Bye, Bye, Miss Athenian Pie...

Wow. My semester in Athens is officially over. I mean, I'm still here (2-week Grecian holiday with the parents starting tomorrow!) but classes are over, I'm cleaning out my room, and almost all my friends have already left or are leaving soon. I have a lot of mixed feelings. I've made some really good friends, so of course the good-byes suck. We all make those promises that we know we're never going to keep, smiling and saying "I'll come visit you next semester!" when we both know we'll probably never see each other again. Then there is Greece itself, and the vibrant city of Athina, a city I have come to know and love - faults and all. I'm excited to go back to the U.S., I really am. I miss my family more than anything else, and I also miss things like chalupas from Taco Bell and the sound of American English. Still, as excited as I am to go home, I will miss Athens. Here are a few reasons why:

1. The Laiki - outdoor farmer's markets that are found on various days all over Athens. I love knowing that on Friday I can walk up the street in Pangrati and choose from a dazzling display of fruits and veggies, all organic and all cheap. YUMMY!

2. The sunshine! It's almost always shining, even when it's cool outside.

3. Tiropita - these are flaky, delicious cheese pastries that are popular for breakfast. I'm seriously in love with them.

4. Bakeries - I've never lived somewhere with so many bakeries. The fresh bread is cheap and delicious. (And of course they make lots of other yummy things too - see #3!)

5. The Nightlife - Ok, so I'm not so into the europop and techno, but seriously, the nightlife here is on point! Most clubs and cafes/bars stay open until the last person leaves, which is generally when daylight strikes. It's a beautiful thing.

6. Tavernas - Traditional Greek restaurants that serve amazing, homecooked food at low prices. (If you visit, however, watch for the tourist traps! A good sign will be the man standing outside harassing every one who walks by to induce them to come to 'the best taverna in Athens!' Uh-uh.)

7. The Acropolis - This should not need any explanation. There is nothing cooler on any other city's skyline, anywhere.

8. The Greek Language - because even though I suck at it, it's a really fun language. I like to practice with Greeks whose jaws drop because I can say a few words!

Anyway, I will see most of you very soon!

Much love,

Marilyn :-)

CRETE!

Greetings everyone! I just got back from Crete yesterday. All I can say is that I had an AMAZING time and I can't wait to go back with Mom & Dad in a month! It was really cool to be there for Greek Easter. My friend Jess & I watched the 'funeral' procession from our balcony on Friday night, then went to the church on Saturday night to watch everyone light their candles with the holy flame. At midnight, when it was technically Easter, fireworks and firecrackers started going off, everyone started telling their loved ones "Christos Anesti" (Christ has risen), and an effigy of Judas that was hanging from a noose was lit on fire. It was all quite theatrical and very interesting to witness! We did a lot during our time in Crete (it was great because we rented a car) and I don't really feel like going into detail, so I'll just say really quick that we visited Knossos, we went to pretty beaches, we visited 2 monasteries, we saw goats on the mountains, we drove to Iraklion, we went clubbing in Chania, and we went out on a glass-bottom boat. Oh yeah and we ate some seriously good food. Check out more pics here: http://picasaweb.google.com/Marilynflo/Crete?authkey=OJZl9BsaH0M
(Titi check them out, there's one there I took just for you... you wanted food, right?? Hehehe...)

Introducing Option #4

First of all, I just want to thank everyone for all of the comments, messages, e-mails, and phone calls I received offering advice. Each one of you made me think of different aspects of this decision, and I appreciate you all caring enough to help me make it. Ultimately, I decided none of the options were going to work.

I axed staying in Greece first. As Rachel pointed out, it's probably not going to be much fun if I have no one to hang out with. And BB, as cool as your suggestion is, unfortunately, hanging out on a beach isn't the best way to spend the summer before senior year with Peace Corps and job applications to fill out.

Now as far as Belize goes, it's obviously an amazing opportunity, but because I would have to be there for a full 12 weeks, I would have no time to just hang out at home with the fam and relax before school starts. Not to mention the money factor, which is a big one - not only would I have to deal with all kinds of annoying paperwork to get funding from Smith, but I would make absolutely no money all summer. This is a problem because (theoretically) I should be helping Mom pay tuition, but also because there are always things to pay for at the beginning of a school year - things for my dorm room, books, etc. It would be nice to not have to worry about those things, you know? Ultimately, as someone else said, I'm trying to be in Latin America with the Peace Corps for two whole years after graduation, so it's not like this is my only chance to live and work there!

The staying at home option definitely has problems as well, which some of you brought up. I'd be doing the same exact thing I've done the past couple of summers, and to be honest, staying with my family for too long drives me absolutely crazy. Not exactly the ideal summer situation.

And so I bring you option #4. I'm applying to some summer camps in the states, specifically nonprofit camps that serve underprivileged youth. I think it's a great compromise. This way, I won't be living at home all summer, but I'll get to be at home for a little while before starting camp in June and will have a little bit of time off in August after it ends. I'll get to work with inner-city kids, which is what I really enjoy. I'll also get paid, and though the pay is not high, my room & board will be taken care of and my hope is that, since I'll be in the middle of nowhere, I won't have anything to spend money on (lol!) and can save what I make. I'm especially leaning toward one of Crossroads for Kids' camps in MA. I submitted my application online this weekend and they already got back to me to schedule a phone interview. I should be having that soon, so wish me luck!

Thank you all again. Love you all!!
Marilyn

Summer - NEED ADVICE!

Ok, so this is not a typical entry for me - however, I really need some advice from family and friends, and I figured this was a good way to get it. The problem is that I can't figure out what to do with my summer, out of the following:

Option #1: Stay in Greece as a nanny for my professor. I really like her and her children, I'd make money (in euros & under the table), and I could do some more traveling with my time off.

Option #2: Do a volunteer internship in Belize. This would be good for my Peace Corps application, I'd be doing some great work with youth, and I'd get to visit somewhere I've never been.

Option #3: Go home and either work for YouthNet again (with a promotion) or work for another organization like Upward Bound. Get to be with my family, see my friends, make money, and have some good relaxation time. Would also work on finally getting my driver's license!

There are also cons to each option. With 1, I won't get to go home until probably August. With 2, I'd get to go home for a few days but then I'd be in Belize for 3 months and would only have a week to be home before starting school. With 3, I have to live at home, which of course has it's ups and downs. Also, with 1 & 3 I'd make money over the summer, while with 2 I'd come home absolutely broke.

ANY OPINIONS/IDEAS/ADVICE???
XOXO,
Marilyn

Olympia & Delphi

Just got back from my last trip with CYA! We went to Olympia and Delphi. Overall the trip was fun, though unfortunately it was rainy and cold the first and last days. The ancient sites of Olympia and Delphi were both awesome, though I must say my favorite places were the villages we stopped in for lunch. Especially lovely was Pylos (see pic at left), a seaside town 2 hours from Olympia and very far south on the Peloponnese. Seriously, Pylos was so picturesque it was hard to believe real people lived in it. Anyway, enjoy the random pics - I don't feel like doing captions right now, but if you have any questions feel free to ask! ;)

At last, an update!

I've gotten a few complaints lately about not updating my blog. I'm VERY sorry, but I've been busy, plus my internet connection has been awful so I couldn't upload pictures. So just to sum up the time since I got back from Rome:

• My friend Rachel from Smith, who did CYA last semester, came to visit. I only got to see her once but we had a good time.
• The entire country basically went on strike to protest pension reforms proposed by the government. This wouldn't have been such a problem had it not meant power outages (electric companies on strike) trash overflowing on street corners (garbage men on strike) and major transportation difficulties (yup, metro and buses on strike too!) Let's just say I'm glad it's over.
  
• From Friday the 21st to Monday the 24th, I was in Northern Greece with my 'History of Macedon to the Death of Alexander the Great' class. Thessaloniki was unimpressive, but the countryside of Northern Greece was BEAUTIFUL. Very green, with huge mountains in the distance and wild flowers coming up everywhere. I especially loved visiting the site where Aristotle had his school (where he taught Alexander and other children of Macedonian nobility.)
• Tuesday the 25th was Greek Independence Day. We saw an awesome military parade which I unfortunately have no pics of. The parade was crazy - they seriously brought out heavy artillery, not just a couple of tanks but a ton of them, and they had crazy anti-aircraft vehicles, missile launchers, guys with huge guns and grenade launchers, even guys in scuba suits (not really sure why.) There were also helicopters and fighter planes flying overhead. It was intense.
• Since then I've just had a normal week of school, nothing special. Tuesday we all leave for our last CYA trip, to Olympia and Delphi. I'm REALLY excited - I've wanted to see Delphi for so long. I'll definitely post pics after!

This is on the grounds of the school. I called it my enchanted forest.

This is my class, listening to a presentation on the site. Those are the outside of caves behind us. We explored them, just like Alexander did!

This is my friend Anastasia and I. We put our scarves on because it was really windy, then decided to take a pic. We look quite marvelous, yes? LOL.

This is a really random shot of some of us watching the Parade last Tuesday. Don't ask... lol.

That's all for now y'all!
xoxo
Marilyn

When in Rome...

Hey friend and fam! I hope everyone is doing well. Please e-mail / facebook message/ Myspace message / blog comment - whatever mode of internet communication you prefer! - whenever you can, I really like to hear from everyone.

So, getting down to business: Rome was INCREDIBLE. My favorite city to date. It's so beautiful, with the most amazing architecture I've ever seen in real life, the people were so friendly and helpful, and the food... don't even get me started on the food! Great pasta (homemade!), amazing bread and cheese, best pizza ever, and yummy gelato everywhere. I swear if I lived in Italy I would just just expand!!!

Quick rundown of what I did (Will probably forget some stuff, but this is the gist):

Monday - Got to Rome that night. Mostly just walked around and took in the sights. Met some of our friends at the Spanish Steps. Had an AMAZING dinner at this nice restaurant that we spent way too much money at. Our flirtatious waiter did send us free desserts though!

Tuesday - Walked around the beautiful Villa Borghese and went to the Galleria. Saw some incredible paintings and sculptures. I loved Bernini's Apollo and Daphne best of all. No pics because unfortunately no cameras were allowed. Next we walked around the Ancient Rome district, saw the Roman Forum and Colosseum. That night we walked around Piazza Navona and had the best pizza I've ever had in my life - delicious and cheap!

Wednesday - Vatican City- Got up early to explore St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum. Talk about incredible - I saw the Sistine Chapel in real life! I still kind of can't believe it. This was also the night we had a fantastic multi-course meal at this restaurant I had read about. We had so much food, it was awesome.

Thursday - Explored Piazza del Popolo, which was my favorite piazza. Visited the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Saw the Spanish Steps in daylight. Went to the Trevi Fountain, which of course was beautiful but also a clusterfuck (as Dad would say!) of people. We bought stuff to make lunch and had our own picnic on the steps of a church overlooking the Trevi. We had fresh bread, cheese (best provolone I've ever had), ham, apples, and iced tea. It was delicious and saved us money. We also checked out the Piazza Campigolio, which was designed by Michelangelo. For dinner we went to a little place close to where we were staying (where I accidentally ordered liver... big mistake, lol!)

Friday - Tried to take in a few more sights before leaving for the airport. We checked out some of the Catacombs which were pretty cool but not exactly worth the 6 euro fee. We then went back towards the Vatican City area to check out the Castel Sant'Angelo and some palazzo what I forgot the name of. Lots of nice architecture around there, and the views of the Tiber were very cool. We then went down to the Trastevere district and had lunch at a tiny place with DELICIOUS food. Reasonably priced, homemade, and filled with Romans - definitely a recipe for a good restaurant. I had this yummy fried salt cod as my appetizer and ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta for my entree. Even the sauce was amazing. We found a gelato place after that (never hard to locate in Rome!) and ate on the steps of a random fountain in the sun. Definitely a nice conclusion to a lovely vacation.

So you wanna know where the pics are, right?? Never fear! I've actually uploaded a bunch to the internet. For the main album, go here: http://picasaweb.google.com/Marilynflo/ROME?authkey=oMfeKokunCQ
The Vatican album is separate: http://picasaweb.google.com/Marilynflo/TheVatican?authkey=CoF6htIJvfE
That one is pretty much all art, so if you're not into that you might want to avoid it.

Whew! Long entry. I think I'm done now. Check out the pics and tell me what you think!
xoxo
Marilyn

O Holy Sites!

Just stopping by to put up a couple of pics from my class trip to the sanctuary sites of Brauron and Amphiraion last weekend. I didn't take that many, because unfortunately, one decrepit temple is starting to look much like another, lol. And really, there are only so many photos you can take of crumbling stone foundations. But anyway, it was definitely still interesting.


I just have to say that I am SO EXCITED - I leave Monday for Rome!!! I still have 2 papers to turn in by Friday night but after that I'm free to enjoy my weekend in Athens and prepare for my trip. I still have to research places to go in Rome, and I have to hit the flea market on Sunday to look for a cheap duffel bag. I still can't believe that I'll be in Italy in 4 days! It's such a dream come true for me!

Oh and one more thing - just a quick shout-out to the fam. I REALLY MISS YOU ALL!!! Mom, Dad, Titi, Lindy, Jito & cousins too, I think about you all the time! Mom, please call this weekend because I won't be able to talk to you guys once I'm in Italy.

xoxo
Mari

My First Greek Island!

Hola! Hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was great - I went to Aegina, which is the island closest to Athens. My friend Jessica came with me and we ended up staying overnight so that we'd be able to go to the Temple of Aphaia in the morning. I'm really glad we stayed, it was definitely worth the 30 euro for a room (only 15 each, not bad!) I can only put up a few pics now because they're taking forever to upload, but hopefully I can put up some more later.

It took about an hour and a half by ferry

The seaside town is so picturesque!

The weather was beautiful, perfect for walking along the ocean.

Me posing in front of the Temple of Aphaia (once mistakenly thought to be a temple to Athena). The story goes that the nymph Apha fled to Aegina to escape King Minos' unwanted advances. She turned invisible so she could hide - hence 'Aphaia' , ancient Greek for invisible.

That's all for now! Hope you all enjoyed the pics.
Love,
Marilyn

...

Hola fam & friends. Don't have much to report on but decided to leave a small entry. It's warmed up quite a bit since Sunday, thank goodness, and it definitely doesn't look like we'll be getting any more freak snow storms. This weekend my friend Jess and I are planning on visiting the nearby island of Aegina. It's supposed to be beautiful, so I should have some cool pics to put up on Sunday. I'm kind of broke, especially after Nafplion last weekend (and, I'll admit, my visit to the bookstore today) but I don't want to just hang out in Athens this weekend, so screw it! You only live once, right?! (Meanwhile let's pray I do some babysitting soon...) The pic to the left, by the way, is from a taverna in Nafplion. We were eating and a group of bouzouki (Greek guitar) players came and sat down and started playing and singing. It was so nice - yummy authentic Greek food accompanied by Greek music. What could be better?!
xoxo
Mari
{P.S. You all say you read my blog, so please leave comments! It only takes a few seconds.... I would appreciate the love.}

The Argolid

First of all, I just have to let you all know that yesterday it SNOWED here in Athens, and today my classes were canceled. That's right, I go to school in Western Massachusetts where I have NEVER had a snow day, and now I get one in Greece. Go figure. It's supposed to be up around 60 by the end of the week, so hopefully this is something that won't happen again. Seriously, I did not come to the Mediterranean to freeze. Anyway, as some of you know, I had my first CYA trip this weekend. We went to the Argolid region and stayed in the beautiful old town of Nafplion. Friday my group went to Mycenae, which was incredible. Luckily we had good weather on Friday so I was really able to enjoy the ancient city with its massive stone walls and intensely beautiful mountain views. I took lots of pics but none of them do the place justice. Standing on top of the ruins looking out at the breathtaking view, I couldn't help but think that anyone living in such a place had no choice but to believe in gods. Our itinerary was changed around a bit because of the impending 'polar front', so on Saturday we did the other important sites in the area (Epidaurus, Tiryns, and the Palamidi) and left back to Athens on Sunday. It was so weird to drive back; everything looked a lot different covered in snow.

From the top of the Theater at Epidaurus

Cool view from Mycenae

The famous Lion's Gate (Mycenae)

Climbing down into creepy cistern (clearly my flash works well because it was actually really dark in there!)

That's all for now - internet's not working well.

PICTURES!

Everyone is complaining about me not posting enough pics, so since I'm at the academic center right now (you know, doing "homework"...) and I have a good internet connection, I'm going to upload some random pics. ENJOY! :)

Interesting view of the Plaka neighborhood

A small sample of the graffiti that is found all over the place in Athens

A parliament guard in his traditional uniform. You have got to see how these guys walk, it's hilarious! And yeah, those are pom-poms on their shoes...

This is the Temple of Hephaestus at the Agora

This is a cool view from the top of one of the many staircases on the streets of Athens. There is a yummy bakery down this one.

This pic is from a club called Envy from last Wednesday night (hip-hop night.) I'm with 3 of my fave CYA people: Nerissa, Gabriela, and Christiana.

Here's a cool pic of the inside of a church that I definitely was not supposed to take, LOL. Most of the Byzantine churches in Athens are still in use.

Well my connection here is going in and out and I need to homework anyway, so this is it for now!
xoxo
Marilyn

Mojitos & Museums

Hello everyone! I've been told by a certain aunt of mine that I don't write in my blog often enough, so I figured I'd at least do a brief entry today. The pic that you see at the left is from Thursday night at a bar with a few friends (that's the 10 euro mojito Titi!) It looks sort of brown in the pic but I think that's because of the reflection of my shirt through the glass; it was actually a perfect clear green-tinted color and was DELICIOUS. So as far as this weekend goes, I mostly just tried to be outside and enjoy the sunny weather. On Friday I went to the farmer's market that comes to my neighborhood once a week. It was so cool - I was tempted to take pics but didn't want to get more weird looks than I already do, lol. The market was great, tons of fruits and veggies everywhere for really low prices, and you can bargain. I bought apples, cucumbers, strawberries, and grapefruit. The strawberries are seriously the sweetest I've ever had. Friday afternoon my friends Jess and Sierra and I went to the Benaki Museum, which was SO cool. Unfortunately they don't allow cameras inside so I have no pics, but take my word for it - the museum was fantastic. Its collection ranges from the Neolithic period all the way to the 19th century. It's really great, you go from Cycladic figurines and Bronze Age vases to Byzantine coins and early Christian paintings all the way to preserved clothing from the 18th and 19th centuries. We actually plan on going back because the museum closed before we were finished.

Saturday I mostly just hung out with my friends, and took a trip to a supermarket I had heard about. I actually cooked dinner Saturday night, go me!! It was my first time making real food since I've been here. I decided it was time to lay off the cereal, LOL. Major good news, by the way (drumroll please) : I'm going to Rome for spring break!! My friends and I booked our airfare Saturday afternoon, and did hostel reservations as well. I'm SO excited - most of you guys know how obsessed I am with going to Italy. It seems like it's going to be a pretty inexpensive trip, the airfare and hostel are cheap so I'll mostly just have to bring money for food. I'm going to try to be really frugal with what I spend here up until then so that I can have some savings. Luckily I'm also going to be doing some babysitting so that should help as well.

Anyway, I'm at the library with the intention of getting some homework done so I better go. I definitely got here at 3 and it's already 4:30...
Ciao everyone!
Mari

Exploring Athens

It's almost 8 am here in Greece. I should be getting ready for class, but I just have to tell you all about my lovely Sunday.

I woke up early Sunday morning, showered, got dressed, had some breakfast, and set out to see central Athens in daylight (I had only been in the center to go clubbing.) I started  with some of the area's Byzantine churches, which are BEAUTIFUL. I actually walked into a cathedral while service was going on - that was interesting, LOL. I took pics at some of the churches but couldn't at all of them since you're not really supposed to. I definitely took the opportunity at the empty ones though. So after the churches I had a good time getting lost on the streets of Plaka (the section of the city below the acropolis). Seriously, the streets all kind of look the same. Luckily I had my map so it was all good, and I did see some really cute areas. Next I headed over to the Monastiraki area to check out the flea market. They meant it when they said this place was huge - seriously, you can find ANYTHING. I was really happy to find a fruit stand, I bought 5 apples for 1 euro! Definitely a good spot, I'll be back there for sure. Anyway, the crowds at the flea market were getting to me so I was trying to find my way out and accidently ran into the Agora. That turned out to be the highlight of my day. I walked around the ancient marketplace, standing among the ruined stone walls and broken statues and imagining what it looked like in the days when Socrates and his contemporaries proselytized from its stalls. I went up the hill to the awesome Temple of Hephaestus - the best-preserved Classical temple in Greece - and had the most beautiful view of the Agora and Acropolis. After snapping a few pics I walked around the hill until I found a fairly secluded bench. I kicked off my shoes and just sat for a while, enjoying the peaceful quiet and the breathtaking view. I think that's the moment where it really hit me... I'm really in Greece!

Not feelin' the Circadian rhythm...

So it's Thursday and my sleep cycle is still really messed up. I went to bed after midnight and was awake at 5 in the morning. I stayed in bed trying to get back to sleep but it was really windy outside and my balcony doors were shaking, and I could hear cats fighting and mopeds whizzing by... plus my body was pretty sure that it was 9pm and wasn't too concerned, LOL. I wish I could get myself used to this time zone - this is really starting to get on my nerves!!

I've actually been trying to update my blog since yesterday but the wireless at my apartment hasn't been working. I'm at the academic center now, which is probably what I'll have to do from now on. I really want to upload a bunch of pictures I took of my neighborhood, so you all can get a feel for what it looks like where I'm living, but the internet is slow and it's not gonna happen right now. I did upload one pic onto this post that I took from my balcony. I LOVE that church - it's so pretty! I'll eventually post a pic of it from the front so you can see. I haven't been inside yet, but I plan on it.

As expected, money is going pretty fast. It's not like I'm shopping, but there are just all these costs - cab ride from the airport was 35 euro, I spent 25 on school supplies, 55 for required Modern Greek materials, had to give CYA a 100 euro deposit for the apartment, spent another 25 on a few groceries, the CYA taverna dinner cost us 15 euro (SO worth it though) and I'll soon have to pay over 150 to extend my visa. Luckily Nadia, a staff member here who is AWESOME, is going to hook me up with some of her friends for tutoring and babysitting jobs. Hopefully that will help!

By the way, I want you all to know that Greek food is DELICIOUS. The taverna dinner last night was fabulous. It was served family style so we just got a bunch of dishes that we shared. I tried so many things and it was all yummy. There was even this tender, delicious pork in some kind of sauce/stew that reminded me of pollo guisado. I seriously wanted to go to the kitchen and ask what they flavored it with because it tasted Puerto Rican!!

Well, that's about it for today. I'm about to go back to my apartment and eat some cereal before my next class. 

Besos!

Mari

First Night

So it's 7:37 in the morning here in Athens (12:37 am for you guys at home.) I arrived in Athens last night a little after 6pm local time; unfortunately couldn't see much since it was getting dark. I'm living in an apartment with 4 other girls. The apartment has 3 singles and a double - guess who's in the double?? Yup guess I should've gotten here earlier. But I'm sure it will be ok, my roommate seems really cool so far and overall we have one of the biggest apartments you can have (good sized living room, which a lot of apts don't have.) 4 of us living together are new this semester, then we have one girl who was here last fall which is good because she knows where everything is.

Let's see, so after arriving at the apartment by taxi, I basically just hung out with my suitemates and a couple of other people from CYA. We left the apartment to pick up some calzones (which were DELICIOUS) and wine (huge bottles for like 3 euro!) and stayed in eating, drinking, and getting to know each other. It was fun and mellow; we couldn't bring ourselves to go out, not with how tired everyone was. 

Today will be my first full day in Athens. I can't wait to explore!

<3>

Airport Blues

It's approximately 8:48 am here in the UK (which means 3:48 am US Eastern). I'm sitting in Heathrow next to my enormous and heavy suitcases, waiting to be able to check them in (still too early) and so bored that I'm paying you-don't-wanna-know-how-much for wireless access. It's worth it though... apparently I can't be without the internet. Plus Facebook makes me happy :)

I actually didn't realize the time and just tried to make a phone call to my parents - oops. No wonder they didn't pick up, haha.

So just want to shout out to my fam, especially Mom & Dad, and let them know that I'm alive and well (or as well as a person can be at a busy airport with a 5-hour layover.) 

Kisses & I'll update when I can!

Mari

TODAY'S THE DAY!!!

Today is January 20th, 2008....which means I leave tonight! I'm BEYOND excited. I can't believe I'm actually going to be in a place I've been reading about for so long. Seriously... Greece is a place of mythology, history, and a beauty I've only seen in pictures. I can't believe I'm actually going to get to LIVE there!

AHHHHHHHHHHHH OMG!!!!! I'M SOOOOOOOOOO ANXIOUS AND EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, just had to get that out :)

And So it Begins!

Καλημέρα! (Kalimera = good morning/good day)

Ok, so I'm not actually in Athens yet...give me 12 days or so. I'm just really excited! I fly out from Boston the 20th, arrive in London the morning of the 21st, then have a nice l-o-n-g layover before my afternoon flight from London to Athens. The worst part is that my layover is long enough to be annoying but not long enough to do anything fun. I love London, but I've only been once - for a week with my aunt when I was 16 - and would love to spend time there (especially since I can get into pubs this time!) But alas, I fear that will have to wait for another time.

As I await my departure date, I'm completely OBSESSING about anything and everything having to do with Greece. I did it a bit during the semester, but now that I'm on break, I have endless hours to devote to reading about Greece, watching movies about Greeks, practicing Greek with my Teach Yourself Greek book & CDs (hah!), watching travel specials on the country, and, my latest obsession, lurking around on Greek travel blogs, student blogs, and the blogs of Greek expats. (My fave is Bollybutton's My Big Fat Greek Experiment. Love her style!) I've come to the conclusion that most of the travel memoirs and essay anthologies that have been published are crap, and one can generally find better reading in blogs. There are, of course, exceptions. I myself really enjoyed Sofka Zinovieff's Eurydice Street, which taught me a lot about modern-day Athens, and Greece: A Love Story was mostly a good collection. As far as guidebooks go, many include the same information, but I like Let's Go: Greece because it is geared toward young people with limited budgets (i.e., yours truly) and are actually researched and written by college students.

Anyway, since some of you may have randomly wandered here, I'll tell you a bit about myself:

• I'm a 20-year-old student from the USA
• American by nationality, Puerto Rican by ethnicity
• In 2009 I'll graduate with a B.A. in History (lord knows what I plan on doing with that...)
• I will be in Athens from January to May on a study abroad program
• I unfortunately do not speak Greek (but am required to take Modern Greek class, which I am quite nervous about.)
  

Basically, I'm starting this blog so that my family and friends can keep up with how I'm doing, read about my exploits, check out my photos, that sort of deal. But I welcome anyone from the blogosphere to drop on in any time! :-)