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