The Beautiful Beaches of Athens

I remember waking up on our last day in Greece with a little knot in my stomach, because I could feel our wonderful journey coming to an end. Endings and separation are always difficult for me (I was a little teary-eyed before I wrote this after parting with my family at the end of Thanksgiving break), but I tried to keep a cheery mood!

Many columns, much Greece

On our last day in Greece, we drove about an hour outside of Athens to visit the Temple of Poseidon at Sonuion along the coast. In all honesty, this was one of my favorite ruins in all of Greece. I mean, check out that crystal blue water! It served as a marker for sailors leaving Athens or returning to Greece, sort of like a modern “Welcome to Pennsylvania” sign.

When Lord Bryon visited the site, he was so impressed with the temple he carved his name into it! You can read more about this famous poet’s obsession with Greece here. Unfortunately, many not-famous visitors followed suit. Older generations oftentimes criticize our new tech-saavy society, but at least with snapchat we can only virtually carve our names into ancient historic sites.

After ten days of historical tours, my brain was in information overload mode. I was beyond excited to hit the beach after our tour!

It was a Saturday, however, so everyone and their grandmother had the same idea we did. We couldn’t even get a chair to sit in at the beach we were at! Once we were all settled under a leafy palm tree we were ready to relax. We went to this beach because it was relatively close to our hotel, however, I would definitely recommend lounging further out from the city if possible.

A lovely but crowded beach in Athens

The real excitement of the day occurred traveling back to our hotel. Our tour guide had left us because he had to take some other tourists back to the hotel, so my school group and I had to follow his instructions to ride the tram back to the hotel. He basically told us we could take any tram going into the city.

We quickly got onto the first metro going into the city. It was super crowded, people were literally crushed up against each other. Some creepy Athens natives were making kissy sounds at my friend and I, and we avoided eye contact as much as possible. About halfway through our ride we realized we were on the wrong line! We had to get out and regroup. We had to back track and find the right line. It was stressful and chaotic, however, we finally got into the right tram and were able to relax. Only for a few moments, however. A father on our tour realized he couldn’t find his wallet! My friend and I realized that the men making kissy noises at us were trying to distract us while he was being pickpocketed! Unfortunately, this is a relatively common occurrence on Athens public transport. You can read more about pickpocketing tactic in Greece and how to protect yourself while travelling here.

By the time we got back to the hotel, we were all exhausted beyond belief. I hate flying, but I was excited to spend the next day being able to sit  on the plane and just watch movies.

Just when we thought we were on the home stretch, our flight in Athens was delayed. We actually ran to try to make our connecting flight from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, however, it was too late! Our group really couldn’t catch a break.

Unfortunately, four people in our group (shout out to Mrs. Farley, Mrs. Eades, Mrs. Phares, and Riley!) had to stay behind because there was not enough seats on the next flight to Pittsburgh. I never thought I would be so happy to return to Morgantown, West Virginia!

This wraps-up my ten day adventure in Greece. While it had its highs and lows, I would not trade this experience for the world! Greece is where our modern society as we know it began. I think it’s a place everyone should visit before they die, to understand the roots of our modern civilization and admire its Mediterranean beauty.

My heart belongs to Greece

Delphi: Heaven on Earth

Today, I get to describe to you one of the most incredible places on earth: Delphi. Before we arrived, my teacher described it as “heaven on earth,” and I am happy to say she was right.

On our way to Delphi, we got to see the beautiful mountainous countryside of Greece.

We made a pit spot and I had one of the best gas station coffees in my entire life. Next to the gas station, there was a tiny but beautifully decorated chapel. While I love a good Sheetz, this holy gas station pretty much put them to shame.

Fanciest gas station ever

Before reaching the Temple, we made another stop at an olive orchard to taste Greek olive oil. I was apprehensive to taste the olive oil at first, because I was expecting the orchard would have a grand tasting building, but instead we were met with three guys, a tent, and a table on the side of the road. Once I tasted the olive oil, however, I was instantly hooked. My family is not usually big on buying souvenirs, however, we bought ten bottles so can we live off this olive oil as long as possible. Even though I have spent hours searching for this olive orchard online to buy even more bottles, I can not find it. You can find what the Internet says are the best olive oils, however, at this website.

After filling ourselves with as much olive oil, bread, and goat cheese as possible, we loaded back onto the bus to reach Delphi. The view as we passed by the ocean was spectacular.

            The sound of locusts filled the air once we reached the Temple of Delphi. The sun beat down on our backs like the previous day on the Acropolis, however, it was hard to concentrate on the heat when surrounded by such tranquil beauty.

The tour guide in Delphi was one of the best I had listened to in my entire life. The way she framed the importance of Delphi in ancient society shifted my entire perspective of Greek culture.

Delphi was a place of worship for Greeks as well as those from other nations that were traveling. All of these people came together to worship their gods, which are in many ways similar to our modern saints. These gods embodied what the Greeks strive to be or do, whether that be wise (Athena), to love fully (Aphrodite), or to be a strong warrior (Ares). Apollo, the patron of Delphi, was the god of the sun as well as wisdom. Many times in art, he is contrasted with the God Dionysus, who is the God of partying, embodying the balance Greeks strived for in their lives. Delphi was not just a religiously sacred place, however, it was a place where people from around the ancient world could share art, philosophy, and news as well.

The oracle of Delphi was supposed to hear messages from the God Apollo and relay them to man. Years later, archaeologists and scientists discovered there had been fumes in the Temple of Apollo during the years the Oracle was active. Interestingly, once these fumes stopped because an earthquake closed the fissure to the ground, people stopped visiting Delphi and the city soon died. You can read more about the debate about what specific fumes the oracle was inhaling here. Centuries later, people built their homes on this very land which was once so sacred.

It is interesting to learn that “legends” oftentimes have a truth and scientific basis to them. Even though we know the oracle wasn’t really listening to a god, those fumes were conjuring something wild in her brain. And although the Greeks lived thousands of years ago, they strived for something that humans have tried to find throughout time: how to live a full, balanced life.

I couldn’t help feeling sad leaving this beautiful place, because I could sense our travels were coming to a close!

The Amazing Acropolis

Although I believe the islands are the most beautiful part of Greece, I was sure ready to stay on land for a while. After sleeping in that tiny cabin for a few nights, it is suffice to stay I will not be on another Celestial Cruise anytime soon.

Once we got off the ship, however, there was no time to rest. We had to embark on our journey up to the Acropolis, which I was anticipating in excitement as well as dread. We took a quick stop at the site of the first modern Olympics, and I had a cute picture taken with a man in classical soldier uniform. It is less cute in hindsight, however, because he asked us for money after we took the photo so I am now out 2 euros.

I have established this is another blog posts, but I think it needs to be resaid: Greece is HOT. If you stand in the sun, you will become drenched in sweat. The shade feels much better, however, there is no way to escape the stickiness of humidity. The climb up to the Acropolis, we were told, was pretty much directly in the sun. With water bottle in hand and two layers of deodorant on, I psyched myself up for our climb.

With only a few slips along the way, we were soon at the top of the Acropolis. For a moment, it didn’t feel real. Throughout my entire life, I had seen pictures of the grand structure, however, it felt surreal to see it with my own eyes. Humans had to be stronger back in the day, or at least had higher pain tolerance, because even though I was the only girl on my high school track team that could do a proper push up there is no way I could have helped drag those big pieces of marble up a massive hill. You can watch the amazing methods that the Greeks used to build this massive structure here.

Once I got past how large the Parthenon is, my first thought was “wow this is great but this structure is somewhat plain.” When the Ottomans controlled Greece from 1452-1821, many of the great marbles of the Parthenon were taken by British Ambassador Thomas Bruce Elgin, under the claim he was concerned that the Ottomans would destroy them. These marbles, now known as “Elgin Marbles” are mostly located in the British Museum. The controversy whether the British Museum should return the Elgin marbles to the Greek government still exists. You can read more about the “Bring Them Back” movement here.

Even though it is lacking the Elgin marbles, the Acropolis Museum still hosts several interesting artifacts, and is definitely worth seeing. My favorite piece was probably a bust of a very handsome man pictured below.

After a jam packed day in Athens, I was definitely ready for a change a pace. Next week, I will take you to Delphi, one of the most beautiful places on Earth!

 

Captivating Crete and Sightly Santorini

My fifth day in Greece was jammed pack for sure. Up early again, we spent our morning in the island of Crete.

While walking to the city’s center, our tour guide told us we were on the “bypass mile.” Before World War II, Greece was on the “poor man’s diet” of fish, olive oil, vegetables, and bread. There were no processed, prepackaged foods. After the war, however, Greece gained access to these unhealthy foods and obesity rates dramatically rose. Doctors told overweight Cretans to walk the “bypass mile” everyday to try to improve their health. (Just another example of American consumerism making people’s lives better!)

The bypass mile is marked by a gold line that eventually leads to the city’s center. This gold line represents Ariadne’s thread, Adriane being a beautiful Cretan princess who fell in love with the hero Theseus. Theseus had to defeat the Minotaur in the King Mino’s (Ariadne’s father) labyrinth. It was believed to be impossible to get out of the labyrinth, but with Ariadne’s help Theseus defeated the minotaur. Ariadne and Theseus escaped the island to get married, but then Theseus abandoned her on the trip home (typical player). But then the Greek god Dionysus fell in love with Ariadne and married her, so in the end she upgraded.

Crete City Center

Once we got to the center square, my family and I went to explore the island’s museum. And let me tell you, the things in that museum were old. Objects from Jesus’ time were among the most modern objects. It’s funny to think in the United States our country is so young that the things in our museums are barely 300 years old. It made me realize how insignificant my life is in the grand scheme of history of time, which can be disheartening but also helps me contextualize the importance of homework the “small stuff.”

The true event of the day, however, was visiting the island of Santorini. Santorini is one of the most famous Greek islands, notorious for its beauty and for being one of the locations the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II was filmed!

Santorini

As we approached the island, I was surprised that the village was located on the side of a cliff and not immediately next to the ocean. While you were in the village, however, you felt like you were right next to the water!

This island was even more packed than Mykonos. The crowd was overwhelming, and I would recommend if you want to visit this island you do it in the off season. The island was still beautiful, and I will never forget the beautiful sunset that marked the end of my Greek island hopping.

Such a beautiful place <3

Running Around Rhodes

I never thought I would see a Medieval castle in Greece among the likes of those in Spain and France. But that is exactly what happened when our cruise trip made a day-long stop in Rhodes.             From 1309 Rhodes was the home of the Knights of St. John. In the early 14th century, they converted a Byzantine citadel into the Palace of the Grand Master (“Rhodes’ Palace of the Grand Master” ).  Because the island was surrounded by pirates and other invaders, the palace had many fortifications, including 3 water less moats! In the 20th century, when the island was occupied by Italians, the inside of the palace was renovated. At one point, it was a summer home for Benito Mussolini! Today, the palace serves as a museum to allow the average person to imagine themselves living in medieval times.

This island is rich in myth and religious history. On Mount Zambiki of the island, an icon of the Virgin Mary sat behind a cypress tree. Although the icon was moved three different times, it kept reappearing on the top of the Mount. Today, the Holy Monastery of Panagia Tsambiki (another name for the Virgin Mary) protects the icon, and is a frequent destination for those having trouble bearing children. The tradition is to walk the 292 steps up to the monastery (sometimes barefoot) and to pray to her. Many mothers return to the site once their child has been born to have the child baptized at the monastery (“Panagia Tsambika”).

Mount Zambiki

One of my favorite parts about visiting Rhodes, however, was learning about the statue of Colossus, one of the seven wonders of the world.

Colossus of Rhodes
Image Courtesy Of Ancient History Encyclopedia

Thirty-three feet tall, the metal statue of Colossus, which depicted the sun God Helios stood at the harbor of Rhodes from 280 BCE until it was toppled down by an earthquake sometime between 228-226 BCE (Cartwright). Eventually, the broken pieces were melted down for scrap metal, so we have no concrete evidence of what the statue looked like. Current depictions of the statue are based on traveler’s writings.

America’s Statue of Liberty was inspired by this grand monument. Beyond the physical similarities these two statues have, such as sun beams emanating from the subject’s head, the statues also share a similar purpose: to show their state’s prestige. Collusus was constructed after Rhodes had successfully resisted a siege from Antigonus I, one of Alexander the Great’s successors (Cartwright). This statue showed off the power and wealth of Rhodes. This is just another example of how Greek culture inspires American culture.

The real show stopper of Rhodes, however, is the Acropolis of Lindos. Before visting this island, I didn’t realize each large settlement in Greece had their own Acropolis to please the Gods. This acropolis was built in antiquity, but it also has a medieval wall that was added later.

The walk up was stimulating, to say the least. The path was very smooth due to the high influx of tourists, so besides heat exhaustion I also had to worry about falling off the edge of the stairs to certain death.

Once I reached the top, however, I saw the view was worth all of the micro-aneurisms I had suffered on the way up. When looking at this view, all you can think, this is Greece.

A beautiful pool of water I thankfully did not fall into

That afternoon, we swam on a beach right outside the Palace of the Grand Master. I never thought I would swim in crystal blue waters right next to a medieval castle. I could almost feel the knights rolling in their graves over my bathing suite attire.

Sources

Cartwright, Mark. “Colossus of Rhodes.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 14 Oct. 2018, www.ancient.eu/Colossus_of_Rhodes/.

“Panagia Tsambika- Miracle Monastery for Conception.” Greek City Times, Greek City Times, 8 Sept. 2016, greekcitytimes.com/2016/09/08/panagia-tsambika-miracle-monastery-for-conception/.

“Rhodes’ Palace of the Grand Master.” Greece Is, 1 Aug. 2017, www.greece-is.com/rhodes-palace-grand-master/.

“The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes: A Medieval Castle Turned into a Museum.” The Vintage News, 16 May 2017, www.thevintagenews.com/2017/04/06/the-palace-of-the-grand-master-of-the-knights-of-rhodes-a-medieval-castle-turned-into-a-museum/.

 

 

 

Pleasent Patmos: Where God Spoke to Man

Even though we had a pleasant morning/afternoon in Samos, our day was still not over! After a short ride on the cruise ship (which consisted mostly of napping in the Mediterranean sun), we arrived in Patmos.

Patmos is an important sight for Christians, and is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Saint John was exiled to the island by Roman Emperor Domitian. In the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse on Patmos, it is believed Saint John heard the voice of God and wrote the Book of Revelation somewhere around 95 A.D. The Holy Monastery of the Apocalypse was built in 1088 to honor Saint John.

The Holy Monastery stands on what feels like the top of the island. From the outside, it looks more like a fortress than a holy site, however, after the tour guide told us a monk had to abandon the island because of pirate raids I understood the aesthetic.

The Book of Revelation tells the story of the apocalypse and governs how Christians believe the world will end. Even though I went to Catholic school for all of my elementary and middle school years, I still find this narrative interesting but extremely confusing. When I asked my local priest, he compared the Book of Revelations to the Lord of the Rings.

Some claim the signs listed in Revelation have already appeared. While a good apocalypse would break up the boredom of everyday life, considering all of the work I have put into my education I rather get my degree before the four horsemen arrive. You can read an “enlightening” article about how apparently the world might end in 2025 here.

What makes Patmos unique is that it is the only island that is explicitly said to be the place of writing in the New Testament (“Patmos” [Bible Places]).  Whatever your beliefs may be, in this location you can see where part of the best-selling book in the world was created. Apparently, the rock the cave is made of is a rare type of volcanic rock that would have taken 100 years to cool. There is a crack in the rock that splits in 3 directions. This is believed to be the exact spot God spoke to St. John (“The Historic Centre “).

Looking at the small cave Saint John lived in for eighteen years (“Patmos” [Sacred Sites]) was extremely humbling. It made my 10×10 overcrowded dorm room look like a palace. I am Catholic, however, I am also glad that according to historic trends my gender makes it much less likely I will be writing the Book of Revelations 2.0.

At the monastery my parents bought a handmade door knocker of a lion, as we are now a proud Penn State family. I am glad that now everyday they go through the front door, they think of our wonderful vacation as well as crippling college debt.

I’m not sure if St. John was too busy to enjoy the beauty around him, but I hope he did. As we sat and watched the sunset, Patmos did seem like a place God would talk to man.

Sources

“The Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, whc.unesco.org/en/list/942.

“Patmos” BiblePlaces.com, www.bibleplaces.com/patmos/.

“Patmos.” Sacred Sites, sacredsites.com/europe/greece/patmos.html.

 

 

Sublime Samos: My Favorite Place

On my third day in Greece, I discovered what would become one of my favorite Greek islands: Samos.

Our tour company, EF Tours, does not let their customers go into Turkey, so we had to depart the boat at 4 o’clock in the morning. The ocean at such an hour was beautiful in the darkness, however, its hard to appreciate aesthetic when you are on day three of sleep-deprived mania.I was able to reflect on Samos’ beauty, however, as we ate breakfast as the sun rose. We sat next to the harbor, the sunrise awakening the small village (Samos, Samos) we were in.

During the first part of our day, I got some more background information about the island’s beautiful Greek Churches. Specifically, the meaning of the Eye.

If you ever go to Greece, you will find the Eye everywhere: in every tourist shop, every museum, every church. Most of them are bright blue, but in the churches they are made out of gold and silver.

Our tour guide told us the Eye is called “the evil eye.” From ancient times, it supposedly wards against evil. It is a classic example of pagan tradition mixed with Christianity in Greece. So basically this tradition argues all people with blue eyes are evil. As a Type A blue-eyed blonde, I can say with certainty this is accurate.

Samos best known for the Temple of Hera, the biggest Greek temple ever built. It was supposedly constructed on Hera’s birth site. Once Christianity rolled through, however, the temple became a “scrap yard” of sorts; the temple was deconstructed and its parts were used in other buildings. Today, only a single column remains of this once massive structure. It is not known for sure why this column was left, but it is hypothesized that it served as a marker, so from the sea people would know where the scrapyard was. Touring this temple, I wondered what we are destroying today that future generations will lament over.

After lamenting over lost history, touring a winery seemed appropriate. During our tour, our guide revealed that Samos is in one of the blue zones, where people live much longer than average. Sometimes, while during homework, I think of Samos and what it would be like to live the “humble peasant” lifestyle. According to this blue zone vitality quiz I am expected to live 89.7 years. However, if I adopt the blue zone lifestyle, I will live exactly 96.3 years.  If I am not at Penn State’s campus next semester, you now know where you can find me.

My favorite part of the day, however, was simply laying on the beach. The water was surprisingly cold, however, it was a great relief from the hot Greek July sun bearing down. The salty water made me buoyant so just laying on my back took no real effort. I don’t know if I’ll ever see a body of water as beautiful again.

My Heart Belongs to Mykonos

On the morning of second official day in Greece, I felt revitalized after my first sleep following my very extensive sleep deprivation. I didn’t get to relax, however, because we had to be at the loading dock for our cruise at 9 AM. Armed with my oversized bag and a vivid imagination, I was ready for 4 days in paradise.

My dreams were somewhat squashed whenever I saw my less-than-luxurious accommodations, however. The Celestial Olympia is not exactly a five star cruise line. I was put in a tiny room with three other girls. There was not even a tiny port hole to look out of. There was no place for our suitcases. There was barely enough room to stand in the bathroom.

I was in hell.

My parent’s two-person room seemed like a luxury suite. They even had a reasonably sized port hole.The point of a cruise is not to stay in your room anyway, though, so in hindsight it was not that big of a deal. At least there was AC.

While waiting to dock in Mykonos, my family and I relaxed at a bar that sat on the highest part of the cruise ship. While sipping cocktails (virgin for me), we people-watched our fellow cruisers. We witnessed an amusing group of bathing-suite clad cruise goers participating in a Zumba class. I have photos, but I don’t want to lose my blog’s PG rating.

As the boat sped along, I admired the bright blue waters. It almost looked as if someone threw a blue cool-aid packet into the ocean. I don’t know why, but I was expecting the ocean to be a shade of emerald. I would never have believed it could be so blue if I had not seen it for myself.

That evening, we docked into the Mykonos port. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a place so white and clean. I don’t think I saw a spec of trash on the ground.

Mykonos is iconic for its windmills, which can be seen from anywhere on the island. They operated for nearly 300 years and were used in the breadmaking process. Today, some of these wind mills are houses!

A windmill I will turn into my single family home after I make my fortune.

Established in the 11th century BC, Mykonos was a simple poor island. Today, however, it is infamous for its nightlife. Lindsay Lohan even has a beach club there. Unfortunately(?), I did not spot this childhood super star while on my tour.

And the Churches, oh the churches! They are on every corner in Greece, especially on this island. White and simple on the outside, on the inside no expense in spared.

Even though this island is ultra-commercialized, it is still a must see. Nothing can quiet match watching the sun set reflect on the bright white buildings while caressing a gyro in your hand.

Have you ever seen such a beautiful place?

P.S.. Did you know lamb gyros are apparently a American thing? (I know, I didn’t believe it either, Americans get everything wrong).

Shopping in Astonishing Athens

Welcome to Athens

My first day in Athens was a whirlwind, to say the least. As soon as we landed, we boarded our tour bus and started our exploration of Athens, Greece.

Our first destination was the Monastriaki Flea Market, one of the most popular marketplaces in all of Greece. You can find everything you could want in this shopping center, from gelato to fine jewelry.

While wondering through the narrow, crowded streets, my mother and I spotted a beautiful ring. Illuminated in a jewelry case, it held an Ancient Greek coin with the face of Athena on it.  The saleswoman invited us inside, and we gladly entered the air conditioned store.

Athena’s youthful face shimmered from the silver ring. My mother fell in love. Whenever we asked for the price, however, the sale associate was reluctant to share. She finally wrote it on a piece of paper and handed it to my mother. Needless to say, we weren’t looking to spend 2k on a ring, so we told the sale associate that we were on a time table and booked it out of there. While shopping in the markets of Greece, a rule of thumb is that if the jewelry is contained in a glass case, it will most likely cost at least cost round trip air fair.

After a lot of searching, however, my mother, sister, and I were able to find some Greek-coin jewelry more in our budget. My mother’s ring depicted Athena wearing a laurel, my sister’s necklace showed Athena as a commanding warrior, and my necklace illustrated the symbol for Athena: the owl. Athena, the patron of Athens, is a symbol of wisdom and courage. The sales woman told me that in all Greek children’s schoolbooks, there is a picture of an owl on the front page. Today, I wear this necklace when I need some goddess strength to get through the day. You can get your own necklace similar to mine at this Etsy shop if you are in the market for some good goddess vibes.

Another must-have souvenir are leather sandals. These hand-made products can be found virtually on any street in a Greek marketplace. These sandals from Etsy are very comparable to the pair I purchased in rose gold. They are very comfortable once I got them broken in, and I definitely think the Hermes inspired design gives me from extra speed on my cross-campus hikes.

Even though I love shopping, what is even more interesting about Athens is its fast pace environment. Unlike State College (in most cases), vehicles will not stop for pedestrians. Motorcycles and mopeds weave in and out of traffic as if there is no traffic laws, which honestly would not surprise me. I would NOT recommend trying to rent any sort of vehicle.

When 1970s architecture ruins the ancient vibes

I also naively thought that everything in Athens would be ancient or neo-classicaly designed, however, the 1970s took a bit hit on Athens. Next to an Church older than the United States of America, there would be buildings straight from the energy crisis. The people of Athen’s have tried to make these structures less of an eyesore, as seen below.

A Cute Art Installation


Our tour guide revealed to us this alley was created in response to the recent turmoil in Greece, as an attempt to beautify the city and get it back on track. While Athens was my least favorite destination in our trip, I can’t help but admire the resiliency of its people.

Now, we will get to embark on my favorite part of the trip: exploring the gorgeous Greek islands.

The Beginning of My Great Greek Adventure

The classic teen film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was my first exposure to Greek culture. Who could not want to go to Greece after witnessing the handsome Costas save the helpless Lena from drowning in the crystal blue Aegan sea?  When my math teacher told me she was planning a summer trip for Greece through EF Tours, I immediately knew I had to go.

Image result for sisterhood of traveling pants costas
Costas, my first Greek love. Image from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants via Candice Darden

The first obstacle I had to overcome on my journey to paradise was my father. Coming from a large conservative Catholic family, I knew he would see my dream vacation as an unnecessary expense, especially since I would be attending college soon. Employing some careful rhetorical appeals, especially emphasizing my ethos as a strong student, I convinced my father to let me go. I was so convicting that he decided that himself, my sister, and my mother should come along as well!

Preparation is crucial for a successful vacation, and my mother and I immediately started researching what we would need for our ten days in paradise. We came across a blog post that listed the seventeen essentials vital for a fun vacation. We ended up skipping the female urination device, however. In hindsight, filtered water bottles were not that useful, because public water sources were hard to come by in Greece and bottled water only costs one euro. The packing cubes were essential, I don’t know how I used to travel without them! Unfortunately, the power adapter that the article recommended was not compatible with our hair dryer. Luckily, we had bought another one that worked from  Target days before our trip. My mother would have had an aneurism if she had to live ten days with air dried hair!

However, our biggest shopping challenge was finding the perfect pair of shoes. They needed to be stylish but comfortable, lightweight but structured. Finally, after weeks of searching, we finally found the perfect shoe: a leather sandal from Amazon. This shoe is one of my favorites (I’m actually wearing it in brown right now!) and they stood the test of walking at least five miles each day for ten days straight. I highly recommend them!

Before I knew it, I was boarding the plane to Greece. I had thought I would get a good snooze in on the plane to prepare my big adventure, but I was so excited that it was hard to shut my brain down. I ended up watching movies the whole plane ride. Watching Julia Roberts run around the world with no makeup on in the critically acclaimed Eat, Pray, Love are two hours of my life I will never get back.

Ten painful hours later, the cabin lights came on and we began our descent. Out the open window, I could see the city of Athens. And let me tell you, it was nothing like I expected.

But that’s a story for next week. Stay tuned!

My tour group departing from Pittsburgh International Airport