It’s July, and you know what that means.
Some families go to the lake. Some rent a cabin. Some spend a perfectly reasonable week at the beach. The Harrisons apparently require an international pilgrimage.
We’re going back to Crete.
Land of the Minotaur. Land of impossibly blue water. Land of ancient civilizations, spectacular food, and an alarming number of Aperol Spritzes.
And ouzo. We mustn’t forget the ouzo.
A Greek man once asked me if I was Greek because, according to him, I drank ouzo “like a true Greek.” There are accomplishments in life that probably deserve more recognition. Degrees. Careers. Raising children. Contributions to society But I’m going to be honest. This is the one I’m keeping on the résumé.
There is, however, one important rule: Kim does not drink ouzo near water.
There is a reason for this rule. We will discuss it another day. Possibly after the statute of limitations expires. Maybe. I’ll think about it…
Back to the Place That Has Our Hearts
There are places you visit, then there are places that somehow get under your skin, unpack a suitcase, rearrange the furniture, and announce that they live there now. For us, that place is Crete.
Once again, after months of waiting and planning and repeatedly checking how many days remained until departure as though this might somehow make time move faster, we were headed back.
Eventually, after a flight lasting approximately 47 days, we landed in Chania. We had made it.
There were several possible priorities we SHOULD do immediately.
- Unpack.
- Rest.
- Hydrate.
- Behave like sensible adults who had just crossed an ocean.
Instead, we chose gelato.
Because, obviously… I’m fairly certain this is Greek law that you must eat gelato immediately upon arrival, and I have no intention of researching it because I don’t want anyone telling me otherwise.
And Then There Was Voula
We also had someone very important to see.
Voula. Voula is the resident hotel cat. Voula does not like people. Voula will, however, voluntarily sit in my lap. I have considered the implications of this. Apparently, according to Voula, I am not people. I’m strangely comfortable with that designation.
After gelato, a reunion with my feline character assessor, and enough travel to make my internal clock simply resign from its position, we decided to keep our first evening quiet.
We wandered down to the Music Taverna for dinner, strolled along the bay, and watched the lighthouse begin to glow over Chania Harbor.
- No elaborate itinerary.
- No rushing from one attraction to another.
Just dinner, warm evening air, the water, the lighthouse, and that wonderful feeling of being somewhere you have missed.
Crete has that effect on us. We travel to see lots of places. But this one?
TRAVEL EVIDENCE № 001
Proof I Actually Went There
Chania After Dark: Supervised by Voula
This one feels a little like coming home.
Greece, we love you. We’re back.
Please secure the ouzo and keep me away from large bodies of water.
FIELD REPORT
HARRISON DEPARTURE AUTHORITY
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN HOME & CRETE • 2026
THE OFFICIAL KIM TRAVEL REPORT
✈️ HARRISONS SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED: 2
🧳 BAGS PACKED WITH THINGS WE WILL PROBABLY NEVER WEAR: Several
🤔 IMPORTANT ITEMS FORGOTTEN: Information currently being withheld from Present Kim
🗺️ MILES BETWEEN RESPONSIBLE ADULT LIFE AND CRETE: Not nearly enough
⭐ CURRENT STATUS: The Harrisons have officially gone somewhere.
YOUR TURN
What’s the moment when vacation becomes real for you?
Is it shutting the front door? Dropping the bags at the airport? Boarding the plane? That first foreign-language sign? Or the moment someone hands you a drink and you realize you don’t have to know what day it is anymore?
Tell me in the comments.
WHERE SHOULD KIM GO NEXT?
Strange museum? Hidden tunnel? Bizarre festival? Questionable boat? Restaurant in a cave? Tour that makes you say, “Wait. They let people DO that?” Tell me. The weirder, the better.
KEEP WONDERING
This time, the Harrisons went to Crete.
But, somewhere is always next.
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