Another goodbye, another future

 It's that time again, the time I hate to say goodbyes.

I have been living between Athens and London for over ten years now.

Before that it was Athens and another city for a couple of years.

Living between two cities/countries is not an easy thing to do. It can be extremely rewarding, considering all the people you meet, all the diverse friendships you form, but it can also be tremendously painful, when you form strong bonds with people, only to have to leave again. 

You lose track of people's evolution, lives and journey. Sometimes, you even lose track of your own journey.

This summer, I was standing in front of a very scary crossroad. I had just came out of a long term relationship, had barely made it through quarantine, had been accepted to study my second masters, had no job and had just moved into a new place after seeing 31 properties.

I had -and still have- no fucking clue how everything would -and will- play out. The insecurity and fear stemming from the global pandemic isn't helping either. The only thing I knew was that I will be in Athens for a month. A month-long holiday to heal, recharge and indulge in familiarity and comfort. 

This month has been one of the best months of my life. I haven't had such an amazing summer since 2013. It was all I needed and more. I had the space and time to be free, the opportunity to re-discover parts of myself and the joy of welcoming old fragments of my soul that I considered long lost. 

My friends and loved ones embraced me as always, a warm cocoon giving me the opportunity to once again go through change, and in the end come out as a new creature, ready to face the world again.

I was lucky enough to form new friendships and have wonderful new people come into my life.

I am forever grateful to the people who surround me with positivity, love and respect. I am able to move forward because of you. 

Thank you,

Lara 

Goodbye my neckpiercing

I had this piercing done around May/June 2009.
It was a very special piercing to me. 
I got it at Iris, at Patras. 
That along with a tattoo, where my best memories of living in Patras for 2 years.
But above all, this was done by one of the kindest, gentlest human beings I've ever met. 
He was a tattooer and piercer named Andreas. A middle-aged man full of life, respect and positivity. He always gave discounts to students, was welcoming, ready to give you candy or juice during a piercing or a tattoo.
This man passed away a few years ago, so my tattoo and that piercing (both of which I got the same day, my last day in Patras) mean so much.
Reminders of my time there, my first time living by myself, my first time as a university student; but also reminders of a great man who was always hospitable and kind.

Is it too late?

This blog entry is mainly for anyone who is a teenager or younger than that.
I'm going to share with you a few of my thoughts and conclusions.
Feel free to read if you're older as well, but be warned that this blog entry may make you feel a tad sad.

It is quite unfortunate, but we have created a world that operates like a machine. A very fast paced machine. And that machine pushes you to start building your career as a teenager, to try to succeed from a young age, because it tells you that your life ain't worth living if you're older and 'unsuccessful.'
There's so much pressure to know what you want to do extremely early in life. And you're forced to stick with those early options to be safe and secure.
Society tells you you need security so you have to decide on a career from a young age and follow through. By the time you're 30 you have to be able to afford your own house, and depending on the career you chose to be famous and/or rich, or to make a name for yourself. Above all, you have to make connections because your worth is not as relevant as the people you know.

And if you're an artist it's even worse. Everyone tells you to put art aside and find a 'real career.'
So, if you're a teenage artist I suggest putting yourself out there, and starting to work on your career as early as possible. You'll also have to be an extrovert to succeed, and if you're not one, you'll have to either push yourself or give up.

It's sad, that young people nowadays aren't allowed to make mistakes and explore their options. That they aren't allowed to be themselves.

I made the mistake to take my time and explore.
And at almost 28 years of age I still have no clue what I want to do with my life or how to pursue it.
So it's too late for me now. I have to find a 'real job,' do something that I hate for the rest of my life and be unhappy. After all, that's how 'normal' adults live...

But if you're a young person you don't have to go through that. Maybe it's too late for me, but it's not too late for you.

So get out there and start building your adult life early on. Don't let time pass you by.

My last day as a student

Today marks my last day as a university student, or a student in general.
My university student card expires on this day.

Mixed feelings. Bittersweet. Redemption, relief, anxiety, sadness, melancholy...

I started going to primary school in Greece when I was six years old. I remember how excited I was to learn the alphabet, the tool of the writer. I immediately started keeping a diary and then writing stories, and later poems and lyrics. Primary school was easy and fun, and then not so much fun when the school shut down and I had to transfer to a bigger one. Then senior school was ok, I was reading a lot of literature at the time, and I started learning about all sorts of different subjects at school. High school was when I started questioning the knowledge passed on by the teachers and books, and when my ability to think critically really evolved and started shaping the person I am today. Then, came prep school to get to uni. Next year, off I went to uni in Greece. Two years of learning things I wasn't sure I was interested in. I decided to go to the UK to study music. To push myself to do that which I have always loved. My time as a music student was eye opening. I learned, I lived, I experienced, I grew, I lost myself and I found me again. After that I took a gap year to decide what I should do next. Then, off I went to my masters degree. Little did I know these would be the hardest three years of my life. I went through trauma, mental breakdowns, I learned, I rediscovered myself, I improved my research and writing skills and I became an adult. Yes, at almost 28 years old I became an adult.

Overall, I've spent 21 years of my life in education. And that chapter of my life is coming to an end today.
I'm not sure what the future holds. The future is terrifying territory for me.

What I'm sure of is that being in education helped me become the best version of myself. It helped me become aware. It provided me with the tools I need to be a decent human being. And not necessarily because of the teachers, even though I encountered a few of them that were exceptional -not a majority unfortunately. It was my effort, my resilience and research that gave me the tools, but had I not had education as a platform, I doubt I'd have ever made that effort and engaged in such research.

So, if you ever have the chance to go to college, university, or anything similar, grab it. Make sure to use that time creatively, meaningfully, lose yourself, find yourself, do crazy shit, learn crazy shit, question everything, and above all,  _________ .
No, I ain't telling you that part. That is for you to discover yourselves.

Just fly,
Lara