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Katerina Petrou
Bio
Stories (29/0)
Floating Underneath the Sun and Moon
Before embarking on this trip, I had not left my country in five years. When I was in Crete those years ago, I fell ill with homesickness and I struggled to cope. It was the first time I had been away without my family - unless you count a few days at the Isle of Wight with my school peers. A time when I was not mentally developed enough to understand what loneliness was.
By Katerina Petrouabout a month ago in Wander
From Girly-Girl to Glamorous Goth
Nervously introducing myself to a group of teenage strangers, one girl in particular caught my eye. She was beautiful. Dressed in confidence with golden hair. Certainly, she was the most popular in her previous class. Being in her presence induced a sensation of inferiority within me due to our contrasting hierarchal positions.
By Katerina Petrouabout a month ago in Styled
Being an Italian Immigrant in London
A late afternoon sun slithers through clouds of ash on the ceiling of London. With an autumn breeze that intertwines with the last remnants of this summer. Angelica sits opposite me, cross-legged, on the rims of the water fountain. A stone's throw from where we met.
By Katerina Petrouabout a month ago in Families
“We’ve forgotten who we are.”
In recent years, Spiritualism has gained an increase in acceptance and participation. Perhaps the evil that life has thrown our way in recent years, such as the global pandemic, has encouraged any one of us to find something to believe in. Something that keeps our feet on the ground and our hearts beating.
By Katerina Petrouabout a month ago in Longevity
When Passion Confuses Sexual Arousal and Fear. Content Warning.
'At least I felt something,' I found myself instinctively saying after a friend crept towards me and shook my shoulders. Barely, I watch horror films and I have never really ridden a rollercoaster. So, this playful attack arose a sensation I am not familiar with. Though, it was in its familiarity that I began to think deeper. The "something" that I felt was explicitly fear, though the increased heart rate and rise of adrenaline did not feel all that opposed to sexual arousal. Allow it to be understood that I am not sexually attracted to the person who attempted, and succeeded, to shock me. But, I could not help but wonder how similar fear and sexual arousal truly are. And, if this lack of distinction between the two could be the cause and catalyst for people finding themselves within abusive relationships.
By Katerina Petrouabout a month ago in Psyche
Where are you really from?
I was unsure whether to write this essay. It felt poignant to speak upon my personal experiences receiving racism - in order to raise awareness for the minor everyday occurrences that you hear less about. However, my passport states that I am White British. How could I possibly understand racism? I am not claiming to be the worst case study of this discrimination. Nor am I suggesting that my examples are the ones in most need of immediate attention. The purpose of this essay is to share the problem in all of its forms. Minor racism is still racism. All of it must be abolished.
By Katerina Petrouabout a month ago in The Swamp
Independence or Loneliness
An aspiration for independence seems to be one that many of us share. Perhaps our progressive freedom through the decades has resulted in an ambition for self-reliance - especially among women who strive to be their own providers. Though this dependence on oneself can positively contribute to the views one has on the relationships present in their life, we are social creatures by birth. Developing intimate relationships and regular human contact fuels us to live fulfilled lives. So, what happens when you lose one of these relationships? The person who made you feel most content. Who you could do nothing with and feel okay - like life made sense. Like it did not really need to make sense. Solitude fills the space of the one who has left. And, solitude never leaves. You are left with no choice other than to resent its presence, draining all hope and happiness from your future. Or, perhaps, to befriend it.
By Katerina Petrouabout a month ago in Psyche