“Wake up. We are here.” My mother tapped on my arm gently. I reluctantly opened my heavy lidded eyes and let out a prolonged yawn. I apathetically sat up and turned my iPod on. The lights of the plane turned on, to what seemed to me, like a flash of lightning, accompanied by the luminous rays of the setting sun. The smell of jet fuel engulfed the air in the cabin.
“I’m up…how close are we?” I leisurely turn to my mother; she looked up at me. “Close,” she said. “How close?” I replied. She sluggishly bowed her head, gazed out the window, looked up, and ponderously said to me "Look out your window."At that very moment my iPod was playing the song "Southampton," the soundtrack from Titanic, and the rapturous tune was so blissful and relaxing. I slightly tilted my head, which coincided with the plane turning, and for a brief moment I felt as if we had conjoined into one unit. As if we were in sync.
I looked to my mother and agilely smiled. She smiled right back at me and turned away again. The stewardesses seemed rushed, as the captain announced, “We are beginning our descent to the island. Please turn off all electronic devices and remain seated.” They were causing a small ruckus, preparing the cart for the final courtesy snack aboard the flight. I nonchalantly turned my iPod back on, and continued to listen to halcyon music.
My mother was peering out of her window, and I looked out and saw a gossamer overlay of clouds. The clouds slowly broke away, and got finer and more delicate. The under layers were luminescent because of the sunset in the horizon. The clouds were blowing along with the wind, changing patterns. Through these capricious clouds, I saw waves colliding with the rocks on the shore, disintegrating, and spurting back into the ocean. I felt completely at ease; I had fallen into moment of pure serenity and tranquility. The waves continued to crash on the rocky shores of my homeland, my island, my country. Greece.
Because of my cherished heritage, I understand that material things do not matter, as long as you are where you belong, where you were born, where you feel most whole, where you call home. Greece is my motherland, where I feel at peace and safe. Greece is the country that I venerate the most-that I pay homage to. We live in America, the land of opportunity, and it is because of that opportunity that I have flourished into the astute person that I am today. By traveling I have come to understand more about how people from other countries live, and discover the inherent similarities among people of different cultures. From my perspective: despite the differences in language, the diversity of cultures, and the disparity of politics and governments, people are essentially the same. Human nature is human nature. Traveling is a learning opportunity. Heritage can unite any family, as it did mine, and although we all might have our troubles, at the end of the day it is your family roots that will allow us to prosper within ourselves, as a family, and as a society.