*By Dimitris Kyriazis
Aspasia-Sofia Pastrikou studied Mechanical Engineering in England, wanting to become a Formula 1 engineer, but after many years of wandering, she returned to her island, Kos, and became involved with herbs.
What does Formula 1 have to do with herb cultivation in Kos? Probably not much, but for Aspasia-Sofia, one thing may have led to another. She began her studies in England in the field of mechanical engineering with the dream of becoming a Formula 1 engineer, but in a very beautiful way, life led her back to her island, Kos, where she was finally lucky enough to discover her true calling: herb cultivation. The following is Aspasia-Sofia’s story in her own words.
“My name is Aspasia-Sophia Pastrikou and I am 32 years old. My grandparents emigrated to Australia, so my parents were born and raised there, but they returned to Kos, so my two sisters and I were born and raised here. In general, we have roots from other islands of the Dodecanese – Kalymnos, Astypalaia, Symi – but also from Asia Minor. When I finished high school in Kos, although I got into the school I wanted, the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering School of Patras, I decided to leave and study the same in the United Kingdom, and specifically at the University of Southampton. My dream at the time was to become a Formula 1 engineer. But life doesn’t always turn out the way we want. After I finished my studies, I found a job in the shipping sector, so I stayed there. London was quite close and because I love it as a city, I went quite often either for fun or sometimes for work. In total, I stayed in England for eight years, until in 2019 I decided to return to Greece.
Although I really liked England in terms of life, earnings, culture and opportunities, I thought it was time to go back to see what life was like in Greece. I found a job in an aluminum factory in Aspra Spitia, Viotia, where I stayed for three years, so my transition was smooth in terms of work and life, as, although I lived in a very small place, Athens was very close. In 2022, I finally made the decision with my partner, who is from Livadia and I met him while I was there, to go back to the island and see what life was like here. Our friends and our circle, although they found our decision difficult, were very supportive.
The transition was indeed quite difficult, as I had no plan for what I would do professionally, so I got involved in the family tourism business, which was something very different from the jobs I had done before. Also, after eleven years of being away, I no longer had the circle I had when I left, at 18. Most of my friends had left the island, so we had to create a new circle with my partner. One of our common hobbies, cycling, was what helped us find people with common interests. Kos is also considered the island of cycling. I consider Kos to be a unique island, because, although it is not one of the largest islands in Greece, it combines many beaches, but you can also go on excursions to the mountains, and it is also a very green island. Also, depending on where you are on the island, the landscape changes tremendously, so you can very easily change your views.
In winter, the rhythms are completely different than in summer, when the island is bustling with life and people. But I personally like winter more. Although it’s an oxymoron, I like going to the sea in winter – not for swimming, but for walking. The best thing is when it’s cloudy and southerly, so on the northern beaches the sea is a mirror and the clouds look crystal clear on its surface. In summer, there’s no better feeling than knowing that there’s a beach 5 minutes away by car.
Yes, as I said, I like winter walking on the beach, but I consider myself more of a mountain person than a sea person. That’s what I miss the most on the island. Especially the higher mountains where you can hike among the fir trees. If we hadn’t moved to the island, we would definitely be in the countryside and near a mountain.
About two years ago I decided to make a career change and get involved in the agricultural sector. I realized early on that the tourism sector was not for me. In general, I was looking for something that would fulfill me, but also offer something new to the island. I started a vegetable garden at home for our own use and it was a process that I didn’t expect to love so much. I would wake up in the morning and the first thing I wanted to do was go outside and see if the plants had grown. As for the taste, it had nothing to do with commerce. I felt that this was where I found my “inclination”. So, I decided to study it further and see what different types of cultivation I could get involved with.
When I started reading about herbs, it was like a click. I realized that although Kos is famous as the birthplace of Hippocrates, it does not produce its own herbs, which were one of the basic tools of the ancient physician. Also, through the research I did, I was impressed by how much the agricultural sector can contribute to reducing the climate crisis. So, I slowly started cultivating aromatic plants and herbs, applying sustainable practices and organic farming, and created my brand, Votanima, which comes from the words herb and anima (the soul in Latin). This year I had my first harvest of oregano, thyme and sage and I am slowly trying to increase the species I cultivate. In this process, I was helped by various programs in which I participated, such as Women in Agriculture of Piraeus Bank, the Women do Business organization, the Agroanelixi program of the New Agriculture, New Generation organization, as well as the EWA competition, Empowering Women in Agrifood, in which I won 2nd place and a prize with my business plan.
In the professional part, I want to develop my business and highlight Kos through my products in other parts of Greece and the world. In terms of life, we do not ask for much from the future, except for health and to be able to travel to see our friends who live in other places.
Like many other provincial areas in Greece, here we also have many shortcomings in terms of public infrastructure, markets, sports and entertainment. The long distance from mainland Greece makes everything more difficult, and there is always the fear of shortages in case of interruption of ferry routes due to adverse weather conditions or for any other reason. Job opportunities are much fewer, especially in winter, while in summer, although there are not enough people to fill the vacancies, most are limited to the tourism sector. But what we miss, both me and my partner, is being able to get in the car and go on a long trip. On the other hand, the short distances are what make life very easy here. You don’t waste the time in the car that someone loses in Athens. Also, there is this sense of community and mutual support that makes you feel safe. You see, real life is in the simple things.
I miss being able to go to a theatre or try a restaurant with a special cuisine – especially Indian cuisine which was very popular in the UK. But in the winter, when we don’t have the pressure of the tourist season, we have getaways either to Athens or to other cities, so the situation balances out. The other positive thing is that from April to October there are direct flights to many destinations in Europe, so if you get a good opportunity and have time, you can do short excursions.
So far, I feel that it was the right decision to come here. I would never go back to a big city. Whenever I go to Athens, just the difficulty of getting around and the traffic on the streets makes me appreciate the tranquility of the island. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I had to live this every day.
The issue of overtourism has undoubtedly touched our island, while the lack of infrastructure and resources makes the situation difficult. Many people see Kos simply as a popular tourist destination and nothing more, but the island has much more to offer. Especially in the agricultural sector, I am saddened by the fact that in the past we had production that went to exports and now it has shrunk to only local. Although it is a difficult sector, especially nowadays, I would like to see more young people involved in it. To someone who is thinking about a similar step, I would say to dare. Of course, this decision requires organization and structure, it does not suit all characters and you must be able to adapt easily. But the feeling that life on the island gives you is incomparable.
Source: lifo-gr