(Left to right) Denise Serdenes, Georgia (best friend)
<<Όχι, δεν έχω ταξιδέψει στην Ελλάδα ποτέ. Ζούσα στην Ελλάδα για πέντε χρόνια όταν ήμουν μικρή, όμως δεν θυμάμαι πολύ>>. This, until last year, had always been my response when asked if I had ever been to Greece. At the age of 19, I was finally fortunate enough to be able to visit the homeland I had always dreamed about and yearned for. Growing up, many of my friends and family constantly visited Greece – they knew their families there, they formed connections, and they had a good understanding of where they came from. For me, however, although I have always felt a close connection to my Greek identity, my relationship to Greece was not a physical one. I have always felt an indescribable sense of pride and passion in my ability to communicate in Greek with other people, dance the traditional dances of Greece, and partake in our cultural traditions – Greek school and my close relationships with my Yiayia Elpida and Pappou George allowed me to keep in touch with my roots. However, I always greatly envied those fortunate enough to visit Greece and develop a closer relationship with her.
My trip to Greece last July was not conventional in that I did not travel with family, spend a long time there, have the chance to visit all of my family, or have the chance to visit my Yiayia’s village (Λέπρεο) nor my Pappou’s (Θεοδώριανα). My time in Greece was a snippet of a European Contiki tour with my non-Greek friend Mikayla. Furthermore, my journey was probably different to most as there was no moment of ‘touchdown’ onto Greek soil. Rather, we travelled via overnight ferry from Italy to Corfu. As we arrived at the port and embarked on a bus to journey to Athens, overwhelming feelings of happiness and sadness overcame me simultaneously. The joy of looking around and being somewhere completely different yet still feeling at home was surreal, but at the same time I felt sad because this was home, and I had been away for so long. The journey to Athens was particularly surreal to me as we drove through Epirus, and I took in the great beauty of the land and mountains where my Pappou grew up, and where I come from. We stopped in the small town of Amfilochia, where coincidentally some of my relatives live and the owner of a gyros shop where we got lunch said my cousin worked there. Being able to contrast experiences such as these with those of my Contiki friends made me realise just how special it was to be in the country I come from.
My trip to Greece was short- I only had the chance to visit Corfu, Athens, Mykonos and Santorini. However, my time in Corfu was beautiful to say the least, and I will forever remember its clear waters and the φιλοξενία of our resort host Maria. In Athens, I was lucky enough to cross paths and visit the Acropolis with my best friend Georgia who has just as much of a love and appreciation for Greece as myself. Despite having limited free time on the tour, I also met some of my aunties, uncles and and cousins who live in Athens. Being able to organise this by myself and being able to establish relationships with them on my own made me realise just how grateful I am to have learnt to speak Greek, as well as how much more I want to learn.
Although not the typical trip of an Australian-born Greek to their homeland, mine was special. It helped me gain confidence in knowing that I am able to travel by myself, and I now aspire to travel and discover Greece in its entirety – from top to bottom, even if on my own. I appreciate the personal connections I made, just as much as I appreciate my connection to the land. My trip to Greece was magical, although I long for more. I cannot wait to meet more family, to learn more about Greece’s history, to learn more about my history – about where I come from. Everyone’s journey is different, and mine is only just beginning!
Denise Serdenes
Picture 1- (left to right) Denise Serdenes, Georgia (best friend)
Picture 2- Denise Serdenes meeting her cousins in Athens
