Page 3 of All You Need is Greece

She smiles and we carry on walking in the same direction, before we end up standing close to each other with our suitcases, scanning the people holding up names on cards. I can’t help noticing her chewing her nails, and looking a bit anxious.

‘Where are you heading?’ I ask, a little unsure if I ought to try and engage the young woman, who is maybe in her early twenties, into a conversation.

‘Near Hersonissos.’ She looks up and I see that she has beautiful green eyes and delicate features behind her glasses. Her dark, wavy hair is threaded into a plait, her figure hidden beneath a baggy blue sweatshirt and jogging pants.

‘Oh, me too. Whereabouts?’ I ask.

‘A village in the hills. I’m going to be staying at a dog rescue for a while.’

‘It’s not by any chance called Pine Forest, is it?’ I ask.

‘Yes.’ She nods. ‘Do you know it?’

‘No, not exactly, but I’m heading there too. Are you one of the new volunteers?’

‘I am.’ She smiles. ‘I take it you are too?’

‘I am, indeed. Well, I’m pleased you’re heading there too, I’ve made a new friend already.’ I smile brightly. ‘I’m Beth.’

Her face breaks into a genuine smile then. ‘Nice to meet you, Beth. I’m Hannah.’

‘And I guess you must be waiting for Lars too, although I think we are a little early.’ I glance at my watch.

‘I’m glad I’ve met someone who is heading to the rescue as, to be honest, I was worried about coming here alone, but, well, you seem nice,’ she says honestly.

‘Thanks. So do you. What were you worried about?’

‘I don’t know.’ She gives a little shrug. ‘I’ve always been good around animals. People, not so much. Unless I know them well, that is,’ she adds.

I’m about to ask her why she has decided to travel all the way to Greece and work with complete strangers, when she speaks again. ‘So I decided to do something a bit adventurous. We’re always being told to challenge ourselves and get out of our comfort zone, aren’t we? I thought it was about time I tried.’

‘I suppose we are, although we’re also encouraged to take ice-cold swims in lakes. Can you imagine? No, thanks.’ I give a little shiver. ‘And to have smoothies with kale for breakfast. Ugh! I tried kale once. It tasted like petrol.’ She smiles, revealing a row of neat, white teeth. ‘Not that I’ve ever tasted petrol, of course, but you know what I mean,’ I say, before diving into a packet of cheese and onion crisps as my stomach gives a little rumble. I offer her some but she politely declines.

‘Don’t get me wrong, I do eat healthily. Well, mostly,’ I admit, glancing at the bag of crisps in my hand. ‘It’s just that every week, there seems to be a new fad or some expert telling us that various foods are now bad for us. Bacon sandwiches are killers apparently,’ I say, thinking of how I would be reluctant to give up my Sunday morning treat. ‘Anyway, I think it’s really brave of you to travel alone, especially after what you have just told me.’

‘Thanks. And as we’re heading to the same place, perhaps we were meant to be friends.’

Talk turns to books then, as she is currently clutching one in her hand, and her face visibly lights up. I listen with feigned interest as she talks about the Gothic horror story, then I tell her I don’t read books and she looks mildly horrified.

‘What. Never?’ She frowns.

‘Well, hardly ever. In fact, no, never.’

‘How come?’ She seems genuinely perplexed.

‘Reading is a bit too solitary for me. Also, I don’t seem to have the concentration to ever get to the end of a book.’

‘Maybe you just haven’t found one that really grips you,’ she says, determined that I should give it another go.

‘Maybe. I guess I don’t see the point in reading about things when you can be out there actually doing them.’ I might not have been doing as much since ending things with Marco, but I’d always preferred being busy with other people to sitting quietly.

Thinking about it, I don’t think I have read a whole book in my life. I passed my GCSE English by watching the film version ofMacbethrather than studying the text, and I watchedAn Inspector Callsat the theatre. I prefer to learn visually, watching and doing things, rather than reading about them.

‘But you can’t do all of the things you read about,’ she argues. ‘Otherwise, I’d be flying around outside right now on a ten-foot-long blue dragon,’ she continues, and I burst out laughing.

‘Okay, fantasy, sure, I take your point,’ I concede. ‘But most other things you could aspire to do in real life, surely?’

‘If you’re lucky enough.’ She looks serious for a moment. ‘Sure, books can provide inspiration, but some people aren’t able to follow their dreams for various reasons. A lot of people live vicariously through books.’

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