Show of hands: Who here has seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Whoa! Maybe I should ask, who here has seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding over 5 times? …That’s still a lot of hands. Well, the Vacation Gals are extremely proud to have Nia Vardalos with us for this Mama Interview. Nia Vardalos is, of course, the creator/writer/star of Greek Wedding, and June 5, 2009, sees her starring in another fun comedy, My Life in Ruins. This movie takes place in Greece (get it? Ruins?). I loved the gorgeous background scenery for Mamma Mia; My Life in Ruins promises to be a movie with settings that makes the travel lover in all of us want to pack our bags, too.
Nia Vardalos is also a strong supporter of the Alliance for Children’s Rights. What with starring in movies, raising her daughter, and supporting this worthy organization, she is one busy mama. She still finds time to be HILARIOUS though.
Your movie, My Life in Ruins, takes place in Greece. Where were some of the locations? Had you been to those specific places before?
All the locations are within the Mystical Triangle: Acropolis, Olympia, and Delphi which were built 121 kilometers 
from each other…2500 years ago! I had visited all these sites (bored) as a kid. Now I see the healing powers of traveling the triangle. You’ll come out refreshed. Your skin will be clear. And you will fall in love!
How did you come to be such a strong supporter of the Alliance for Children’s Rights?
I didn’t know, before my husband and I adopted our daughter, that we didn’t have orphanages in the U.S. But we do have 500,000 kids in foster care. Of these kids, 129,000 are legally free for adoption and waiting for a family. We had waited on many waiting lists for an infant and when these routes kept falling through, turned to FosAdopt. Nine months later our daughter, at the time 3 years old, walked into our house, and turned it into a home. Now I feel compelled to tell anyone and everyone: American FosAdopt does not discriminate against age, single parents, sexual orientation, income level.
Where is your favorite travel destination?
Clearly I love Greece, and not just because the men look like my costar Alexi G, and the landscape looks like 
the posters, but because there is a laid-back wisdom and joy in that country. Also, I loved being in Japan because I couldn’t speak the language or even read the street signs. It was a joy to just get lost and figure out what to eat every day (oh boy, I can only imagine what I thought was a gum ball, may have been an eye. Anyway, I loved it there!)
Any mom can be a Vacation Gal. Have you taken any trips with your daughter yet?
Yes, and I always thought I would be an organized drill sergeant. I am surprised how laid back I’ve become. So, we forgot the crayons, big deal…I hand her a lipstick and let her draw on my pants.
Lipstick on pants? Been there. Believe me, the Vacation Gals are going to be first in line to see My Life in Ruins. And who knows – a group trip to Greece may be next! …we can dream, anyway. Thank you, Nia!
