By Aphrodite Kotrotsios
For many young Greek Americans today, staying connected to their heritage does not always follow the same path their parents or grandparents took. Instead, the next generation is finding new ways to blend culture, creativity, and entrepreneurship into modern careers.
For Maria Pagiazitis, a second-generation Greek-American with family roots in Lemnos, that journey has taken shape through travel.
Today she runs 9toflyclub, a travel planning brand that helps people design curated trips to Greece and Europe. But her path into travel began somewhere entirely different, in fashion.
Maria studied fashion merchandising, a field she first became interested in as a young teenager. She credits much of that early curiosity to her yiayia, who taught her how to knit and often helped tailor her clothes.
“In middle school I took a sewing class that also introduced the business side of fashion,” she recalls. “That’s when I realized there were so many different directions you could go, styling, merchandising, visual displays. I loved the creativity but also the structure behind it.”
Her studies eventually brought her to New York City, where she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Living and studying in the city helped refine her personal style and appreciation for craftsmanship.
“FIT really teaches you how much work goes into creating a garment,” she says. “It made me appreciate the discipline and attention to detail behind the scenes.”
Travel also became a source of inspiration during this time. After spending a summer in Greece, Maria created a spring fashion collection inspired by Mykonos Town, drawing from the island’s blue-and-white architecture and colorful bougainvillea.
“It was one of the first times I realized how much my Greek background could influence my creative work,” she says.
The turning point came during a study abroad program in 2017, when Maria traveled through London, Paris, Berlin, and Florence as part of her coursework.
Although the program focused on fashion, the experience sparked a deeper interest in travel itself.
“Seeing how people live in different parts of the world really changed my perspective,” she explains. “I started to realize how much culture shapes everything, food, style, traditions, daily life.”
After that trip, she began traveling more frequently, especially throughout Greece. Each summer she and her family explored different islands, while she also started taking personal trips around Europe.
As she shared photos and recommendations on social media, people began asking her for advice about planning their own trips.
“That’s when I started thinking maybe I should turn this into something more structured,” she says.
In 2023, she launched 9toflyclub, a blog and social media brand focused on travel planning and destination advice. Shortly after, she was approached by a travel agency about becoming a travel advisor. Around the same time, one of her videos about Santorini gained unexpected attention online.
“That was really the moment where I thought, ‘Okay, this might actually become something,’” she says.
Although Maria now plans trips across Europe, Greece remains at the center of her work.
Growing up visiting family in Lemnos, a quieter island in the Northern Aegean, gave her a different perspective on the country.
“People know places like Santorini and Mykonos, but there are so many islands and regions that most travelers have never heard of,” she says. “Those are often the places where you experience Greece in a more authentic way.”
Today she specializes in travel planning for the Cyclades, Ionian Islands, and Northern Aegean, as well as destinations in Italy, Iceland, and Ireland.
What she encourages most is slowing down.
“Travelers today are moving away from trying to see five countries in a week,” she says. “They want to stay longer, experience the culture, eat local food, and really connect with the place.”
That approach has become increasingly popular since the pandemic, with many travelers focusing more on meaningful experiences than packed itineraries.
Maria describes her travel planning style as “affordable luxury with an experiential twist.”
Her clients often look for boutique hotels, cultural experiences, and unique excursions, but they also want trips that feel realistic and personalized.
One of the biggest differences between working with a travel advisor and booking online, she says, is the level of support.
“When you book online, you’re mostly on your own,” she explains. “When I plan a trip, I’m involved from start to finish, from building the itinerary to helping if anything unexpected happens while clients are traveling.”
Her clients range from couples celebrating anniversaries to group trips and first-time visitors to Europe.
One recent couple she worked with traveled to Greece for their 30th wedding anniversary, visiting Athens, Naxos, and Santorini.
“They were able to see the Acropolis without scaffolding, which was really special,” she says. “They went windsurfing, took a catamaran cruise, visited wineries, and discovered small local tavernas.”
For Maria, hearing how meaningful those trips become for people is one of the most rewarding parts of the work.
Maria hopes to continue expanding her travel business in the coming years, eventually adding destinations in Asia and leading curated group trips to Greece.
She would like those trips to go beyond sightseeing.
“I want people to experience Greece in a deeper way,” she says. “The history, the food, the traditions, the things that make the culture what it is.”
For Maria, travel is ultimately about personal growth.
“You learn something every time you go somewhere new,” she says. “It pushes you to try different things, meet different people, and step outside your comfort zone.”
Her advice for anyone thinking about traveling to Greece or Europe is simple.
“Use your vacation days,” she says. “Don’t wait for the perfect moment or retirement. Even if it’s just a weekend trip somewhere new, go. Life moves too fast to keep putting those experiences off.”
For many young Greek Americans today, careers and passions are taking them in new directions. Maria’s story shows how heritage, creativity, and entrepreneurship can come together to shape something entirely modern, while still staying deeply connected to where it all began.
