last detail and somehow your itinerary takes on a life of its own and that is when you make the best discoveries and experience wonderful things that you would have otherwise missed!
Wow you have boundless energy and enthusiasm – I hope you are taking some time out to smell the roses!!!!
I want to wish you a Happy Birthday for tomorrow and I hope you find peace, happiness and light in all that you choose to do!
P.S I wish you would write about your experiences in the early days of your dancing career. I think it would be really interesting and you have a great way with words.
Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind about writing something about starting to dance when I was young. What a special thing that was for me in my life!
I am glad my message has invoked some more great memories and gives you the inspiration and strength to capture it all in words 🙂 Maybe you could make a coffee table book with some inspiring quotes/memories of your time dancing? Dancing is visual after all and maybe that is a different way to share the creation of dance pieces and a bit of a timeline of your dancing days without busting your chops writing a book.
I am a bit jealous of dancers – probably because I love music so much and I only bust out moves at a party or at the pub. Has everyone talking but probably for not the right reasons 😉
It’s the spirit that counts!
Hi Lisa
You celebrate mothers day over there yesterday, we in the U.K. celebrate ours in March and I was well spoilt to flowers and wine and a lovely meal out I didnt lift a finger all day, had a great mothers day.
I sent mum and dad out for a meal too as had to spoil my mum too and gave her flowers as normally I have them over to me but my 17yr old said no its your day to be spoilt so loved my mothers day.
Did you celebrate mothers day with your mum? and has she settled in ok to her new home?, as last time you said you were helpping her to sort things to move.
well lots of love God bless you Lisa love julie XXOX
Hi Lisa,
It is always nice to read your blog and enjoy the photos. My husband and me are off to Santorini in June (I will think of you there for sure). We stay there 1 night and on the following day we are going by ferry to Naxos where we stay 2 weeks. At the moment we worry about the new elations which will take place during our stay in Greece. We hope that everything goes well for Greece.
And we are planning also the holiday for next year. In April or May my second dream after New York City (we were there in 2011) comes true: We will visiting San Francisco and Los Angeles. I am looking forward so much! I would love to see every bit of the USA. I love the country so much.
Love, Melanie from Germany
You can post back here, and tell me what I missed in Santorini. Hah! Sounds like some good traveling in your future. Have fun!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks!
Of course, I will let you know about Santorini. We like to travel. Spend our honeymoon 2010 in Bali and we were in Kenya in 2006 (Africa and its people are wonderful as you also know because of Namibia).
Love, Melanie
Hope that you had a good Mother’s Day with your Mom. Were you able to get all of her things “sorted through?” Hope that she is adjusting well to her new living situation (and you as well)………..
BTW, I unclicked the one box below and hopefully I won’t continue to get all of your friends’ emails. I am glad that you are doing pretty well, at least in the sense of making yourself continue to get out and be with people and to be with your friends….. You are so very blessed to have good friends in your life. We no longer do as we isolated ourselves after our oldest son, Charlie, was killed in a car accident. It is totally our own fault. Just seemed like too much effort was required…..
Cannot imagine being in your shoes….. It hurts bad enough to have lost our oldest son…………. Karen
Hiya Lisa,
Anything arrive on your doorstep from me yet? (Sorry if I am being a pain especially as I am certain you receive many great things from people that you need to work through). Enjoy wherever you are at mo and hey have an ice cream for me too will ya!! ;o)
Lots of love
Jx
Hmm. I’ve been out of town, but I’ll check in when I’m back. L
Hey thanks Lisa, it’s just that according to our tracking no. it arrived at the offices in New York over a month ago and as it’s an original song I wouldn’t like it to be just out there y’know? Enjoy the rest of your break!! :o)
Jx
Glad you got home safe and sound Lisa, any postal joy?
Jx
Lisa, I am a few years younger than Patrick, like 10 but I got real sick in 05 and almost died myself, I have struggled since then but an stubborn just like he was, I used to surf alot and was a Marine and did alot of travelling. Now I realize that no matter how stubborn or strong we think we are none of us is invincible. My question is did Patrick experience anger and frusttion over his illness and think or hope he could “fix it”? I know I have tried myself and am really just fooling myself. I was in good shape like him my whole life and am still relatively ok, I was diagnosed with meningitis and unfortunatly AIDS and given a couple days to live. Not sure how I got it but it is what it is.. I love the movie Point Break, I can relate because of my surfing background…did he ever surf? I really think highly of you for helping him to the end, its people like you who we need more of, Im thankful my wife has stuck by me as well. Ill be buying your book:)
Dear Mrs. Swazye;
How do I start this, I’ve actually been thinking about it since your husband passed away, for you see I also lost my husband to illness in 2009, February 23 to be precise.
Like you said in your interview on the View, you think you prepared yourself for his passing but you were just fantasizing because it’s not nearly what you actually end up experiencing. The crying jags come out of nowhere and last for a unspecified amount of time. Any thing can set them off, and at one point you wander if it will every get better but then one day you realize that you are getting better.
People express their sympathy but unless they have actually lost a spouse they REALLY don’t know what you are going through.
I remember not long after my husband passed away filling out a survey and you have to check your marital status for the survey and I remember thinking how upset I was in not seeing a selection for “widow” to select from, and also how insistent I was at feeling that I wasn’t “single” but that I was stilled married even though my husband had passed away.
In one of my moments of “preparing myself for my husband’s passing” reflections I knew that I would not be interested in another serious relationship after his passing, I just knew that that was the way that it would be for me but I know that it isn’t that way for everyone but for those who chose to enter into another serious relationship after the passing of their spouse then I give them my sincere blessing for I believe that they deserve it.
So from one widow to another please let me express my sincere sympathy & sadness in the loss of your husband.
And I to you.