By Hang Doan
I find it deeply ironic that, as a Vietnamese born in America to both fully Viet parents, I have lived here 18 years and my first trip abroad is not Vietnam, but an island off the coast of Europe. Even so, I think there are many cultural similarities to the stories my parents tell and the culture I witness from the Greek people. They eat long social meals, there are storefronts within walking distance at every corner you turn, and I have almost been hit by one of many mopeds whizzing through the narrow corners and streets. The Greeks put a lot of care into the scenery and I think it shows in the way that every place you walk is so photogenic I wish I could blink my eyes to take screenshots. My camera card has to be cleared every night to make space for the next morning. 
It’s said there are three spaces humans should have to be happy: a space to call home, a space where you work, and the third space where you have leisure. Back home in the states, there’s been discussion about how third spaces in America are disappearing with the ever growing rise of profit hungry businesses and a false meritocracy that convinces the average American citizen that in order to succeed you must work tirelessly until the day you die, and so there is no more need for a space to rest. As I sit with my friends for dinner seeing the glimmer in the ocean and the hospitality of restaurant staff taking delight in our long stay I truly understand the argument in full. We have Starbucks and McDonald’s, we do not have a third space.
The culture here is slow and provides an earnest answer to the human condition. There are days I work until I drop hoping that I’ll get the moment that makes me happy, but the true answer is to live in each moment because that is all there is. Which is easy to say when I’m on a vacation, but what I truly mean is to observe how other cultures live and bring that home with you in bits and pieces that can click into parts of your own. In Greece they sleep in late, then if only you could see how the city lights up at night. The streets glow golden and across the horizon you can see mountain ranges shining aglow like lanterns.
In Paros, I get a break from years of grinding out work. There is no grating alarm clock, no smog congested streets, no hustle minded every day that repeats itself again and again and again. There is a rich and vibrant history brought to life by locals that cherish community and understand what it means to share love. I hear that modernization has changed this island, but I can only hope the culture is something we can preserve and hold on to. Let us not abandon the third space.