Mykonos

If you go to Mykonos in November, it's very likely that the entire island is about to shut down for the winter and you will find most places to be very desolate. That's what happened to my husband and I when we traveled there for our anniversary in 2022. We arrived just three days before our Airbnb host was closing up her rental for a long winter break. We were one of the last reservations at the car rental company at the airport. A few restaurants were open by the port, but most of the shops in Old Town were closed and the small brick walkways deserted. We still visited all the empty beaches, swam in the cold Mediterranean ocean and took advantage of getting a little bit of sunlight that poked out among the clouds throughout the short days. I couldn't believe how quiet it was and how much we didn’t realize we needed it after having spent a busy few weeks in Italy and Malta amongst so many tourists. Our Airbnb host was incredibly nice and welcoming, and as she showed us around the small apartment that overlooked the ocean below, she pointed out the coffee maker and the blankets and showed us how to work the space heater. She then pointed at the TV and said, “And when you're done looking at beautiful things on the island, you can watch Netflix." I think I've never felt more American than in that moment. I didn’t think she was making fun of us or Americans in general, although we do watch a lot of TV. I really did think she was just being hospitable and offering every opportunity for us to enjoy ourselves in her space for our time there. And we did watch Netflix once we got done looking at beautiful things. The last evening of our trip, when the sun had gone down and my husband and I had finished eating the pasta that we made in the small kitchen of the apartment, we sat down on the couch with a bottle of wine and put on a movie. I insisted that we watch Mamma Mia.