In mid-June to early-July, I was fortunate enough to attend Ionian Village, a Greek Orthodox camp in Greece. I know, this sounds incredible right? However, I was not too thrilled. I thought
leaving the summer before college to travel across the world (for the first
time) with no phone, was not the best plan for me. I was completely wrong. I noticed some familiar faces and a place which instantly felt like home. It took about an hour at IV for me to realize this was going to be the best summer of my life. From the beach to the pool, a surprise activity every night, spontaneous Greek dancing, a pig head at dinner, visiting a new church every week, interacting with the locals of Greece, and traveling to the most breathe-taking places, it is not your average summer camp.
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| Meet me at the Chapel |
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| this night we ate corn + cotton candy |
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| I like to think I was the queen of this castle, understandable? |
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| WWII Memorial Site |
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| beach front dinner in Athens |
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| lunch on the island of Zakynthos |
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| one of the many gorgeous churches we visited |
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| beach partaaaaayyyy |
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| oh yeah, its national frappe day? what a day! btw you cannot get this dress anymore, but this romper is just as fabulous. |
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| Who wouldn't want to eat ice cream with a setting as stunning as this? |
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| One of my favorite nights + our last night at the campsite, Fr. Ev showed us how to party without any unwanted substances or actions. All you need is music, good people, and some black lights. |
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| Greek Invasion |
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| we had to get a little touristy |
As I ventured out of my comfort zone this
summer, I was expecting to simply get a new take on my spirituality at Ionian Village, but
I got so much more.
Unplugging and learning to immerse myself in the
moment was necessary for me to get the most out of my summer. I was revealed the best version of myself. Now, I am itching to go everywhere. Leave your travel suggestions down below!
xo,
jojo
*photo credit: Amanda, Ellie, + Sofia
