Kate, as most of us know, you are the Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services and Registrar.  Could you please tell a little bit about your role and what you enjoy most about ES?

I often get asked “what do you do?” The easiest way I have found to describe my role, is to say I have strategic oversight for recruitment to graduation for the university. That usually brings the response, “That’s a big job.” At which point, I say “Yes, but I don’t do it alone. I work with an amazing group of people who care about their work in supporting students.” And, that is what I like best about working in ES – the people who work in ES and the students we serve.

So – where did your travels take you to?

I went sailing in Greece this past August in the Cyclades Islands. I have always wanted to go on a sailing trip and discovered this trip and the dates worked so away we went to the magic of Greece on a 52 ft yacht with a skipper and six other people for 8 days and 7 nights travelling from Santorini to Mykonos.

Tell us about your most memorable moments during your trip.

There were so many wonderful moments: keeling over at 11 knots with only the sound of the wind in the sail and the boat racing across the water, dancing at a Greek summer festival, swimming off the boat in the crystal clear blue Aegean Sea, meeting the warm, hospitable Greek people, and roaming ancient ruins marveling at who might have walked the ground beneath our feet. For me it was the perfect combination of culture, activity, music, people, plus wine and food.

What was your favourite meal?

We had some great meals, especially the fish/seafood but sometimes the simplest of things stand out and for me it was Greek yogurt drizzled with honey. The yogurt was so creamy and the honey was distinctive to the regions. I can still taste it and could not get enough of it. We also had a long afternoon lunch at a hilltop village that tumbled down the mountainside on Naxos; it was a very authentic taverna that served the best French fries I have ever eaten along with all the traditional dishes we think of as Greek food.

Lastly, what is one piece of advice you would give to people who want to sail through the Greek Islands?

If you go sailing in the Greek Islands at this time of year, go north to south as the prevailing wind is from the north in the summer. It will make for more sailing days.