Let's talk about awesome people: The Knox family
After spending a couple days in Athens washing Green, de-funking my clothes, and consuming copious amounts of baklava, I received an invite to dinner at the home of a fellow West Point grad. David Knox was in company A-1 with me for three years and graduated a year after I did. He started his Army career as a steely-eyed, snake-eating infantryman and later became an FAO (foreign area officer), focusing in the Serbo-Croatian language. He's currently on a three-year assignment working with the Greek embassy.
David and his wife, April, hosted me in their beautiful home, providing the first home-cooked meal I'd had in nearly two months. It's hard to explain how wonderful it was to have real conversation...and recounting old times and common friends was the icing on the cake.
Key themes:
- David and April have three beautiful sons...two of them were running around that evening. Jackson and William energetically showed me their bicycling skills as they rode circles around the rooftop before transitioning to the rooftop jungle gym. Yes...on the rooftop. I joined in the fun...and it kinda felt like the trampoline scene from "Big." As for the third son, April was five days away from giving birth to their third. Unfazed, she prepared a wonderful meal, complete with warm cobbler. They offered me a bed for the evening and a place to store Green during an upcoming trip to Santorini. Their generosity is unmatched, and I hope for the opportunity to return the favor someday.
- The Knox family had endured working with the toxic military leader that motivated me to leave the service. I'd forgotten how small the world's second largest Army can feel (China's is 56% larger than the US's). But even worse, I'd forgotten how terrible it felt to be trapped, working for a bigot. Luckily, the military has flushed many toxic leaders from the system in recent years, and he was one of them.
- David and April recommended so many places to visit all across Europe. They had done a ton of traveling while he was stationed in Germany and Sarajevo. We shared stories for hours, but what stuck with me the most was when he said, "It's really great to sit and share our experiences with someone else who has traveled so much. April and I have seen so many great places, but I don't share much with others because it feels like we're bragging." I can relate...and this was a huge barrier to me when I started this blog. But over the years, hearing of others' travels created so much curiosity and desire to see new lands that I appreciated how much others "bragged" about their travels. So...I'll continue to do the same in hopes it motivates someone to follow suit.
Lastly, I continue to appreciate those who have dedicated their lives to serving in the US military. Their daily sacrifices are quite unknown by the general public and we owe a lot to these families. But...on the flip side, having a jungle gym and CrossFit gym on the roof in Athens is pretty freakin' sweet.
