4/26/26 Homecoming

Now that I have been overcoming the jet lag from my journey back from Crete, I have had a moment to reflect on my month there. I had the most amazing experience while there. The people, the food, the clinic, and the travel were all life-altering. While I learned about the systematic and cultural differences in Greece, a lot of the learning I took away was hidden between the lines. They were from observing the care and community that is in Crete. My biggest take away can be summarized into one Greek word- philotimo. While there is no direct English translation, there are several examples that perfectly embody the meaning of this word. The first example is our Airbnb host. She provided us with a fridge full of food upon our arrival because she knew that grocery stores were closed on Sundays. She also gave us an Easter basket to celebrate Orthodox Easter even though we are not Orthodox. She even offered to drive us to the airport in appreciation for us staying with her. Another example is of one of the workers at the clinic. She told us her life story of acquiring MS from the COVID-19 vaccine. This has completely turned her life upside down but she still is an active vaccine advocate because she knows that they are important for the grater good. Her neighbor, who she doesn’t know, brought her groceries because she noticed she has trouble walking. Patients bring in sweets, homemade cheeses, and goodies for the physicians for taking care of their health. The doctors also make time to squeeze in a family member or friend into their busy day because it is a person they care about. Almost every restaurant we went to gave us a complimentary dessert of some kind for appreciation of us visiting their restaurant. Nobody expects anything in return but does it out of the generosity of their heart because it is the right thing to do, it helps a person in need, or is just a kind gesture. Philotimo is all of these things. It is the care, the love, the kindness, the generosity for the good of others. In Crete, they embody this concept and I truly feel that this is also what medicine is all about. It is about providing for the good of others and not expecting anything in return. In the US, I think this concept gets lost amongst the culture, the pressures of the medical system, and in the daily grind. I hope to bring the idea of philotimo with me into everything I do from now on. Whether that is in medicine or in life. The world could use a little more philotimo and Crete was the perfect place to stock up and bring it back with me. I am so incredibly grateful for this experience. I learned so much about another culture of medicine but also a culture of life.