How it started...

The Origin Story of the Expedition

Like all good ideas, this expedition was born from good food, great company, and lots of wine.

It was a blisteringly hot evening in the summer of 2014. I sat at a taverna in Parekklisia, Cyprus, surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. It was here that my brother, my cousin, and I decided we would walk the entire island.

Growing up in California, my brother and I became accustomed to long haul drives spanning the entire state. So when visiting Cyprus, we are often struck by the size of the island. And during this particular trip to visit family, we noticed that our cousins viewed the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus differently from our aunts and uncles. We decided that walking the island, and talking to young Cypriots along the way, would help us understand the true meaning of Cypriot identity.

Almost two years later, after applying for and receiving the National Geographic Society Young Explorers grant, raising over $6,000 through a crowdfunding campaign, and adding Vasili to our team, we are finally ready to start walking!

Stay tuned for images, videos, and stories of the Cypriot identity – Greek, Turkish and everything in between!