αντίο μέχρι την επόμενη φορά (goodbye until next time)

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” 

― Heraclitus

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” 
― Ernest Hemingway

Finals are done, bags are packed, yogurt bucket is empty, blogs are NOT finished being written, but I'm ready for one last night in Greece before we board the bus at 4am tonight. I say tonight because in Greece on a Friday night, 4am isn't even bedtime yet. I certainly don't plan on sleeping. :) I've been having a lot of trouble organizing my thoughts around the last stretch of my time here. Ever since our trip to Turkey, it's been a whirlwind of people and experiences. And I also may have been suffering from a small case of TDDD. The fact that this time tomorrow, I'll already be on an entirely different continent kinda blows my mind. Did you know the world was that small? I sure didn't.

I've heard that it's a lot harder to come home from being abroad than it is to adapt to the foreign culture. Maybe because you don't expect your home to change while you're gone. Or maybe because you don't realize how much you've changed. But I think it'll be just fine. I can at least say that I like myself much better now than I did before I left. 

So thank you, Greece, for that. Thank you for teaching me about being honest all the time. For proving to me how rewarding it can be to talk to strangers. For showing me how it's ok not to have a plan. For feeding me delicious things. For the generous and affectionate spirits who I've been lucky enough to cross paths with. For putting my legs to use. For simplifying my life. For introducing me to the rest of the world. For the sunshine that is unique to only you. For every person I've befriended and even just encountered. I'm so glad to have met you and I will never be the same. 

Goodbye Greece. Until next time. 

Upcoming Blogs  :) 

• Istanbul, Turkey - Thanksgiving Weekend
• Epidaurus - The Final Frontier 
• Welcome Back!
• What to Pack on Your Study Abroad Adventure

The Belly Button of the World

Me and the Belly Button

On November 23rd, the study abroad team took us on my favorite excursion yet - Delphi! In ancient times, this city was viewed as the center of the earth. It is said that Zeus sent his two eagles out to fly around the earth to determine the center of earth - aka, Dephi. Aka, the Naval. Aka, the belly button of the world (it's an outie)! Supposedly, when you rub the stone marking the naval, you become wise. I'll let you know how well that works when my grades come back.

The Remains of Apollo's Temple

"Pythia"
Painting by
John Collier

However, Dephi is perhaps better known by the temple of Apollo and the home of the oracle, or Pythia. The Pythia was usually a young virgin woman chosen from village of Dephi who prophesied the future (via Apollo) to rich people nine days out of the year.  Our tour guide told us that Apollo chose women to be his oracles as a way to apologize to Mother Earth or something. I used to always have this idea that Ancient Greeks had respect for women because they were the oracles. However, fun fact, the temple sits right over a chasm (note the crack in the painting above) which, long long ago, used to emit methane. Which would make the person sitting above this chasm for hours on end a little disturbed, I guess. And then, not only were the priestesses basically high while they prophesied, but their mangled up words were also then smoothed out through an interpreter. These male interpreters often just made up something vague, but leaning towards their political advantage. Supposedly, Aesop was murdered for calling the interpreters the "parasites of Apollo."

Greek Kitty in Arachova
AKA Anna's Spirit Animal

Today was also Anna's birthday. After the excursion (and an AMAZING meal in the ski resort town of Arachova), we celebrated her golden year with bread pudding, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and the best beer ever. 

The time to return to the States is approaching faster then ever! Anna and I compiled a list of some of the things we will miss the most from our study abroad experience:

• Our friends Jess and Carissa
• Greek Yogurt
• Living with Anna
• Cooking for Eachother
• Sharing Groceries
• Learning How to Cook
• Coffee Date Mondays with Greek Friends
• Gyros 
• Freddo Cappucinos
• Year Round Farmer's Market
• Daily Devotional with Anna
• Speaking Greek
• Greek Hospitality
• Walking Everywhere
• Public Transportation
• THE WEATHER (It was 48 degrees yesterday... I was shivering)
• Living Simply with Little Stuff
• Anna will miss School/Learning - it's her last semester of college!
• Being Bums 
• Professors
• Deree's Library
• Cheap Flights Anywhere in Europe
• Not Having Data Everywhere
• Living in a Dorm?

But there are a lot of people and things I am looking forward to as well. Until then however, I'll be busy focusing on our list. Anna's twin, Sarah, has been visiting us the last couple weeks. We've showed her the magic of Greek Yogurt, gyros, and Greek Coffee and she came to Istanbul with us! Today, I'm showing her the National Gardens and Parliament. Turkey blog coming soon! Thank you for keeping up with me on this journey. :)

London

“When it's three o'clock in New York, it's still 1938 in London.” 

― Bette Midler

Some of my friends from Midwest Ambassadors of Music
Zermatt, Switzerland 2007

The first (and only other) time I've been in London was on the 2007 Midwest Ambassadors of Music European Tour. Approximately 200 of we young musicians hit up seven European countries and performed in all sorts of spaces from gorgeous cathedrals, to serene parks, to town squares, to assembly halls. An incredible experience that has changed my life and for which I am eternally grateful. And London was our first stop. After the tour, despite everywhere we had gone and everything we had seen, my (to this day) best friend and I couldn't get London off our minds. We immediately began plans to spend a post-graduate year abroad together in London.  But as time went by and the real world became, well - real - this plan sort of faded away. The last few years, I couldn't even remember why we had made that plan anyway. What was so great about London?

BFF and I at Windsor Castle 2007

TRUST ME I REMEMBERED. 

Guys. I love London. I love the culture, I love the history, I love the theater, I love the accents, I love the public transportation, I LOVE THE ARCHITECTURE, I love the breakfast, I love tea time, I love the free art museums, I love the churches, I love the cider. I could totally live in London.

When all of the study abroad students first arrived in Athens, a major topic of conversation was heritage. Funny how important your ancestors become when you are outside of the States. I'm very German, a little Irish, a smidgen of Black Dutch, and am somehow related to some sort of royalty somewhere in the Whales. But I often find myself forgetting about those things, looking right back to the Mayflower, and thinking I'm English. 

Anyway. About our trip. A HUGE shout out and thank you to Anna's sister, Amy, who studied abroad in London a few years back and practically planned our entire tour for us. You're the best! We arrived in London late at night, and took a bus and a train from Luton Airport to Kings Cross Station where Anna and I wandered the area in search of our hostel. This is actually the first time we have had to stay in a real hostel. For some reason, I've always pictured hostels as looking something like the hospital room in Harry Potter, but more like a big gym-type room, several little beds, curtains around them...

Expectation...

Reality

Now, add the bags, garbage, and other various belongings of nine girls to the second image. Anna and I arrived at our new home well past midnight, trying our best to squeeze through the rubbish, unpack a little bit, and climb into the bunks making as little noise as possible. It was a place to sleep and occasionally shower (when I was feeling brave enough) and was super conveniently located. But, the few occasions we did spend time (again, squeezing) in the community room to use the internet, we had a fascinating opportunity to observe many other travelers from all over the world - Spain, France, Denmark, USA, Japan, etc. So cool! What was weird, however, was that it seemed like a lot of the residents never really left the building.... ever. Morning and night, the hostel was full of the same people eating, drinking, watching movies, sleeping, etc. I regret never getting a chance to ask anyone what they were up to in London in the first place - something I'll just have to be curious about.

Anyway. London is amazing. Right.

Day 1 (Saturday)
First thing in the morning (maybe 5 hours of sleep?) we grabbed some pb&j's (HEAVEN), purchased Oyster cards and hopped on the tube headed towards Covent Gardens to stand in line at Cambridge Theater for £5 student rush tickets to Matilda the Musical. TIP: If you're planning on spending a few days in London, buy an Oyster card for the tube. They cost £5 and are a super convenient way to get around. AND at the end of your stay, you can sell the Oyster card back! At the theater, we stood in line behind two girls who are studying abroad in Dublin. So fun to talk to them and compare experiences! One girl is from Pennsylvania and the other from Norway. Heritage played a big part in this conversation also as Anna is SUPER Norwegian. Did you know they have three more letters in their alphabet? After a two hour's freezing wait in line, we were extra lucky and got 2 of the last 3 tickets to that nights performance - with excellent seats. Thank you, God.

Then, we hopped back on the tube and headed to Victoria Station to meet my cousin Hillary! I haven't seen her in a few years - what a blessing.

FUN FACT: London is only one square mile. We spent most of the rest of our weekend walking. From Victoria, we headed up the road toward Buckingham Palace (you know... the Queen's house) where a huge crowd was beginning to gather. Have you heard of Group Psychology? It's a real thing. We had no idea what was going on, but thinking it MUST be cool, we joined the crowd. As more and more people began to join, we started to overhear many people asking the same questions we were thinking. Somehow, the rumor began and the group decided it MUST be that the Queen was going to do something. We got excited, and spent maybe 30 minutes in anticipation.

It was the changing of the guards. Every other day during the low season from 11:30-12, the guards parade from their barracks down the road and enter the palace, one group at a time. Cool.... but not worth the crowds. It took us another 30 minutes to simply get across the street. Oofta.

Next, we explored Picadilly Circus, had some traditional English Breakfast (AMAZING), and checked out an adorable Christmas store called Fortnum and Masons. Seriously... it felt like Harry Potter. Then, Hillary bid us farewell at the British Museum. It was incredible to get to see her and learn about her experiences in England! There, we checked out some more amazing Renaissance paintings and statues and even some marble remnants from the Acropolis. The coolest thing we saw was the Rosetta Stone. Then, we checked out the National Gallery. So much beautiful art and most of the museums are free - how cool is that?! On a side note, I love going to museums with an art minor! Before the play, we explored Covent Gardens and the market - SO CUTE (and SUPER Christmasy... I love it). There were new street performing acts going on every half hour.

Matilda was freaking amazing. It felt SO GOOD to be back in the theater again (and have it be in English). Anna and I felt so at home. This entire study abroad experience has been a definite reinforcement of my calling in the theater.

Day 2 (Sunday)

Look! It's Big Ben!

On Sundays, London theaters normally either take a day off, or the show is so good that they've been sold out for weeks. So today was a day of exploring London. First things first, we checked out "Platform 9 3/4"... which was not actually filmed between Platforms 9 and 10 as they are not even adjacent to each other. However, there is a cute monument to 9 3/4 where you can take a picture pushing a cart through the brick wall for free. Then, we headed to Parliament Square, home of Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and Parliament.

Then, we crossed the bridge by the London Eye and stumbled upon a charming (CHRITSMASY) riverside market. Sooo many fun markets. Another reason I love London.

After some tasty street brats, we crossed back over and nature watched in St. James Park (home of pelicans, swans and other fancy birds). Then, we relaxed some more over a nice hot cup of tea, bread pudding and scones before Evensong. TIP: Getting into Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral is spendy. If you want to see the inside for free AND get an incredible spiritual experience WHILE listening to a choir sing beautifully, attend the Evensong services - daily and only maybe an hour long.

We finished the night by walking the Tower Bridge, watching people skate at the Tower of London, and enjoying some delicious cider ale and fish and chips. We stopped back by Picadilly Circus to see if we maybe wanted to catch a movie, but decided to call it a night.

Day 3 (Monday) 

Globe Theater Stage

We started our day at St. Paul's Cathedral and then crossed the famous Millennial Bridge toward the Tate Modern Art Museum (FREE!) and the Globe Theater and exhibition. Apparently, it was also national field trip day - so many little school children everywhere. The Globe was the only tour we paid for and was worth every pence (ha). To our total disappointment however, we were not allowed to climb up onto the stage and recite. Boo. Fun fact: The Globe Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company are actually RIVAL theater companies. Some day, I'll get to see both groups perform...

Note to Self: NEVER forget to pack granola bars EVER. Seriously, hangry is a real thing and sometimes, not even the English eating schedule can stop it. We headed over to Borough Market for lunch (at the recommendation of my dear friend Lizzie, who studied in London this summer) which is a more eclectic market. However, being the off season in London, it was limited mostly to fresh produce rather then food food. So, we hit up a delicious Indian restaurant around the corner. London is well known for its fabulous Indian dining. YUM.

Afterwards, it was time for the Evensong Service at Saint Paul's. Absolutely gorgeous. Then, we took the tube across town to try and check out the V&A (free) before it closed, but didn't get much time. We headed back to Victoria Station to relax over Cornish Pasties and coffee before tonight's show, Billy Elliot. It was also fantastic... I may have cried a little bit.

Outside Saint Paul's Cathedral

Victoria Palace Theater

The entire trip was so surreal. I forgot all about school in Athens... we were totally in the moment the entire time. 19 days left of study abroad. Thanks for keeping up with my experiences! 

The Two Ladies in Verona

Let's rewind a minute. March, 2013. Anna and I are sitting down to lunch in Old Chicago. We order bruschetta and pizza - half Hawaiian, half Margarita. It was this monumental meal that brought me here. When I walked into the restaurant, I never thought I'd be spending the next semester of school in Athens, Greece. In fact, I had never even heard of this school. While in Old Chicago, as we were discussing this opportunity, we mused about how we could take a weekend in Italy, order more pizza there, and muse about how awesome studying abroad is. 

Boom. Done. 

Emailing Juliet!
Wonder if she'll reply...

Verona, Italy. The setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and parts of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Local legend has it that Romeo and Juliet were real people. If so, I recited Juliet's monologue off of her real balcony, read the graffiti in her actual tomb, and ate at the restaurant that was supposedly once Romeo's house (which was merely a couple blocks away from Juliet's.... yeah, right). Rest assured, Anna and I also wrote our letters to Juliet and left them on the wall under her balcony, took a picture rubbing her right breast for good luck, and even wrote her an email while touring her house (who knew she was so high tech?!). The email read something like this:

Dear Juliet,

Do it girl. Deny thy father. That Romeo Efron is a HUNK.

Love, Anna and Debbi

PS: You do know he was in love with Rosalie, right? Can anyone say, rebound?!

Other than where we were going to sleep and how we were going to get there, Anna and I really didn't have any plans for our stay in Verona. Originally, we were going to spend the weekend exploring Cinque Terre on the coast, but the more we travel, the more we are discovering how difficult it is when you are on your own (and Cinque Terre appears to be a very difficult place to get to). When we first begun our study abroad experience, I temporarily objected to the various tours I've been on. "There wasn't time to immerse oneself within the  culture," I thought to myself. "And most people didn't even care about the monuments and sights we were touring. Isn't it much better to explore on your own?" I assure you, those idiot thoughts were brief. Though there is definitely a LOT of merit in going places on your own and a lot more opportunity to experience culture that way, I'm right back to being incredibly grateful for the knowledgeable and gracious people who have introduced me to every culture, country, and historical place I have experienced, and all at my leisure of not having to plan anything. 

So yeah. ANYWAY. We went to Verona and stayed there the whole time because it was simple and relaxing. However, fun fact, the simplicity of traveling to Verona and its marketable association with Shakespeare's tragic duo makes this city a very popular spot for couples. However, Northern Italy is not popular for speaking English. So, unfortunately, the closest thing to a friend that we made was a really adorable puppy inside a gelato place. However, we did see practically every site and museum there is to see in Verona. And drank Italian hot chocolate like it was nobody's business.

TIP: Italian hot chocolate is, in fact, the true nectar of the Gods. Screw Italian pizza and pasta and whatever else they supposedly have to offer. It all pales in comparison. If I could have spent the weekend drinking only hot chocolate and eating gelato, I would have. And I never would have discovered its glory if I hadn't Googled "Things to Do in Italy." 

The extent to which dinner customs vary from place to place kind of blows my mind a little. Before coming to Italy, I was expecting the culture to be relatively similar to the Greek culture. I mean, I've been pretty classically trained on the Italian culture from my time working at Olive Garden (ha), but it is all still Mediterranean, right? But what I actually discovered was that I had no idea what was going on. When we landed in Italy, we took a bus to the train station, the train to Verona, and a cab to our b&b (La Buchetta - highly recommend!). By the time we got there, it was 8 pm, dark and we were starving (apparently, right on time for Italian dinner!). Claudio, the owner, gave us directions to a nearby pizzeria which seemed simple enough... but resulted in Anna and I wandering around the sleepy residential area of Verona for maybe an hour before we found it. We ordered a pizza to split and a glass of the best wine I've even had in my life. We sat back, relaxed and were grateful to be here. But, when we got the pizza, I had a mini panic attack. How do Italians eat pizza?! It came to us cut in half, on two separate plates and wasn't sliced. And neither of us were sitting at an angle where we could see other people eating their pizza. My vision of relaxing and musing over Italian pizza fell apart. I wanted to eat it right - respectfully. From what I've heard, mealtime in Italy is a sacred event. 

However, looking back, I'm reminded of the wise words of my wonderful friend and advisor, Kim: "Pride'll kill ya. You aren't nearly as important as you think you are." I'm sure my pizza would have tasted way better if I had had those words in mind. Also, they appear to eat pizza with knife and fork. 

The rest of our time in Verona was much more pleasant, though we still didn't necessarily have a clear idea of what we were doing. The next morning, when Anna and I got on the bus with no idea how to purchase tickets (tickets for public transportation are similar to Greece - do it yourself and occasionally get checked), we had an adorable encounter with an old Italian man who didn't speak any English. Like I said, Northern Italy is notorious for not having a lot of English available - on signs, in museums, and in the people. So, when I asked this man for help to work the ticket machine, and he responded in Italian, I expected to perhaps just wait for the next person to come along. But no. Instead, he continued to speak to me in Italian, took my money, asked other people on the bus to help exchange our money for the correct change and showed us how to work the machine. While I continued to stand there smiling with my palms up, eyebrows raised and saying "uhhhh." It was a hilarious and incredible experience in cross-cultural communication. 

Once we got the bus system down, all of Verona was at our finger tips. We wandered into every art museum, explored the castles, recited in the arenas and theaters, lit candles in gorgeous churches, and hiked in the hills. TIP: In Verona, on the first Sunday of every month, tickets to get into most museums are only 1€. If you don't happen to visit on that day, get a Verona pass - one pass/price for all the major museums and sights. ;)

One month left of our study abroad experience. Though I'm getting ready to be home, see my loved ones, get back in the theater, and have access to the rest of my closet.... I'm scared and sad to be leaving Greece soon. Who knows when or if I'll get to come back here and see my friends and experience this culture again? In preparation for our upcoming departure, I will be spending my time eating as much Greek yogurt and souvlaki with my new friends as physically possible. If only that pesky homework wasn't getting in the way...

In other news, I'll be on my way to London for the weekend in the next couple hours. It'll be nice to have a couple days in a place where everything is in English. :) We'll be spending time seeing shows and exploring the city with my lovely cousin Hillary. I can hardly wait! We also just booked plane tickets to see Istanbul, Turkey over Thanksgiving break. Stay tuned and thank you for reading!

Santorini - The Best Decision Ever

Three day break from classes well-spent! Celebrated Oxi Day Weekend on the incredible island of Santorini (you know, like in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?). The ferry left Athens Saturday morning at 7:30 am. We booked the tickets and our hostel at 11 pm on Friday. Left the dorms at 5:45 am. TIP: Economy seats on a ferry could mean anything from airplane seats to chairs and tables outside on the deck. Either way, get on to the boat at least 30 minutes before it leaves... or bring a jacket. But really, TIP: bring a jacket anyway. Because Santorini isn't just an island. Its an island made up of cliffs and cliffs mean the occasional windchill. But whatever. We still got tans. :)

Helloooo Fira, Santorini.

Bye bye, Athens!

ALSO! One last ferry TIP. Before you leave, check how many stops there are before arriving to your destination. The announcements are kind of hard to understand sometimes, and the barista might not exactly be friendly either, so you may pull a move like we did and get off on the wrong island and almost miss your ferry. Just a word from the wise. 

ANYWAY. When we did get off on Santorini and get to our hostel, we again experienced the amazing capacity of Greek hospitality. Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, we stayed at Villa Manos just outside of Fira (the main city of the island). The staff of this hostel not only picked us up from the ferry, but also fed us and told us everything we'd need to know about getting around Santorini. After we'd settled in, our new neighbor from Israel, Tithau (who had also just arrived from our ferry) knocked on our door and invited us to join him on a walk through town to see the sunset. 

Photographers perched in Oia.

Let me take a moment to explain the Santorini Sunset. On this island, everything revolves around the sunset and your entire day is planned around being able to catch its splendor over dinner on the cliffs. The most popular viewing point for this event is in the town of Oia (Eeyah) on the top of a fortress-looking thing and the farthest edge of the island. Tourists from all over the world flock to this location daily - its an overwhelming mess, and in my opinion, the view is just as nice from Fira (the main city of the island and where we stayed.

Fira Sunset

Oia Sunset 

We ended up spending the whole weekend with Tithau from Israel and another new friend, Angela, from Seattle. It was incredible! A big life lesson that "danger" does not always apply to "stranger." Together, we ate a lot of delicious food, sampled a lot of delicious wine, climbed a volcano, swam in hot springs, and explored the beaches. My favorite beach in the whole world is now Red Beach - you have to do a little hike to get there. The water was so clear, you could see right down to your toe nails! One of the best weekends of my life. :)

Red Beach

Napflion

Saturday, the study abroad team took us all out to Napflion. I absolutely adored this area! It is positively gorgeous and, like Hydra, is more of the Greece we were expecting. It was the original capitol of Greece. One of my favorite parts of being in this city was actually being able to recall many of the monuments and historical sites to my Modern Greek History class (yay school!). 

Amanda, Me and Yawen inside the prison... scary....

First, we explored the Palamidi Castle where Kolokotronis was imprisoned and we even went inside the little cell (creepy). Felt very Chronicles of Narnia/Game of Thrones. The castle also holds a gorgeous view of the city below. 

She's escaping!

 After escaping the prison and exploring the fortress, we headed into Old Town Napflion. We saw the original Parliament and monuments dedicated to the first president, Kapodístrias, and the first King, Otto. The coolest part was seeing the bullet holes from Kapodístrias' murder. We also got to peek inside Saint George's Cathedral - the first Greek Orthodox church I have been inside. 

Our RA, Litsa, lights a candle
inside Saint George's Cathedral.

As we walked around this gorgeous little town, Anna and I both remarked how we wish there were study abroad opportunities in places like this. We're still adjusting to "city life" I guess. However, Athens is a very unique city. Even though it is the capitol of Greece, it doesn't feel like the big scary city I thought it would feel like. One of my Greek friends actually described Athens as a big friendly village. Or maybe, as we're figuring out how this place works, it's just starting to feel more like home rather then a massive foreboding foreign metropolis.

ANYWAY. After our tour, we ate a traditional Greek taverna by the sea. It was the BEST Greek food I have eaten yet! Dolmades, the best olives I have ever tried, stuffed eggplant rolls, spanakopita, cake, freddo cappucinos, and the MOST AMAZING lamb. The only think I caught a picture of was the lamb because we were too busy stuffing our faces with the magical Greek goodness, to the amusement of our Brazilian friend Amanda who is constantly amazed by the speed at which Americans eat, remarking, "You're food isn't going anywhere, you know!" 

Baaahhhh.

Guys. I have tried lamb several times. From my own kitchen and from fancy restaurants and not once have I really appreciated it. I don't know why I even kept bothering. But this.... was SPECTACULAR lamb. 

By the time we finished our tasty escapades, we only had 20 minutes to explore Napflion before we got back on the bus to head to a nearby winery for a tour and tastings. I wish we had had more time to really cover Napflion - it was so... soul feeding? Or at least it could have been. The tour of the winery was very interesting and cool - but I think that'll be my last winery tour. Something about fermenting grapes just doesn't appeal to my senses. (Don't get me wrong, I still love wine! Just not how it smells while it's being made...) But the view was beautiful! :) 

We are halfway through our semester in Greece! I can't believe it has flown by this quickly. I know this might seem obvious, but its still surprising that no matter how long you get to live somewhere, you will never get to see, learn or understand everything about a place. But I'm certainly grateful to have had my mind opened up to the rest of the world in the way it has been on this journey. Amanda and I had a conversation about how Americans are (stereotypically) ignorant of the rest of the world. Like how we don't really learn European history outside of WWII. Amanda wondered whether that was due to a lack of interest... and it might be. But that's not because we are arrogant ignorant Americans.... I honestly think its just because we aren't taught about other cultures as much as we should be. Amanda, as a Brazilian high schooler, was required to learn some history of America, Russia, Germany, China England, France, etc. I hate to admit that I really didn't know anything about Brazil before I met Amanda other then its language and climate... food for thought. 

Monday is a national holiday in Greece - Oxi* Day! This means NO SCHOOL MONDAY! Anna and I are looking to travel to either the island of San Torini or Crete. Thank you for reading!

*Oxi is pronounced "oh-khee" and means "no."

The (Somewhat) Great Big Day of Awful That Definitely Could Have Been Worse, But Still

“Some days are like that. Even in Australia.” 

― Judith Viorst 

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

So I haven't gotten to tell you about last Saturday yet. Saturday was one great big day of awful. ok, maybe that's an exaggeration. It wasn't ENTIRELY awful. We did eat some tasty food and we learned some valuable lessons involving public transportation. But enough of these musings. Allow me to explain.

image borrowed from athensminibus.com

The plan:

Make the pilgrimage to Epidaurus, the biggest ancient theater in the WORLD. Stand on the stage and recite a monologue from Sophocles' Antigone. Check out the archeological museum and other sites. Eat lunch by the sea. Experience all sorts of joy. Cost: €21 for bus roundtrip, €6 for Epidaurus admission. 

But that doesn't really sound like one great big day of awful does it? Nope. Not at all. Sounds more like a great big day of awesome to me. But sometimes, obviously, things won't go according to plan. God is going to offer you an amazing opportunity to use the fruits of the spirit. And I can assure you, we took that opportunity. We took it, stomped all over it, and had a great big day of awful. ANYWAY.

Probably the biggest lifestyle change I have undergone here is the use of public transportation. In South Dakota, having a car is almost essential what with everything being so spread out and the occasional freak snowstorm. But in Greece, with some practice and the ability to ask strangers for directions, you can get almost anywhere by the metro and bus. However, the ticket system is very different then that of, say, the metro in NYC. Here, anyone can get in the station and on the train without a ticket. However, they run the risk of being caught by the occasional guard and being fined. 

So the morning went as follows: Left the dorms at 8 am to make it to the airport by 9:30 am to catch the only bus to Epidavros (the city where Epidaurus is - two hours away). We could have bought tickets to join a fancy tour (that not only hits up Epidaurus, but also cool areas like Mycenae and Napflio), but we are poor college students and those tours are all €92. ANYWAY. So we buy our tickets at the nearest kioske, walk to the nearest bus stop, hop on, ride to the metro station, hop on, ride to the airport, hop off and try and find the bus to Epidavros. After following various random signs and asking various random people, we finally find the buses with a couple minutes to spare. Only to discover that the bus we need to get on is actually another hour's bus ride away. And that bus doesn't even leave for another 45 minutes or so. Needless to say, we were screwed. 


We played around with the idea of going elsewhere in Greece (in Anna's words, "We're young, we're in Greece, we're at the airport - why not?") but, as we've already discovered, traveling on our own is a lot more complicated then it seems. We decided instead explore Syntagma, which is near the center of Athens and whose train station is right outside the Parliament. So, we hop back on the train, and hang out for the next 15 minutes while we wait for it to leave. We smile and chat, acknowledge the nearest guard, and watch the train slowly fill with people. All in all, trying to persevere about our failed adventure. Finally, the doors slide shut and the train begins to move. 

Food makes
everything better.

This is when the guards take their opportunity to ask to see our metro tickets... you know, so there's no escape. Actually, this is the first time I have ever been asked to show my ticket. But no big deal. We're good girls. We hand them our tickets. 

And here's a fun fact. When getting on the metro, if you're going to or from the airport, you are required to have a special €8 ticket. Rather then our little student 70 cent ones. 

We got fined €80. The one upside is that, if you pay within 10 days, your fine is cut in half. But still.... we paid more money to do nothing then we would have paid to make it to Epidaurus. Hence, the great big day of awful. Our attitudes got the best of us. TIP: When travel plans and happy perspectives fall through, it is always a good idea to stop what you're doing, find the nearest eating establishment, and simultaneously rest/drown your feelings with food. 

Me, Marianna, and
pumpkin spice latte!

So Wednesday, our lovely Greek friend Marianna joined us to try and appeal this ticket. The appeal process is as follows: take the train across town, bring copies of passport, visa, and ISIC (to prove why we had student tickets in the first place), have Marianna speak with the attendant in Greek, and each fill out a Fee Cancellation Application Form (complete with contact info, explanation for why you shouldn't be fined, and your father's name... I dunno why, but every legal document here requires your father's name). Then, we had the choice to either pay €40 for the reduced fine now or wait to hear back until our application goes through. If it is accepted, our money will be returned to us. If it is not, and we had not paid the initially, then we would be charged the full €80. We won't hear back about the status of this application for one month.
(UPDATE: Because we had brought the copies of our IDs, they cut our fine in half. So now, we get to make a trip to the office and pick up 20€. I call it a success!)

But hey. Now we know. Public transportation is a blessing... and sometimes a b-word. Mostly a blessing. Getting in my car for the first time is going to be a weird feeling. I've never taken the buses in Sioux Falls before, but I'm definitely going to give them a shot when I get home. 

Thank you for bearing through this unfortunate tale. Studying abroad continues to be an incredible experience and I am so blessed and grateful for this opportunity. As our metro fine is the most unfortunate thing to happen to me thus far, I really don't have anything to complain about. Tomorrow, the study abroad team is taking us wine tasting in Napflio! Could there be a better ending to the first week of Midterms? Signing off with a photo of me and Anna's new inspirational wall decoration. Adventure on! 

The Hot Bods of Greek Gods

Yia sas! I've been here for almost six weeks. And we've only just made it to the Parthenon. TIP: Though the night life in Athens is typically very late, check the hours for tourist sites and grocery stores. They aren't open as late as you'd think! Markets tend to close at 9 pm and the tourist sites vary. A simple tip that I'm still somehow figuring out. However, one of the plus sides of Athens is that there's always an ancient ruin somewhere to be admired from afar.

Some of the adventures and events of this past week:

October 3rd. Our roommate Steph got hit by a car while she was out running in preparation for the Marathon. (You know, like the MARATHON Marathon - whoa.) This affirms the craziness of traffic conditions here. Narrow roads, little traffic enforcement, and most sidewalks are often blocked from pedestrians by planted trees, parked cars and dumpsters. There is even a group here in Athens trying to fight for pedestrian rights. Pedestrian rights.... something I've always taken advantage of, I guess! Send out your prayers and positive thoughts to this super sweet trooper!

October 4th. Cheered on the Deree women's soccer team. Our cheers were so inspiring that our friend Carissa actually knocked one of the opponents out!

October 5th. Anna, Jess and I checked out the National Archeological Museum here in Athens (€3 with student ID). It was beeeeauuutiful. The museum is near the area in Athens known as Exarchia and next door to Athens Polytechnic (aka the National Technical University of Athens). Exarchia is a popular area for college students, anarchists and demonstrations with many cool shops, restaurants and clubs. When we arrived in the area, there was a peaceful demonstration beginning across the street from the metro - its the first one I have seen during my stay in Athens. The area is very eclectic in appearance and is covered entirely in very artistic graffiti (while most of Athens is covered in very boring, gross, sad, and inartistic graffiti). At night time, in Exarchia Square, it is apparently common to see many people doing drugs out in the open. Needless to say, it is a unique community and made the sparkling beautiful building and grounds of the museum very easy to find.

The exhibits were crazy cool. Pieces were from the Archaic and Classical Periods, Bronze Age, Byzantine Empire, Egypt, and even a shipwreck (though don't quote me on the details here). However, many of the statues and monuments were taken from people's gravestones. They were of course very cool and artistic all the same, but it was still weird... I dunno how I would feel if I knew someone took the monument marking my grave to display in a museum somewhere. However, we did also see a few mummies and skeletons, so I guess all's fair in love, war, and historical preservation! Side note, all the statues of Greek gods had totally hot bods. Here's a couple (non-naked statue) pictures from our adventure:

Check out the detail on his arms - you can see his VEINS.

Anna and Jess. And Mr. Dead Guy.

Zeus' arm. And a statue of an arm. 

Later that night, some of my Greek friends from class took Carissa and I out for a night on the town; specifically, in the Gazi District. This area is also a very cool collegiate area with many cool looking clubs, bars, coffee shops and stores. We relaxed and talked for a while and then they took us dancing (to prove that Greeks DO dance)! TIP: If you plan on going to a club on the weekend in Athens, arrive relatively "early" - maybe around 11 pm, before the place packs up and the lines start. After about 2 am, you can't really go into any other places because of the lines. The club played everything from Britney Spears to the Rocky theme to Gangsta's Paradise. The dancing here is more subdued then back in the States though. As in, you don't really see people grinding - which is definitely cool by me. :) We called it an early night at 3 am - after the metro had closed at 2 am - and our friends continued to prove Greek hospitality by giving us a ride all the way back to our dorm. However, TIP: Do not ask a Greek boy what hair product he uses for his stylish and gravity-defiant hairstyles. According to them, they do not use product. But then again, that does go along with Anna's theory that all Greeks have beautiful hair.

October 11th. We finally made it out to the Acropolis (which is the name of a mountain, not a monument)! (€6 with USF student ID.) Atop this mountain sits the Parthenon and a couple other temples for the worship of Athena, the Goddess of War and protector of Athens. We were in total awe of these monuments. Can you imagine building such structures? And climbing a mountain every day to do it? 

The Parthenon

Odeon of Herodes Atticus - Just like we studied in Theater History!
Photo credit to Anna Thvedt

My favorite - The Theater of Dionysus

Afterward, we explored the Acropolis Museum (free with Greek student ID)- a beautiful building dedicated to the archeological discoveries of the Acropolis. I feel so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so much history! When I get home, I am definitely going to take better advantage of the museums in Sioux Falls. However, something I have found most interesting historically is Greece's more modern history. I feel like I am not alone when I say that, really, the only modern European history I've studied in America involves WWII. I'm not proud to say that I was even pretty ignorant of the Greek Revolution before my Modern Greek History class. You see, contrary to popular belief, modern Greece isn't the "Classical Greece" of theater and philosophy and science that one might expect before coming here. Some Greek historians actually go so far to describe their Classical inheritance as a burden. Much has happened and changed in this country since Aristotle's time - the religion, the boundaries, the language, the government, and the people. Which makes Greece's culture all the more rich, dynamic and fascinating to be a part of this semester!