After Peru, the thought of getting on another plane again…EVER, made me want to vomit. But here I am, sitting in O’Hare airport, waiting to board a flight to Cyprus. My friend Daniela from Jersey City who is Cypriot is getting married. And what a nice transition from Peru, she met her husband to be as they hiked the Inka Trail to Machu Picchu several years ago. The travel junkie in me just couldn’t resist. I haven’t been to a wedding in 3 years, mainly due to my crazy travel and school schedule and of course from OD’ing on 10 weddings in 2008. Every time I come to the airport, in anticipation of my next adventure, I turn into a different person. All the worries, to do’s and responsibilities of real life seemingly fade away as I morph into this wanderlust avatar.
So this time, I may be able to swim in the crystal blue waters off the coast of Cyprus, or at least see it. Last summer, we had gone to northern Cyprus, not recognized by the UN or the rest of the world since it is occupied by Turkey. This time, I am going to the south of Cyprus, or as they say, the real Cyprus. I was a bit worried about having a stamp from Turkey in my passport and if that would matter for me to enter the south, but alas, as Daniela said..on the Greek side, Turkey doesn’t even exist to them. The fears of unfavorable stamps (i.e. Israel) in my passport does not apply to this region..only in the Middle East. I google the currency in Cyprus, but am thoroughly confused as some websites say the Cypriot pound and others say the Euro. All I know is I still have Peruvian soles in my wallet and I need to get rid of them.
Now I can explicitly explain my reasoning for coming to Cyprus. Many of my friends were perplexed at the fact that I was going all the way to Cyprus, for a friend’s wedding, for only several days, in the middle of the school quarter, skipping classes, in the midst of recruiting season. I feel like a character in My Big Fat Greek Wedding…erm I mean My Big Fat Cypriot and Columbian Wedding. Of course there is a Niko..Daniela’s gumbaro, similar to a maid of honor, but a male in the Greek tradition. But this title surpases that of just wedding festivities, it is a commitment for life. Her friend Callie tells me about what to expect at a traditional Greek wedding, I can’t wait to see plates being broken.
Her family and friends are so welcoming, I feel at home. There are people here from all walks of life, and countries…because we all care about Daniela this much. I met her a few years ago in my building in Jersey City, she lives on the floor below me, and we became friends. There is something about her I’ve always liked, her love for life and crazy wanderlust self. We both enjoy traveling and meeting new people. Here at her wedding weekend in Cyprus, I have met so many interesting people. I was simply amazed at how much she cares for her friends and wanted to make sure we were all taken care of while we are here. Through the stress, she made sure we all had places to stay. I sit on the balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, in sheer enjoyment of life. Her friends, are all unique in their own way, regardless of age or background, I feel part of the wedding. We all hang out and go out this evening and get to know each other. She is getting married in 2 days, yet she is making sure we are all ok. You don’t meet people like this every day. So I missed a few classes over the past few days…but this experience of a lifetime is just priceless. I live for these moments, spontaneous decisions that seem completely irrational at the time, yet turn into remarkable adventures. When life gets boring, I will have these moments to cherish..always.
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