As the Back to Greece series draws to a close, what remains is more than a collection of travel diaries – it’s a mosaic of memory, identity, and emotion.
Created to give young Greek Australians the chance to rediscover the motherland through their own lens, the series invited four participants – Julia Pritchard, Malena Mavrakis, Chris Spyrou, and Dimitra Kofidou – to document their journeys across Greece. Each brought their own story, style, and sense of self, yet all found the same thread connecting them back to their roots.
Launched by Neoléa and The Greek Herald as a short-form social series, Back to Greece encouraged its storytellers to explore what it means to belong – to feel at home in a country that is both familiar and foreign, both ancestral and alive in the present.
Through their footage, reflections, and creative expression, the project revealed the deep emotional ties that continue to bind the diaspora to the homeland.
More than a holiday
For Julia, the meaning of the trip unfolded in life’s quietest moments.
“Honestly, my favourite part was the relaxed morning coffees and the late-night chats with relatives, some familiar, others I was meeting for the first time,” she shared. “We did plenty of fun activities, but it was those simple moments with the people I love that really made the trip special.”
Her time in Lefkada became a meditation on family, gratitude, and perspective.
“It gave me the chance to really pause and appreciate how lucky I am to have family on the other side of the world who share so many of the same experiences and traits as me. I left with an even deeper sense of gratitude for my heritage and a real appreciation for the sacrifices my grandparents made.”
Capturing connection
From the cobblestones of Athytos, Malena approached her Back to Greece journey as both an emotional and creative challenge.
“My fondest memory from my trip was getting to see my family friends in my pappous village,” she recalled. “It was so special to be with people from back home in a place I hold very close to my heart.”
Sharing her experience online pushed her beyond her comfort zone – and gave her a platform to honour what she loves most.
“Athytos is really special to me so being able to show it to the world was truly special. It also let me tap into my creative side which I don’t get to do often! I really enjoyed the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and show my authentic self on social media, which was definitely challenging but extremely rewarding,” Malena said.
Rediscovering home
Chris, who spent weeks exploring mainland Greece and little-known islands like Syros, found himself unexpectedly transformed during his time offline.
“Very off-brand for me, but [my favourite memory] was spending a week in my dad’s village in Epirus with zero reception,” he admitted. “As someone whose phone is basically glued to his hand, I thought I’d struggle… but the quiet of the mountains, where the main sound I could hear was the clinking of goat bells, is something I’ll never forget.”
But beyond the digital detox, Chris used the series to challenge how people see Greece.
“Every time I go, my non-Greek friends or coworkers say, ‘Greece… again?’ and I’m like, ‘Yes. Again.’ Because there’s so much more to the motherland than the crystal-blue water, beaches, and clubs,” he says.
“It’s about that connection to our roots – the one you feel the moment you land at Athens airport, and it only gets stronger the closer you get to the villages and towns our families once called home.”
Finding meaning in stillness
For Dimitra, who travelled through places like Thessaloniki and Santorini, the experience was deeply personal.
“My fondest memory of the trip was the sunset in Santorini,” she said. “Even though I had seen it before from videos and photos, the feeling, the colours and the views were unbelievable.”
Her participation in the series became a way to reflect on what migration means to the next generation.
“I wanted to show other people how the immigration changes the way you feel about home,” she explained. “It was a great opportunity for me to film my days and have something to look back as a diary – and the results were amazing thanks to you guys!”
Neoléa: empowering the next generation
Behind Back to Greece stands Neoléa, an youth initiative of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA), which aims to activate and encourage young Greek Australians to connect with each other, explore their rich cultural heritage, and shape a vibrant future that honours the legacy of their ancestors. The youth-led platform designs creative projects, promotes intergenerational dialogue, and fosters language retention and cultural pride.
Neoléa Chair Anastasia Mavrides said the collaboration with The Greek Herald for Back to Greece was a natural fit.
“For us, taking the Back to Greece series to a national level was an incredible opportunity to platform the voices of young Greek Australians and share their stories more widely,” she said. “The project encourages young people to connect with their heritage and the history of their ancestors, while also reflecting on their own identity and how their culture has shaped them.”
The Greek Herald’s Digital Editor, Andriana Simos, added that the project was born from a shared vision to amplify the voices of young people in the diaspora.
“At The Greek Herald, we’re committed to championing youth voices and giving them a platform to tell their stories,” she said.
“That’s why Back to Greece lets young Greek Australians share what Greece means to them, in their own words, through their own eyes. Their perspectives are vital to keeping our community dynamic and connected.”
The story that never really ends
Through every lens and caption, Back to Greece revealed something simple yet profound – that the idea of “home” for the diaspora isn’t bound to geography. It lives in memory, language, and shared experience.
Whether it’s a sunrise over the Aegean or a late-night laugh with cousins you’ve just met, these moments become proof that the ties to Greece endure – reshaped by distance but never broken.
And though this chapter of Back to Greece may have ended (for now), its spirit continues. Each participant returns with new stories, new gratitude, and the quiet knowing that, in some way, we all keep going back.
