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. :)