She walks into a room with high spirits, dressed in full Pace University gear and gives a warm "Kalimera", which is Greek for good morning. She welcomed us with open arms to make us feel as if we weren't out of town guest but family. She has so much knowledge about the people and places around her. And I am happy I got the pleasure to sit down with Mrs. Maya Acenova to have a one on one conversation. We covered so many subjects from religion to history to art and even personal life. And for those back home who did not get the pleasure to meet this kind women, I'm pretty sure you will want to after reading. :)
Originally from Bulgaria, Maya Acenova came to Greece in search of expanding her knowledge on history and the arts. She studied the History of Art at the National Art Academy of Sofia in Bulgaria. While studying abroad, Maya met her husband of 18 years in Greece. Once she fell in love she moved to the suburbs of Athens, Greece in 2000. She enjoys living in the suburbs because of the peace and quiet, the nature and the closeness of the beach. Maya believes that nature has given her much happiness and she takes the time, whenever she can, to appreciate it. She shows her appreciation through her work and rescuing animals.
Maya was asked to begin working in tourism and she kindly accepted because she wanted to not only make herself useful but use her studies to grow and reach her highest potential.
This year, Maya decided to take a break from the tour company and become a freelance tour assistant. In doing this she gets to reconnect with old friends such as Professor Catalano, whom she met 8 years ago and has always kept in touch with.
Maya is enthusiastic about tourism and making Greek culture available to foreigners. She wants to help to find the gaps in Greek history because there is so much more that people do not know. Her goal is to make communist culture more popular and expand other people's knowledge of it.
Besides her wide knowledge of Greek culture and the arts, Maya speaks Italian, Russian and Greek. She also learned to speak English in only 3 months. If I do say so myself, she speaks better English than most people who speak it as a first language. Just amazing!
By the end of our conversation, I felt like I knew Maya for years. Her passion for what she does really shows through the way she speaks and the work she does. When I asked where she saw herself in the next five years Maya responded, "Working on the idea of creating tours around the Balkan Peninsula that presents its culture from ancient times through the centuries to modern époque".
When I return to Greece, hopefully within the next two years, she will definitely be my go to person. If anyone is interested in finding a tour assistant while in Athens Maya is your girl!
Contact info:
mayacenova@gmail.com
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I'm really glad I got to learn more about Maya from your article! She is such a sweet woman, and I loved spending time with her. She was definitely a great choice for an interview, and I think you showed her in an honest light. People should definitely contact her when traveling to Greece!
ReplyDeleteI would have never known Maya has lived such an interesting life! She is incredibly sweet and they way she speaks to people is a display of her passion for educating tourists and her kindness towards everyone she meets. I think it is so sweet that she met her husband through study abroad and that she gives so much of her time to giving back to the world in so many different ways.
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