The Traveling Psychiatrist

“I’ve won!” six-year-old Alex exclaimed, as he moved his pawn to Oslo. Born and bred in Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, I would spend hours and hours playing ‘Traveling in Europe’, the board game that introduced me to traveling and to Europe. Once I learned all the continent’s countries, capitals and major cities, I moved to ‘Traveling in Greece’ and got to know every single island of my home country. Then came ‘Traveling in the World’ and soon afterward I was onboard my first plane.

Spending two weeks in Far East Asia expanded the horizons of the eight-year-old me, brought me in contact with different civilizations, religions and customs, and gave me a springboard to start challenging the world and not taking a single thing for granted. But it was also the beginning of my addiction to traveling. From that summer on, I would travel abroad every single year. By the time I turned 18, I’d already been to three Asian countries (Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia), three African countries (Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia), North America (USA and Canada) and around Europe (UK, France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland).

As a medical student, I chased opportunities not just to travel, but also to study and live abroad. I took part in four student exchanges, which allowed me to spend more time in some of the countries I’d already visited, but also to explore Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. By the time I finished my medical degree, I’d already decided I wanted to live abroad, and I soon moved to Yorkshire, UK, to continue my medical training. Fast-forward 10 years, I am now a Consultant Psychiatrist living and working in London, one of my favorite cities in the whole wide world. I have continued to travel and I’ve often visited countries I’d already been, but I’ve also set foot to Ireland, Spain, Monaco, the Vatican, Switzerland, Turkey and South Africa.

Reflecting on my life journey, travel experiences and what I’ve learned on the way (about the world and myself), I can confidently say that I love the country where I’m originally from as well as the city I now call home. I visit Greece several times a year and each time I try to explore as many of the wonderful islands as possible. When in London, I love wandering around different neighborhoods and you will often find me in a cafe with an iced coffee and my laptop. I am also a music lover (most genres, but especially jazz, country and indie), a film enthusiast and an avid reader (crime novels being my favorite). But most of all, I love writing and traveling. It may have taken me some time, but I’ve finally discovered that travel writing is much more than a hobby or a passion; it’s my raison d’être.

And this is why I’ve decided to start this blog.

To follow my travels around the world, simply subscribe to the Traveling Psychiatrist (just click on the menu on the left hand side).

Alex

(the Traveling Psychiatrist)

P.S.

To enhance my travel writing skills, I attended Peter Carty’s Travel Writing Workshop.