Student Bloggers

I have ~officially~ arrived!

In the end I settled on taking one suitcase, one carry on suitcase and a backpack. I made the journey from Boston with a two hour leisurely connection at Frankfurt. The flight from Boston to Frankfurt was alright, I had this amazing game plan of sleeping the whole way so it would feel like I had a whole nights sleep by the time I arrived in Frankfurt, as it was a 7.5 hour flight, but that didn't happen it all. I probably only got 1 hour of sleep. Between the lights, motion and my body being set to the early evening of eastern mountain time, sleep just couldn't happen. The flight from Frankfurt to Athens was where I dozed off significantly and was able to achieve a nice nap.

I woke up in time to catch the views from the air, however. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it was not what I saw. So many mountains! Little, tiny trees! Short buildings! I was immediately charmed and couldn't wait to land.

Upon landing, I easily enough found my luggage and the Joanna, a program coordinator, within the airport. She greeted me with everything I needed and brought me to the student apartments. Not at all as I was expecting either, the five girls and I were able to each have our own room! There was a kitchen area and there were two toilets in or apartment which will be helpful in the future. I immediately loved the space.

Our first trek found us on the hill of the muses, which gave a breathtaking view of the city. Every angle brought on a spectacular view of Athens, the gleaming port side, the the Acropolis, the Parthenon, thousands of low, white buildings. It truly gave perspective on where we were on planet earth.

Our walk was followed by a traditional Greek meal. Not everything I had heard of, but most of the ingredients I had heard of, which dispelled any initial fear I had in trying new dishes. Eggplant, olive oils, potatoes, tomatoes, meatballs...! It was all so delicious and I was fortunate not to encounter anything I didn't thoroughly enjoy, with the eggplant being my favorite (which I later learned is an unpopular opinion). My question is...when is the next meal?!

After such a packed day, I can't imagine what else this semester holds. Speaking with the other students, we have hopes of traveling to other countries and visiting the islands as much as we can while we're here. The program coordinators have promised us as much free time as the schedule can allow, so hopefully that leaves plenty of time to discover the city (and continental Europe) for myself.