Meet My Two Kids

I can't believe it’s been months since we last connected.

So much has happened since my pottery sessions, and I promise I'll fill you in on those stories soon. Lately, though, two very special "kids" have been demanding almost all of my attention. Then it dawned on me—I don't think I've ever properly introduced them to you.

Well, my first was born on 1 January 2017.

This child is my heart, my soul, my safe place whenever life feels overwhelming. It is the little corner of my world that constantly inspires me, lifts my spirits, and occasionally makes me stop and ask myself,

"Really... did I create this?"

My firstborn, now nine years old, is Reaching Delphi—my coffee trail blog. If I had to give it a gender, it would be a boy. And yes, many of you already know him well.

Through Reaching Delphi, I have travelled through time, revisiting cafés I once loved, rediscovering the charm of their coffee, listening once again to the stories of the people behind them, and uncovering memories hidden within every cup and every corner.

It is where I can simply be myself—without expectations, without boundaries, without needing to be anything other than who I am.

It is my soul.

My quiet.

My calm.

My Buddha.

And then came my second child.

Born a little prematurely this year, she is very much a girl.

She gives me restless nights, keeps my mind constantly racing, and never lets me sit still for long. Whenever I pause to overthink, she nudges me forward. She is the fighter, the risk-taker, the challenger—the one who pushes me far beyond my comfort zone.

Her name is EnROUTE Delphi.

While Reaching Delphi is my peace, my quiet corner, and the place that keeps me grounded, EnROUTE Delphi is pure adrenaline. One is the north pole; the other is the south. They couldn't be more different, yet they both demand every ounce of my attention in their own unique ways.

All I can do is hope that they grow together in harmony—that one day the calm older brother will become the gentle influence that balances his adventurous, chaotic little sister.

Enough about my kids for now.

I'm sure you'll be hearing many more stories about them in the months ahead.

Here's a picture of my two children.

Now you know why they keep me awake at night.

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Why "Delphi"?

The answer goes back more than twenty-five years.

In the late 1990s, I found myself seated beside a Greek student studying in New York on an overbooked Virgin Atlantic flight. We spent almost twelve hours talking. By the time we landed, she had completely captivated me with stories of Greece.

From that day on, I knew I had to see Greece for myself.

It took years of saving, but eventually Doc and I made the journey. That journey quietly changed the course of my life.  It inspired an unpublished novel that still sits patiently in my drawer today, waiting for its time. More importantly, it planted a seed that has stayed with me ever since.

Standing on Mount Parnassus, where Delphi (a place in Greece) rests, I was mesmerised by the stories our guide, Maria, shared about Apollo and the ancient Oracle of Delphi.

The Oracle wasn't simply about predicting the future. To me, Delphi became a symbol of something much deeper—a lifelong pursuit of wisdom, understanding, perspective, and self-discovery.

Somewhere on that mountain, I realised that life isn't about arriving at a destination. It's about continually striving towards it.

That was how Delphi was born inside me.

Reaching Delphi became my metaphorical journey towards wisdom—a reminder to keep moving forward no matter how difficult life becomes, while remaining humble regardless of what I achieve.

Perhaps none of us ever truly reaches Delphi. We simply spend our lives reaching for it.  Counting Stars, Reaching Delphi. 

Come along for the Journey

Blog

Reaching Delphi   www.reachingdelphi.com (please use the web version to subscribe)

Instagram

Reaching Delphi   https://www.instagram.com/reachingdelphi/

EnROUTE Delphi  https://www.instagram.com/enroutedelphi/

In Loving Memory of Mary Chandapillai

You kept reminding me to tell the story "Why Delphi".  I finally did.  Thank you, my friend.