About MLR

*Keep your eyes and mind wide open*

 Who am I?

Hi! I am Maria, a Greek journalist and Travel Blogger, currently living in Doha, Qatar where I work as a Social Media Manager and Travel Writer.

Besides writing stories on my blog (where you just landed!), I write for Greek City Times, an Australia based site celebrating all things Greek worth sharing. In the past I have collaborated with Huffington Post Greece , Nou-Pou.gr, a site based in the South Suburbs of Athens, being an inspiration for anything or anyone that is related to this part of the city, and various travel sites and communities, such as Discover Greece and Trivago. Also, for the last years, I used to work at the leading Greek news site,  in.gr.

Since I can remember myself I loved one thing. Writing. As I was getting older and opened my wings I realized that I love one more thing. Travelling. So, in August 2014, I decided to combine these two and create my very own personal internet space, My Landing Runway.

What are you going to find here?

My areas of interest and specialization are travel stories, cultural topics and interviews and stories of social interest. In this blog you will find mostly travel stories, some of the them with a cultural twist, and views from all around the world, based on personal experiences. Everything that is posted here is honest, authentic and focused on all those things that you cannot find in a typical tourist guide.

How I started and why I named this blog My Landing Runway

I think It’s very important to tell you that my eyes and my mind opened widely in 2010, when I went to the UK for my masters degree. It was then when I met people from every corner of the world, from Europe, Asia, USA, Middle East. Despite our various differences, we had one thing in common. We were all young people, fighting and hoping for a better future. Nothing else mattered. Cultural differences, religion, finance, anything else was aside. This is when I deeply understood that this world has so many aspects, so many things to explore… Culture, beliefs, life perspectives, ways of living, tradition, gastronomy.

*So, this is when I knew that I wanted to explore this world*

I named my blog My Landing Runway because I love airplanes. They fascinate me since my very first airplane trip to a Greek island, when I was really young. Moreover, in airports I find myself full of intense feelings. Either I welcome someone or I drive them there to depart. Or simply by looking at people and wondering where they’re heading to, what is their life story or watching a couple hugging. That is actually the key word. Feelings.

*And for me, travel is always combined with strong feelings*

What is my aim?

My aim is to inspire you to travel! Only by travelling and experiencing so many different ways of life, you will get to change. Change the way you see things, the way you see people. You will have a global view of everything and learn to accept new things. No one can judge anyone and life can be lived in so many ways. At least this is what I learned and hope to inspire you about!

My aim is also to show you both aspects of the expat life. Being myself an expat since 2017 I am experiencing in an everyday basis the pros and cons of living abroad. Well, let me rephrase; there are no pros and cons if you think about it- It’s just how you see life and how you want to live your life. Follow me on my journey!

Furthermore, my aim is to give you travel ideas, tips and give you advice on how to spend better your days in a place. I also want to narrate interesting stories about the places I visit, what to do and what to avoid, through my personal point of view.

Travel with me and get inspired! Get ready for take offs and landings all around the globe! The Runway is ours! And of course, thank you for being here 🙂

Maria Petropoulou