Hello there! I’m Ioannis (or Yannis, I insist), a Content Writer and Editor at TourScanner hailing from Athens, Greece, where the fantastical worlds of comics, music and film fueled my dreams and love for travel. While my childhood ambition to claim the moon as my own remains unfulfilled (for now), I channeled my curiosity into a decade-long academic adventure in England. With over ten years of experience as a journalist and wordsmith translator, I aim to craft stories that bridge cultures and perspectives. My passion for narratives isn’t confined to the written word, though, and you’ll often find me rummaging through record shops, showcasing my sweetest dance moves at live gigs, or absorbed in cinematic masterpieces. And yes, I’m still keeping an eye on the stars.
My globe-trotting saga kicked off before I could even babble, whisked away to the island of Karpathos, where my family comes from, almost every summer. Growing up, I explored many corners of Greece, from remote paradises in the Aegean to the snowcapped highlands of Epirus. Later on, when I moved to the UK for studies, my love for music got me traveling around the country, with the odd trek over to central Europe and beyond. While my journeys have often been in pursuit of the next great singalong, getting to know the people and stories of the places I visit makes each destination unique.
When I was 10 years old, I visited family in the USA during the Christmas holidays and got to explore New York City, including the Statue of Liberty. After a long drive from New Jersey, we boarded the boat, grabbed some hot dogs and stopped at Ellis Island before reaching the statue. Climbing the 354 steps to the crown was an adventure, especially with my brothers causing chaos at the top, leading to a hasty (and equally chaotic) retreat, running and jumping down the narrow stairs. The return trip involved a long walk to the train station after my aunt lost her keys, so I got to see more of the City That Never Sleeps and ride in the back of a police car. Not bad for what seemed like a ‘boring’ day of sightseeing that did not involve video games or cartoons!