Halloween in Paphos turned into one of those memories you don’t plan for but end up treasuring. We decided to go all-in on costumes—face paint, outfits, the whole thing—and headed down to the harbor expecting at least a little Halloween spirit. Instead… we were it. No one else was dressed up. Not a soul. We weren’t just noticeable—we were a roaming attraction. People smiled, stared, pointed, and laughed in the good-natured “oh look at them!” kind of way. Instead of feeling out of place, it felt like we injected a little spark into an ordinary evening at the waterfront. The kids soaked it up. Honestly, so did we.
Outside of our accidental Halloween parade, life in Cyprus has been full. Lucas and Henry are deep into tennis, with Lucas on court four days a week and Henry twice. Weekends bring sailing: just Henry, a boat, and the quiet morning water for an hour or so—a surprising little pocket of independence and reflection for him. Henry somehow manages to squeeze in robotics three days a week too, and those sessions at Innovate Labs have become a highlight. He, Dexter, and Vivian adore their teacher Chloe. They’ve built battling robots designed to pop each other’s balloons, programmed music out of scissors and foil, and even engineered functioning video-game controllers out of cardboard and aluminum, and they are designing a board game from scratch,. It’s as joyful and chaotic as it sounds.
And as I wrote in Henry’s birthday post, both boys have had their share of wins: Lucas earned second place in his tennis competition, an achievement that reflected every sweaty afternoon on the court. Meanwhile, Henry, Dexter and Vivian (aka Robowave) placed second out of 11 teams—and fourth overall when including the older division. The kids walked away with 50-euro gift cards and an even bigger boost of pride.
We find time in between the kid’s organized activities for some fun. Walking along the harbor is a group favorite. Especially when we stop for ice cream. We go to the mall often. Lucas, Henry and Michael enjoy a Taco Bell crunch taco every once in a while. A few parent nights out here and there, plus the unforgettable evening when the kids cooked us a full three-course meal—cocktails, entertainment, and all.
Our five foster kittens all found homes, which felt like the perfect happy ending to that chapter.
Halloween may have made us the odd ones out at the harbor, but in the best way. Cyprus keeps proving that sometimes stepping into a place with your whole quirky, colorful self leads to the most memorable moments.
