I’m back to reality, which means fog, cold, and working for the man (although I did let out an audible happy gasp when I saw kale at the grocery tonight).

Plus I have post-vacation blues.

My trip to Greece was one of the best vacations I’ve ever had. Everything I expected from it, I got.

Of course I would recommend Mykonos to other travelers, but I also realize paradise for me might not be paradise for everyone. And, sometimes the planets align for an experience that can never be recreated again.

Here are the top reasons why Mykonos was the perfect place at the perfect time.

1. The weather was perfect.

When I travel to tropical destinations in the off season, I get plenty of criticism from my European friends. Europeans want to take their summer vacation during the summer months. From my experience, most of the beach towns shut down during the winter, so I get it.

But October was just right in Greece. There was one “cloudy” day (pictured above), and even then, the clouds disappeared by mid-afternoon. It was warm enough to go to the beach, but not oppressively hot. The evenings were cool. The night sky was clear. Perfection.

2. The people were so friendly.

We loved getting to know the people in town. It started when our Airbnb host picked us up from the airport. We quickly became friends and he showed us around the island, introducing us to people and taking us to great spots we never would have discovered on our own.

Here are a few off the beaten path spots we discovered courtesy of our buddy Stoli:

We visited the same coffee shop and ice cream store daily, and looked forward to our visits with the people who worked there.

We returned to many other shops and restaurants where we also grew to know the staff. By the last night, we were drinking and dancing with people we had come to know and whose family we felt a part of.

3. The food was delicious.

I knew the food would be good in Greece, but I strongly believe the atmosphere makes the food just taste different.

When we had chicken and octopus grilled in a big brick oven while we sat and watched the sun go down over Ag Sostis beach, when we ate gyros on a little alley in the maze of streets in Mykonos town, when we got Greek yogurt and fruit from our favorite coffee shop in the morning, when we sat at a table in the alley and ate shrimp next to old men drinking ouzo–we were experiencing much more than food.

Gyros every day!

All of our culinary experiences were special and I know I’m going to be hard pressed to replicate them at home (although I’ll try my hardest).

4. Our house on the hill was phenomenal.

The Airbnb house we got was everything I had hoped for. Every room had sweeping views of the sea, we had a huge deck where we would take naps or jump in the hot tub to relax. We made sure we were always playing music and always had a glass of wine in hand.

And we came to love our 5 cat roommates too (can you spot Hercules napping?).

5. The giggles were abundant.

Ok, maybe this isn’t a selling point for Mykonos, but Kristen and I will be happy to accompany anyone on a trip just to show you how much fun you could possibly have if you traveled like us.

We’ve been to 9 countries together, starting with Italy in 2002, and travel with Kristen is just…easy.

We laughed so hard on this trip; in fact, most of the time, I have no idea what we were laughing at. But once we got started, we couldn’t stop. We were told we had “good energy”. We would have laugh fests that would last the length of time that it takes to eat an ice cream cone. We laughed at dinner, on our walks through town, whenever we stopped to recall a story. We were ALWAYS laughing.

6. The scenery was unreal.

I already posted about the blue Aegean sea, but the fact that it was always paired with the white houses on the hill created a landscape I had never seen before. It was truly stunning.

Not to mention all the colors hidden in the alleys of the town…

7. The town was a constant dance party—but not an obnoxious party.

My one caveat to Mykonos is that I don’t know if I’d appreciate it as much in the summer. We heard stories of how crazy the town gets when all the huge beach clubs are open and the island is full of tourists.

The Mykonos I came to love was for sure a party town, but not obnoxiously so. The clubs were still open til morning, and everywhere from clothing stores to the gas station blared dance music…but all that somehow added to the charm. I found myself dancing most of the time.

The place was pure magic.