{"id":1101,"date":"2026-08-14T18:33:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T22:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/?p=1101"},"modified":"2026-08-14T19:01:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T23:01:10","slug":"what-happens-when-a-realtor-actually-takes-a-vacation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/what-happens-when-a-realtor-actually-takes-a-vacation\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens When a Realtor Actually Takes a Vacation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The phone was shut off, and the autoresponder was turned on. After more than a year of planning, it was time to escape to GREECE! Athens, Santorini, Rhodes, Ephesus, Mykonos, Thessaloniki\u2014seven days, twelve people, three generations, and a milestone celebration we’d been planning for months. It was a bucket list trip, and we were ready!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ATHENS (pre-cruise)<\/strong> We arrived a day early, which I cannot recommend enough. By the time we boarded the ship, we’d already seen the Acropolis, wandered through Plaka, and eaten our first real Greek meal. Our guide made the historic city come alive, even for twelve VERY jet-lagged Americans. (Eyeballs were nearly bleeding at this point, lol.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SANTORINI<\/strong> Santorini is everything the photos promise, and I say that as someone who was skeptical of anywhere that is over photographed. What nobody tells you is that seeing the caldera from a catamaran is completely different from seeing it from the cliff. We felt the wind in our hair as we sailed the Agean Sea with a on-deck barbeque and plenty of time to jump in and swim! It was epic!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RHODES<\/strong> Rhodes was the surprise of the trip. The medieval Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it earns that title\u2014you walk through the gates and it feels like the city just paused somewhere around the 14th century. Additionally, this is the day we felt the heat the most. WOWZERS. Sweat in all the places. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EPHESUS<\/strong> If you only do one thing in Turkey, do Ephesus. Honestly, this is the day we went most off the plan. Rather than visiting The Library of Celsus and the House of the Virgin Mary, we opted for a road-side co-op where we had a fabulous lunch and then got to watch amazing artisans making Turkish rugs, blowing glass jewelry pieces, and handcrafting pottery.  We were welcomed into each of their studios and homes with a beverage, showing us their incredible hospitality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MYKONOS<\/strong> We had a private tour with a local guide who somehow managed to show twelve people the whole island in four hours without once making us feel rushed. We saw the windmills, the lighthouse, did a little shopping and ended the afternoon at a posh beach spot that we were not cool enough to be enjoying. HA! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THESSALONIKI<\/strong> Nobody talks about Thessaloniki, and we were surprised to learn it’s the second largest city in Greece. What did we love about this day? No tour guide, no schedule\u2014just a city that wanted to feed us. And, OMG, we harnessed the power of the internet and had the best gyro we’ve ever had. Mouth-watering to even reflect upon it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE SEA DAY + PRACTICAL TIPS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sea day at the end of a trip like this isn’t wasted time. It’s necessary. We read. We napped. We watched my sister win karaoke! Here’s what you should know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n