What do two flights, an eight-hour layover in the Middle East, and a 2000 passenger vessel have in common?

After 48 hours of uncomfortable sleeping positions in planes, an airport lounge, and a ship, we left Asia far behind us to embark on a new chapter of Away We Roam. We had arrived at the famed Grecian island of Santorini, our gateway to Europe.

If there’s anything we have learned from our trip so far, we regretted the many times we didn’t rent a pair of wheels when we had the chance (*ahem* Taiwan). Since the cute little scooters required a motorcycle license, we settled for the only other option we had: a sturdy quad bike. With our helmets in tow like Strong Bad bobble heads, we sped off in search of adventure and food.

Simon grabbed life by the horns in the driver’s seat, while I white-knuckle gripped whatever I could hold onto in the back. With the wind blowing through my hair and lapping at our shirt tails, I felt my tension dissipate as we picked up speed. It was exhilarating.

I was in charge of navigating us through the small network of roads that connected the towns, beaches, and places of interest on the island. The towns were a cluster of restaurants, shops, and hotels, as well as a traffic jam of quad bikes, scooters, cars, and busses clamoring for the right of way. But once we managed to extricate ourselves from that gridlock, the road was smooth sailing.

Over hills, dips, and bends we drove, stopping for photo ops and food. Stand alone white churches, solitary windmills, and black sand beaches. We cut through the island and along the perimeter where the island met the ocean. On stretches of road where we didn’t encounter a single soul, Simon gunned it full force. I’ll never forget the resounding vroom of the motor reverberating through our bodies and the guttural roar of the engine like a soundtrack to our lives. The broad sweeping views of an endless blue horizon framed by the craggy volcanic brown rock formations streaked with red played like a film reel right before our eyes.

Sunburnt lips, wind-tousled hair, and a belly full of gyros. Life felt simply divine.