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! ;)