I see chocolate, rom-com movies, and good fortune in the future.
Another week of soccer matches, though this time the volume was pumped up a bit. Our practice numbers doubled, allowing each team to play with six members. Now, as a girl who doesn’t really know what she’s doing on the field, I was slightly terrified. I was told to station myself as a defender, but I got bored easily and eventually took myself out of the game. I had to get in that cardio! I was still able to witness a few good slides and falls due to the wet grass, so at least I got a laugh. The boys created a group chat, so you know it’s real. However, they said we might start “having friendly games” with Anatolia College, in which I said I’ll warm the bench and cheer. Go, team!
This week also included more chocolate than necessary. However, chocolate here is literally to die for, and we are hardcore missing out in the states. There is the Lacta chocolate bar that comes in multiple flavors, my favorite being Oreo. So. Good. Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday evening were both spent consuming too much sugar and binging on rom-com movies. If you haven’t checked out Let It Snow on Netflix yet, I highly recommend it. The occasion you may ask? Girls night, of course. Spirits and blood sugar levels lifted, and happiness and dance parties broke out yet again.
On Wednesday, I had a Biochemistry test, and I think it went pretty well! I spent an entire week studying, and if you know me, you know I neither know how to study nor have the motivation for it, so I’m pretty proud of myself. I breezed through the test and was the first one to complete the packet. Though I witnessed a few drifting eyes around the room and lost a pen to another student, I feel confident that I’ll get a good grade.
Thursday was easily the most exciting day. With no class in the morning, Erika and I strolled out for a casual walk. Casual turned physical real quick, though, as we lost track of time and steps, finding ourselves completing a 4-mile trek around campus. It was good for us both mentally and physically, and I’m so happy about our friendship. *Shoutout to you, Erika! I know you’re reading this. :) Thursday afternoons usually mean sitting in a classroom for our Greek Cultural Experience class. This week, Maria had something a lot more interesting in store for us: Greek coffee fortune telling! All ten of us study abroad students traveled downtown with Maria for the afternoon and went to Σκιές και χεώμαλα (I think), a café with the art. Each of us ordered a Greek coffee and drank nearly all of it to have our fortune told. Immediately, I noticed mine had a seahorse shape on top, and lots of grounds were sticking to the sides of the cup even while the liquid level went down. Hmm…
Finally, it was my turn to get my grounds read. A little nervous, but extremely curious, I sat down at the small table with the fortune teller. Maria also sat at the table, as she had to act as a translator for each of us. My fortune went as told: Someone with the name beginning with the letter E has been thinking about me a lot (which Emma and I FaceTimed the night before). The lady also believed I have already met my soulmate, yet she could tell I have been single for a very long time. Thanks for calling me out, ma’am. Repeatedly, she stated that I am going to be very successful in my studies and career, and she sees me independently starting a farm someday. Also, she could see that I don’t like to be caged in one place, which is why I love to travel and will continue to do so throughout the rest of my life. Remember the abundance of grounds sticking to my cup? This meant that my mind is constantly moving and formulating thoughts and ideas. How did the grounds know?! The seahorse was also important, as it meant I am a very lucky person and was born that way. Must be the Irish in me. I was able to make three wishes, all of which are either true already or will come to fruition soon. Finally, she said I turn heads everywhere I go, which I loved. There was some more thrown in there, but nothing too dramatic. You might be thinking it’s all a bunch of bologna, but I happen to think that sort of stuff is pretty cool and fun to do. Of course, we had to take a picture with the woman of the hour.
On Friday, Andrea and I indulged in some deep-tissue massages. It was the first massage I’ve ever had, and I thought it was nice, though the lady didn’t get all of the knots out in my back. She simply said, “Your muscles are very tight.” Ahh, yes, that’s what seven years of weightlifting and a few injuries do to a person. We discovered a nice grocery store next to the massage office and splurged on protein yogurt and bananas, plus some European ramen noodles. That night, I headed downtown to meet my nutrition class at Ouzeri Agora for dinner. We ordered authentic Mediterranean dishes, and I tried a sardine for the first time, along with a mussel still in the shell. It kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies. After dinner, I went with the girls to grab a refreshment before heading home. The taxi ride back was filled with some bops, reminding me of the dark ages of 8th grade. Heck yeah.
Yesterday was filled with an endless Netflix binge, so nothing too exciting. I finally finished Gilmore Girls and shed a few tears during the series finale. I owe some of my sarcasm to Lorelai Gilmore, my queen. Today was spent filling out scholarships and consuming a gyro and two scoops of buffalo ice cream. Yep, that’s right - ice cream made with buffalo milk. Fabulous stuff. This upcoming week, or more so weekend, will be much more exciting. Au revoir!
Amanda