• My friend, Toni, is 50 years older than me. She's 84 and I'm 34.
• We share laughs, makeup tips, and heart-to-heart conversations.
• Age is but a number, and despite the years between us, we are more alike than different.

When I first moved to Charleston, South Carolina with my husband and infant, I didn't know anyone.

Living in a condominium community just across the bridge from the Isle of Palms was a dream come true, not only for the palm trees and easy beach access, but because it was here that I met someone who turned out to be one of my dearest friends. Someone who happened to be 50 years older than me.

Toni owned an elegantly decorated condo in our neighborhood and was very involved in the community at the time. She was busy creating a little free library of sorts in the residents-only office space when I happened to stop in to use the computer. Our shared love of books invited our first conversation, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the past six years, our friendship has blossomed

Though Toni proudly calls me her "adopted daughter," we share laughs, makeup tips, heart-to-heart conversations, and book recommendations, much like my peers and I do. She is young at heart, full of compassion, wisdom, and plenty of exuberance for life well-lived.

She doesn't have an agenda to impart advice or facilitate growth in my life like a mentor would, though these things are often by-products of our relationship, as in many close friendships. She is a true companion, someone I can call upon to commiserate about political woes, invite to a performance at the local theater, or send a few chapters of my latest writing project to in exchange for her thoughtful feedback.

This year, she turned 84, and I turned 34, and as we acknowledged the 50-year gap between us, it was almost hard to believe.

When we're together, laughing and catching up, our souls seem the same, the years dissolving away. Simply by sharing her life with me, she's helped me to release many of my fears of aging, inspired by her boldness, joy, and curiosity. She's shown me that life's adventures can continue well into your 80's, as long as you have an open mind and courage to keep pursuing new experiences.

At 84, she is still 34, and all the other ages in between. Age is but a number, and despite the years between us, we are more alike than different.

Intergenerational friendships are precious

There is something special about forging a friendship with someone from a different generation, creating a unique opportunity to learn from one another. Letting go of biases and stereotypes related to aging can help you be more available to cultivating meaningful connections with people of different age groups.

Just as Toni has helped me embrace the aging process and look forward to getting older, having a friend my age has amplified her already youthful spirit. We enjoy encouraging each other in our very different seasons of life.

Having an age-gap friendship has made such a difference in my life. At the end of the day, maybe it's less about our age gap and more about being kindred spirits — ageless on the inside.

Heather Rose Artushin is a writer with over a decade of published experience and a passion for social justice.

• I'm glad we brought our American kids to Athens, Greece, for their first international trip.
• The city had outdoor activities for us to explore at our own pace, plus many were educational.
• Plus, Athens was easy to navigate because English was widely spoken, and our kids felt welcome.

When our family had the opportunity to travel out of the US in 2023, we agonized over which European destination might be the best place to take our young children, who were only 2 and 5 years old at the time.

In anticipation of what would be our first international travel experience with kids, we wanted to find a city where our energetic boys would feel welcomed and there'd be plenty of activities we could enjoy together as a family. We also wanted a destination we could feel safe navigating on our own without mastery of a foreign language.

After countless hours of research and deliberation, Athens, Greece, topped our list. So, we went.

Based on our trip, it definitely seems like the best kid-friendly European travel destination we could've chosen to have a fun, welcoming, and educational adventure that our family will never forget. Here's why.

Many locals we encountered seemed to enjoy children and be patient with them

While planning our trip, we had anecdotally heard horror stories of families getting excused from cafés and restaurants in other European cities where quiet adult spaces are protected and the presence of noisy children is frowned upon.

On our trip, we didn't want to feel stressed about our kids being loud or end up being excluded from enjoying a café or nice restaurant.

Fortunately, we found the stories we read online about Athens being kid-friendly proved to be true. Most people we encountered in the city seemed genuinely happy to see our children, and it made us feel welcome everywhere we went.

Many locals treated our boys wonderfully — talking directly to them, fawning over them, bringing them booster chairs or special treats, and trying to make them laugh.

We found plenty of kid-friendly food options

It wasn't hard to find food for our kids (and us adults) to enjoy in the city.

Warm pita bread, hearty souvlaki, and sticky-sweet loukoumades (fried dough with honey) made up our picky eaters' diets in Athens.

My little one also enjoyed eating fresh chunks of tomato and cucumber from the (many) delicious Greek salads I enjoyed on our trip.

We even spotted a McDonald's in Syntagma Square that we planned to stop at if we'd gotten desperate for familiar food from home.

Exploring the ancient ruins was active and engaging for our kids

Our children burned plenty of energy walking around Athens and exploring the ancient ruins and sites, including the Temple of Zeus, the Hill of the Muses, the Roman Agora, and, of course, the Acropolis.

The ruins felt pretty laid-back, and we had plenty of freedom to explore at our own pace, which isn't often the case on a guided museum tour or at some ticketed indoor attractions.

As a bonus, our kids also learned a lot about Greek mythology and ancient Greek history along the way.

It was nice that we got to spend so much time doing activities outside, plus bringing our own snacks and water with us was easy.

Greek coffee was incredible for us tired parents

We couldn't get enough of Nescafé frappé — a light, foamy, sweet, and energizing signature Greek coffee drink.

It felt like the perfect pick-me-up on the go for us tired parents dealing with jet lag. I never encountered a frappe I didn't like, but the one from Cafe Plaka was the best, and the cute spot also served ice cream for the kids.

English is commonly spoken in Athens

You won't need to learn Greek to visit Athens — although learning a few phrases can be very helpful.

Most people we encountered spoke English as well as Greek, and many of the road signs in Athens had directions in both Greek and English, making the city a breeze for American tourists like us to navigate.

At the same time, we felt immersed in a foreign culture, with ample exposure to the local language as we walked the streets of Athens.

Plus, we were easily able to hop on a ferry to one of the beautiful Greek islands nearby

While visiting Athens, we got to take a two-hour ferry ride across the Aegean Sea to the breathtakingly beautiful island of Hydra.

Our boys were so excited about the boat ride, which had spectacular views. Once we got to Hydra, they loved walking around the car-free island, petting stray cats, and waving hello to the donkeys.

It was definitely a highlight of the trip.

• My partner and I grew up in the Midwest but later moved our family to Charleston.
• We fell in love with the city on our honeymoon and are still glad we moved years later.
• The city's history, weather, natural environment, and culture of Southern hospitality won us over.

In 2017 in the dead of winter in West Michigan, our car slid into the parking lot of the local hospital as snow fell in the darkness of early morning.

My water had broken in the middle of the night, sending my husband and me into a frenzy as we rushed to meet our sweet firstborn.

From there, those early days of parenting were isolating. The cold temperatures and snow kept us indoors and our extended family from making the trek across the state to offer support.

By the time we took our baby for his first stroller walk in the spring of 2018, we'd had enough of cold Midwest winters. We decided it was time to move to a warmer climate so our son could grow up outside, not stuck in a house for months at a time.

Luckily, I knew exactly where I wanted to go.

We set our sights on Charleston, which we'd fallen in love with on our honeymoon

Our honeymoon road trip two years earlier had taken us through Charleston, South Carolina. The historic city wooed us with its romantic Spanish moss, Southern hospitality, and beautiful beaches.

It seemed like the ideal place to raise our little one and start over as a young family, so we packed up our townhouse and headed to Charleston in August 2018 with our baby.

As we settled, I knew it was the right choice. Instead of feeling lonely and homesick, I found myself relaxed and energized by each conversation I had with a new acquaintance in our community, church, and local library.

Making connections hasn't been hard for me here — Southern hospitality feels alive and well. Although "Midwest nice" is still a thing, I've noticed many Southerners go out of their way to say hello, strike up a conversation, or offer a courtesy wave from the car as they pass on the road.

I've met other transplants from all over the US who are also making their home in Charleston, and we've connected over the parts of this unique place that drew us in.

We are proud to be Charlestonians and feel grateful for our community

Now a family of four, we love getting to raise our two sons, 4 and 7, outdoors. We take frequent nature walks and often hang out at the beach, even in the winter (the season is quite mild here).

There's so much beautiful wildlife to take in, whether we're going for a "hike" on our very flat Lowcountry trails or a drive down a nearby country road.

We feel inspired by Charleston's diversity and local Gullah Geechee culture, which adds value to our experience of living here. As a person of faith, I also appreciate our city's many churches and congregations of all denominations.

Local community events, like the Thanksgiving golf-cart parade at Wild Dunes Resort and Folly Beach New Year's Eve Flip-Flop Drop, have allowed us to experience new traditions and connect with others. They're especially lovely during the holidays when we're missing our family and friends up north.

Even hurricane season, one of the downsides of living in South Carolina, has had a silver lining as it's only made our community stronger. The annual nail-biter brings the neighbors together, whether we're helping each other fill sandbags or pick up debris.

We look forward to continuing to grow as a family in Charleston — a special place that's been a part of our love story from the very beginning.