As incredible as it is to #travel the world, I think it’s equally important to travel to your roots. •• This is my grandfather’s hometown in #Greece - #Exanthia, on the island of #Lefkada (@travel_to_lefkada ). Perched up on a mountain, overlooking a beautiful blue sea, most people who lived here, including my grandfather’s brother, worked as farmers. My grandfather was the local town teacher. •• My father lived here in the first few years of his life before moving to Athens, but kept returning for holiday celebrations and summer vacations. •• I grew up heading back to this beautiful, traditional, half-abandoned yet still charming town every August 15, to reunite with uncles, aunts, and cousins. We still haven’t lost the tradition of returning once a year at least. The last census I can find (2001) shows a population of 345 people. Most likely, there’s much less now. •• This is what fascinates me about this town, and other places like these. Even though my grandfather may now be gone, and his brother as well more recently, I still see so much of them in this beautiful village. The places we are raised and live in shape us, and we affect them as well - whether we love or hate them, they leave a mark, especially the ones we experienced as children. I walk the lone paved road and see the traditional cafes my grandfather used to sit in. I breathe in the brisk mountain air, and stone, and sun, and trees, and I feel connected to my grandfather’s life and experiences in a way I can’t in other places. •• This is what I love about travel. Ultimately, it is not about places - it’s about people. The cities and countries we visit are products of thousands or millions of lives, past and present. And every place in this world tells their unique story. . . . . .