Finding the funny
When giving a fake name buys you the peace you want
One of my favorite travel memories comes from my last day in Athens, Greece. I had one wish for my last lunch in the place. That wish was to enjoy a 3€ gyro from my favorite stand—the one that used a yogurt-sauce, not the one using a tomato-sauce—while people-watching in peace in Monastiraki Square.
Apparently though, no one else got the memo about my plans. It was a Canadian tourist who first disturbed my gyro-peace. She chose to sit right next to me while waiting for her husband, never mind that there were yards of stone bench available on either side.
Then Kosta, a native Greek who’d lived in New York for decades before returning home to Greece, sat on the other side. They started talking over me, dragging me and my gyro into conversation, until the woman left…
But it all ended okay, because eventually I did get to eat in peace while two men argued about how to spell the fake name I'd given them: “Sophie.” Or “Sofie.” Or “Sofi.” I can't remember where they landed since I pretended not to follow the conversation so I could finally enjoy the last few bites of my gyro.
Finding things funny may not be a technical superpower, but boy does it ever help a person appreciate situations we wouldn’t otherwise.
Here's to your big dreams, and to really living. See you in the next one…
[For paid subscribers: Continue reading for the full story including my “female solo traveler safety strategy” that I've used in 9+ countries and 35+ U.S. states.]