A snapshot of Little Venice

Unpopular opinion: Scott and I enjoyed Mykonos even more than Santorini. *Gasp!* I know, it's blasphemy. But Mykonos in May is drop dead gorgeous, and we were seriously mesmerized just walking around the main town known as Hora.

It could be that our expectations were lower for Mykonos from the start, mostly because—according to the Greeks—Mykonos is known as the "party island," where locals and tourists alike go to drink too much, dance half naked, and stay out all night. (Think Vegas during Spring Break, except with beaches instead of casinos.)

As you can probably guess, that's not really our style. (Consistently in bed by ten, remember?) But we were also told that Mykonos is a really neat little place that everyone should visit at least once. And as it's only a few hour ferry ride from Santorini, we couldn't resist. Needless to say, we're very happy that our curiosity prevailed.

The complimentary breakfast on our balcony was the sweetest touch.

Imagine our surprise when we arrived to find a seemingly mellow coastal town surrounded by amazingly blue waters and lined with the loveliest looking restaurants, churches, and boutiques. It was a whole lot less crowded than Santorini, which was convenient, but similar to its neighboring cousin, the tiny streets were pristinely well-kept and even easier to get lost in. Every turn-of-the-corner offered another path to wander down, leaving me dumbfounded over how Scotty managed to effortlessly find his way around.

Our hotel from the outside—Highly recommend!

Okay, not gonna lie: The fact that we favored our two-night stay in Mykonos might also have had something to do with our incredible hotel, Apanema Resort, and its VIP service—including free "all you can eat" breakfast, which was delivered fresh to our room each morning and devoured on the balcony overlooking the sea. (We truly felt pampered, you guys.)

Just look at that water. Still kicking myself for not going in.

Since we were only visiting for a little over 48 hours, we decided not to travel to the island's popular beaches (which would have required a car), but rather enjoy the time we had exploring all that Hora had to offer. Including Little Venice, a picturesque cluster of Venetian-style structures housing an array of eateries, shops, and clubs along the shoreline, and Kato Mili, the traditional quartet of windmills that Mykonos is famous for.

But of course, we have to talk about the food! Mykonos is the first place I can say I've ever eaten lobster (at least, that I can remember), which was piled high on top of a ginormous plate of fettuccine and split between the two of us. I had to get used to the chewy texture at first, but by my final bite, I was a professed lobster convert.

And the desserts! We made our way into either a bakery or frozen yogurt shop on more than one occasion, where I died and went to Heaven on a cone of refreshing lemon sorbet or a chocolate covered pastry.

The only Catholic church on the island, Virgin of St. Rosary

Another cool experience was celebrating mass in the only Catholic church on the island, a tiny stone chapel dating back to 1668 and embedded in Alefkandra Square. The service was said half in English and half in Greek, and Scott was selected to read the first reading in front of the very small congregation. (I had a "proud mom" moment and almost whipped out my camera to commemorate the occasion, but then decided against it at the last moment. Sorry, Scott!)

One of the things I regret not doing in Mykonos was taking full advantage of the glorious beach-and-sea situation at our fingertips. The day we arrived was warm and sunny, and I wanted so badly to change into my swimsuit and dive right in—but it was almost evening by the time we got situated, and we were hungry, so we decided to wait until the following day to brace the water. Had we checked the weather, though, we would have realized this was a huge mistake! The next day and a half was overcast and windy, and we didn't really entertain the thought after that.

(Traveler tip: When the mood strikes, just do it—whatever it is. 'Cause you may not get the chance again!)

The famous windmills

Super stoked to be sipping on a Virgin Bloody Mary mocktail after months of no drinking!

Regardless, our time in Mykonos was splendid and delightful. It almost felt as if, after all the traveling, I finally exhaled and relaxed into our trip a bit; the adrenaline pulsing through my veins in Athens and Santorini seemed to melt away in Mykonos. Whether it was simply the timing or the island itself that calmed me, I can't be sure. But when I think back to our short stay here, I'll always remember the sense of peace and tranquility that overcame me in our final moments in Greece.