So, where did this all begin? Well, actually best not to start at the beginning.
I'll start in the middle somewhere. The Odyssey does not begin at the beginning, but begins with The Return of Odysseus, toward the end of the hero's adventures, and then requires that the story move backward and forward in time and space. The Iliad begins 9 years after the beginning of the Trojan Wars. 
in medias res - in the middle of the plot. I figure if that is good enough for Homer then it is good enough for me.
So I am starting here, just 3 days before flying to Athens, to meet up with an incredible group of women to embark on this Odyssey. The idea for this came to me in August 2006 while on a 7-day cruise in the Greek Cyclades islands on the motor-yacht M/V Diogenes with my sister Connie. I was so at home in Greece, and so stimulated by the energies of the ancient and modern surroundings, and particularly enriched by the knowledge of our wonderful guide, Elena, on that voyage. A licensed guide, former flamenco dancer, fabulous linguist, and one who still feels the myths of the ancient gods and goddesses, and wonderful warm person. I shared with her my Visual Travel Journal that I had been working on during the trip, and promised her that somehow I was going to find a way to get Juliana to come to Greece, and to lead a retreat. And I know at the time it must have sounded to her (and even to me) like one of those things that people sincerely mean at the time they say them, but that never really happens for some reason or other.
And yet, here I am, meeting Juliana and others at the Hera Hotel in Athens next Sunday evening for the beginning of an incredible journey. I know we'll all share the moments when we first thought about travelling to Greece. Or when we learned about this particular trip. But really, when did it REALLY start?
What called me there? What called Juliana there? What called the others there? Am I even asking the right question?
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