Sixteen Years Later: The Journey to Goumenissa
A story of connection, community, and finding home.
November 19, 2009
Sixteen years ago today, I stepped off a plane in Athens with everything I owned packed into a few suitcases. I was leaving behind my life in the United States to move to Greece — searching for connection, purpose, and a place to truly belong.
In the US, we celebrate "Sweet Sixteen" as a coming-of-age milestone. Today feels like my own Sweet Sixteen all over again, marking sixteen years of life abroad and the creation of The Goumenissa Project, my way of sharing this remarkable corner of Greece with the world.
The Beginning: Athens
My journey started with a week in Athens, staying with my friend Alexandra Katsaiti. We'd met through fashion — she was a stylist, I worked in the industry — and she became my guide through those first whirlwind days of adjustment. Learning to navigate a new country, fumbling through basic Greek phrases, and embracing a completely different rhythm of life.
Athens in November was perfect: golden light, quieter streets, the weight of history around every corner. It gave me just enough time to catch my breath before boarding a flight to Thessaloniki, ready or not for what came next.
Today, Alexandra runs Stylishious, her own fashion business that combines creativity with years of industry experience.
A Detour: Thessaloniki
I lived in Thessaloniki for a few years, and those years shaped me. I stayed with my friend Dr. Roxanne Giampapa, Head of Pinewood American International School, and worked various jobs — teaching Business English to corporate teams, roles in sales and marketing, always learning something new.
The city gave me more than work experience. It gave me community.
I met Christine Willis and her late husband, David, who welcomed me into their family and introduced me to the American Farm School, where agriculture meets education in the most inspiring way. There were Professors John and Ersie Burke, who shared their home in 40 Ekklisies and opened my eyes to Byzantine history. Roula Lebetli became both my yoga teacher and colleague at Anatolia College, grounding me when I needed it most. Dimitris Michalaros, founder and artistic director of Katart-E, reconnected with me after we'd known each other years earlier in Chicago and invited me to work with him on Action Field Kodra. And Dimitris Diamantis, a mentor who's supported my work for over a decade, welcomed me into his team at Sentient.
There are others — so many others — whose names and kindness I carry with me. Every connection taught me something profound about Greece, and about myself.
But by 2012, I was ready for something different. The truth is, I'd moved to Greece for one place all along: Goumenissa.
Finally Home: Goumenissa
I first visited Goumenissa in 1998 during a college trip with my friend Katerina Martsioki. Nestled at the foot of Mount Paiko, the town felt like stepping into a different world — quieter, more rooted, authentic in ways I couldn't quite name yet.
It was on that trip I met Georgios. We stayed in touch over the years through letters, then emails, our connection growing across the distance. Eventually, we built a life together here. We married in 2013, and Goumenissa became home in every sense of the word.
Here, I found the rhythm I'd been searching for. Life moves with the seasons, defined by harvests and festivals, weekly markets and shared meals with neighbors. The community that once welcomed me as a visitor now feels like my own.
The Leap
Turning 50 this year felt like the right moment to reflect — sixteen years in Greece, a life built from scratch in a country that wasn't where I started but is undeniably where I belong.
It also felt like the right moment to leap.
I started The Goumenissa Project to share this place I love with others. I create custom experiences for visitors — guiding them through villages, introducing them to local artisans, taking them to wineries where the soil tells stories through every glass. It's not about tourism; it's about meaningful experiences. With the land, the traditions, the people who make Goumenissa what it is.
Every wine tasting, every village visit, every meal helps support our community and preserve the way of life that makes this place worth celebrating.
Where I'm Meant to Be
Sixteen years ago, I arrived in Greece with no roadmap, only the certainty that I was searching for something real.
Today, I know I found it, in Goumenissa. In the life I've built here, one choice and one connection at a time. In sharing this place with travelers seeking their own authentic experience.
Here's to the next sixteen years.
Ready to experience Goumenissa for yourself? Get in touch to start planning your personalized journey.
Photo by: Constance K. One last look at Chicago before flying to Greece — November 2009.
