Holidays in November
What? It’s November? I know many people can relate to what I am thinking. Thoughts like: summer flew by, it seems like yesterday we were anticipating the colorful tree foliage, etc. Although we are still enjoying the collage of reds, yellow, gold, orange, and a...
Fall🍁
Fall-an end and a beginning “October!” “Where did the summer go?” It seems these words follow every greeting not only among friends but also when walking into a store, a restaurant, and other establishments. There is something about the onset of fall that feels like...
Οικογένεια-Ρίζες και Φτερά
Πόσες φορές ένα μικρό πράγμα μάς βάζει σε μεγάλες σκέψεις; Έτσι έγινε πρόσφατα, όταν μετά από ένα νόστιμο γεύμα μας έφεραν δύο μπισκοτάκια τύχης. Έδωσα στην αδελφή μου να διαλέξει πρώτη. Το χαρτάκι της δεν είχε κάτι το ιδιαίτερο. Στο δικό μου όμως διάβασα μια φράση...
Family-roots and wings
Recently after a scrumptious meal, our server placed on our table two fortune cookies along with the bill. I gave my sister the first choice. The familiar little piece of paper revealed nothing exciting or profound. I hurried to break my cookie hoping to find...
Αναδρομή της πρώτης μας διαδρομής με ταξί
Το Τέλος της πρώτης μας διαδρομής με ταξί Τα τεράστια πλατάνια και το μικρό παρκάκι με το σιντριβάνι χάνονταν σιγά-σιγά στον καθρέφτη, μαζί με τις αναμνήσεις που είχαν ξυπνήσει. Έστρεψα το κεφάλι μου δεξιά για να ρίξω μια ματιά στο σπίτι της Νούλας. Δεκαετίες...
Retracing our first taxi ride with our grandson
Retracing our first taxi rides with our grandson. A year and a half after retracing our first taxi ride, Charles and I found ourselves back in Greece. This time with our 18-year-old grandson Trey. The trip was a high school graduation gift we had talked about for...
Retracing our first taxi ride Ep4
This is the end of our first taxi ride. The giant plane trees and the fountain mini-park receded in the rearview mirror along with the memory they had awakened. I glanced to my right to glimpse Noula’s house. Decades of growth created a screen of glossy, green-leafed...
Retracing our first taxi ride Ep3
As we continued to retrace our first taxi ride, Makrohori’s Main Street receded in the rear-view mirror. The memory of Theo Pavlos and the 10-year-old me on the bus seeing a taxi with a partially exposed coffin remained with me as we made our way to Veria. The city is...
Easter traditions
As the Carnavali (Mardi Gras) festivities wind down on Kathara Deftera, (Clean Monday), Greeks and their households are immersed in the Lenten period. Attending church services and fasting are a constant for forty days leading into the much anticipated celebration of...
Retracing our first taxi ride Ep2
After one last look at the gate and the cemetery at Agia Paraskevi, our red jeep put a distance between us and that childhood memory. A somber cloud floated in the car, leaving each of us in our own thoughts as Lena drove closer to where we lived 65 yrs ago. “I can’t...
Retracing our first taxi ride-Ep1
Retracing our first taxi ride. I was still basking in the excitement and self-satisfaction of my memoir’s publication. In those first months, whenever I picked up a copy of Taxi to America, A Greek Orphan’s Adoption Journey, I ran my palm over the cover slowly, as if...
Interview by GreekAFMedia
Thank you to Fotios Stamos and Ari Kalogeropoulos for the opportunity to share my story. Their warm welcome and passionate comments for Taxi to America are heartfelt. I am certain you will enjoy the interview. Be sure to listen to the end, don’t want to miss the last...
The power of resilience
What do I do when things aren’t going the way I expect them to go? I remind myself of the resilience I employed as a young child without even knowing that’s what I was doing. Like the time I entered the sixth-grade classroom, not speaking any English. I had arrived...
End of Year Reflection
As 2024 ends, reflecting on the past year comes naturally to most of us. As I look over my 2024 calendar, leaf through my gratitude journal, and flip through thousands of photographs on my iPad, I realize there are many moments and events that have not surfaced in my...
On Nightside with Dan Rea
A big thank you to Dan Rea, WBZ NewsRadio 1030, for inviting me to be a guest on his show Knightside to talk about my memoir Taxi to America. Also, a shout out to producers Marita and Rob. You can listen to the entire show by clicking on the link below. My interview...
Highly Recommend
“Taxi to America is a lovingly written and heartbreaking memoir. Stella Nahatis brings you into the moment. She is writing the exact nature of family losses, unconditional love, Greek history and traditions. Her personal experience and emotional truth will pull you...
Life on the Mississippi
My husband and I have enjoyed several river cruises in Europe. In recent years we have discussed visiting parts of the United states we have not seen. Primarily the Midwest. A Mississippi River cruise was the answer. After spending two days exploring Saint Paul,...
Family Bonds
Fun and emotional activities filled my schedule in August. At the top of the list is my sister Lena’s visit. The cell parking lot at Logan International Airport, conveniently located across from the international arrivals terminal, was a display of excitement. The...
Reflecting on July
July flew by filled with a whirlwind of activities. Beginning with the 4th of July celebrations, golf competitions, Greek festivals, and volunteering. My husband and I continued our tradition of celebrating the Fourth of July by attending our town’s parade. We look...
2024 Greek Festivals
The 2024 Greek Festivals are in full swing. What is a Greek Festival like? The simple answer is-a Greek food fest with music, entertainment, games for children, retail booths of Greek apparel and gifts. The festivals are primarily held by the area Greek Orthodox...