From Greece to California: An Athlete's Journey of Identity, Adversity, and Growth
Playing basketball in Greece, I grew up around the idea of America as the top destination for sports and school. Being able to obtain a full scholarship at one of the best universities through a sport always seemed to be the best way to go about life. Taking full advantage of my talent, moving to a new continent, obtaining an education and starting a new life. I have always been fascinated by what is different and unfamiliar, and I feel most alive when I am exploring and experiencing things that are outside my comfort zone.
People in my club team in Greece, who played college basketball in the US, have always told me stories about what life was like there. Nevertheless, what I heard was very contradictory. The student-athletes appeared to be more calm throughout the entire experience than the people from older generations. From one side, I heard that it was all cool as long as you could manage your time well, and from the other side, I heard that it was going to be my toughest journey, and how challenging basketball and training would be. Honestly, I did not care about either side of the story, I simply wanted to experience it for myself.
Basketball is basketball everywhere. Apart from the wording used to motivate and support your teammates, some basketball skills drill terminology, and the slang used, everything else is the same. While American basketball is different from European basketball, it is something that I could easily adapt to. I enjoyed the sports culture, it was extremely intense and hard, but it certainly paid off, and everyone around me was equally passionate about what they did.
The hardest part was adapting to the culture outside sports. The experience of moving to a new country at the age of 18 made me feel as if I had to adopt the American tendencies in order to be accepted, some of which I disagreed with and which did not reflect my own personality. Especially in a small college town in the Midwest, some of the basic life principles I grew up with didn't seem to matter to anyone. It was extremely difficult for me to navigate life in a place where I felt like an outcast, odd, and my way of doing things was "wrong". Among the things I heard on a daily basis were: “Who are you dressing up for? ”, “No one important lives in Champaign, so why put yourself together?”, along with walking in a room full of people saying “Hi” and no one responding or looking me in the eye. As I mentioned earlier, I am sharing my experiences at a Midwestern university with most of my interactions being with college athletes from the Midwestern region. As a result of all these continuous comments and "ignorant" actions, I had become extremely insecure in myself and began to let myself become one of them.
The only thing I achieved was to make bad decisions, gain a variety of fake friends, enter into a number of toxic relationships, and not like myself. After another fake and manipulative friendship which really impacted my self-esteem, I decided I have had enough and that it is time to let it all go, and find my Greek self again. In a note I wrote to myself, I outlined the type of individual I wanted to become, how I wanted to feel about myself, and how my actions would affect the people around me. In my writing, I had listed some life goals I would like to achieve as well as what type of person it will take for me to achieve them. In order to become her, I would take the steps necessary to carry myself in a manner that is similar to how she would do it. *I also made a sidenote there about how I wanted to move to California one day.
I had to understand that many of these people had never been abroad or had never even met anyone who was not American. I have nothing to take personally from their inability to understand or accept my Greek values and culture. The first thing I did was to take better care of myself and to take myself more seriously as a professional in all areas of my life. No matter what your entourage thinks of you, as long as you are happy within yourself and confident in who you are, the right people will come into your life. Also, it made a big difference the fact that I understood that I can influence and change myself the energy around me. That is exactly what happened to me during my junior and senior years. Through my relationships with the people around me, I was able to form strong and authentic connections that continue to this day.
Remember that note I wrote to myself about living in California? When I graduated from Illinois, I decided it was time to move and build a life elsewhere, so I entered the transfer portal and started searching for new teams. Initially, I wanted to attend a university in Washington DC since I had heard most of the good tourism and hospitality programs were there, but I was mostly offered scholarships by universities in California. I decided to accept the athletic scholarship at Cal State Fullerton and move to Orange County. While packing my apartment, I found that note I had written about moving to California. Let's discuss manifestation. I couldn't stop smiling and thinking crazy how life works, and you put out there, you get back.
When I moved to Orange County in California for sports and graduate school, I had a much better experience. As a 22-year-old moving again, I had a better understanding of what life is like here, what is truly important and what is not, so I was able to enjoy life more and make it what I wanted it to be. The fact that I had been the "outcast" for doing things my way became my greatest asset, because I had achieved a state of self-confidence and knew how to embrace every aspect of my identity.
Maybe I was more mature and experienced now, maybe the people in the West are different, maybe I was in a bigger city and environment. Living here just felt right. Outdoor enthusiasts, beach lovers, sunset watchers, people who enjoyed the small things, and those with big dreams and open minds. Apart from the constantly sunny and beautiful weather and the scenic ocean views which will always be my favorite, the people I met, one by one, where amazing and so like minded!
My family in Greece always told me how living by the ocean and the sun, makes people more warm and happy. I could clearly see that out here. I found it to be very similar to Greece, but even more open-minded. There are no limits to what we can accomplish. I was constantly surrounded by people with big dreams and goals of making a difference in the society while taking action and steps to serve their communities. As a result, I felt that I was finally in a place where not only was I accepted, but also celebrated for who I am.
Making people feel included and celebrated for their uniqueness has been one of my most important goals. In fact, what was once considered "minding other people's business" was actually curiosity about your neighbor. Everyone possesses interesting and beautiful parts of themselves, it just takes someone who is genuinely curious to help ignite that light in someone's eyes when they speak about what they are most passionate about. Making a safe environment in which people can be themselves, express themselves, and tell their own stories in the manner they choose.
For me to reach where I am today, it has taken quite a bit of hardship and identity crises. I also give my flowers to all the other international athletes who have moved to another country to carry out their dreams and begin a new life at a young age, with the only thing they know being their sport. From just being an athlete, to finding who are outside of it, (in a different country and culture!), it is one hell of a journey but worth every second of it. There are moments when you get to understand why you had to undergo what you did, and why it was so important to help you become who you are today, with continuous pursuit for growth being the most valuable asset.
