It’s only been a week? Feels like a lifetime.
I have been in Greece for a little over a week now, and honestly, it feels like I have been here so much longer. There are nine other study abroad students on this adventure with me, and I feel like I have known them for years. We have become close very quickly and shared multiple laughs and inside jokes. We all say we’re going to have abs by the time we leave. This is going to be a fun semester.
Over the past week, a lot has happened. We went through orientation with the first year Perrotis College students and received our own emails and online student dashboards. Classes officially began this past week, and are already much different than what I am accustomed to in the United States. Here, a class period lasts an hour and a half to three hours, and there is always a break in the middle. The break will last anywhere from five to fifteen minutes in which you can typically find the greek students standing outside and smoking. I usually stay in my seat or talk to a couple of the other students. For one of my classes, there are four study abroad students, all girls, in a room full of boys. We are each put into a group with about five of the boys and will complete a project throughout the semester based on a topic of our interest, mine being food waste management. We’ll see how this goes.
Myself and a couple of the other students don’t have class on Wednesdays, nor anything until 4:00 pm on Thursdays. This has already proven to be a considerable break in the middle of the week. We have decided to spend this time doing something fun around the area. This week, some of us took the bus to Thermi and grabbed ice cream, as well as maybe a glass of wine. Sorry, mom and dad, it’s legal here. :) Yamas!
On Monday, Des and I went to an English Club at Zoe Church downtown, run by a young couple, and met some Greeks and mostly talked about our different cultures and such. We were then invited to a gathering Wednesday evening at the young couple’s apartment. After our Thermi excursion, the whole lot of us headed straight to the apartment and were greeted with open arms, lots of food, and a competitive atmosphere. It was game night. We played Flip Uno and had fun all around, ending the night with new friends and an invitation to come back every other week.
The one Thursday class I have is Greek Cultural Experience with all of the other study abroad students. Throughout the semester, we will learn about Greek history and culture like St. Paul’s journey, Greek dancing (there are over 4,000 types of dances), wine, food, and so much more. I have also learned a little bit of the Greek language already, and can properly say hello, good morning/afternoon/night, thank you, and you’re welcome. It’s a start. :)
On Friday, the residence hall assistants and fellow took us to downtown Thessaloniki for the evening. It is so beautiful and lively! There are several areas where ruins are still intact, with the roads and sidewalks built around them. We went out for dinner and tried our first authentic Greek gyros. They were heavenly and much different than what we are used to in the states! Our group spent time walking along the water and catching sites like the White Tower and Alexander the Great’s monument. The bus system is heavily used here, though very time-consuming. We also rarely punch our tickets, but we’re going to keep that on the down-low.
Saturday proved to be the most amazing day of my entire life. Bucket list item number 47 can now officially be checked off. We climbed none other than THEE Mount Olympus. Zeus is a pretty cool guy. We didn’t summit, as that would have taken six hours, with the last being a mixture of hiking and rock climbing, something we did not have gear for. Our group hiked about halfway, reaching the refuge on the mountain. The hike up was three hours and was uphill the entire time. It was exhausting and very sweaty, but so incredibly amazing. The human body is remarkable. We took short breaks every forty minutes or so, giving me the perfect opportunity to take pictures of the scenery and of MooMoo. MooMoo is our mascot, and she is thriving. Our study abroad coordinators asked if someone would take over the Instagram page for the weekend, so I volunteered. MooMoo had a great time, and we were able to show off the study abroad flag.
At the refuge, we carbed up, inhaling spaghetti like our lives depended on it. Which, in a way, they kind of did. Full of rejuvenated energy, we began our descent. Our hike down was less strenuous, but also tough on the knees. A good nap was definitely enjoyed by all on the two-hour drive home. And let me tell you, we are all feeling that hike today, walking around with stiff joints and sore muscles. But it was oh so worth it.
Trip planning has already begun, and some of us will be heading to Rome in a couple of weekends, and all will be heading to the beautiful Greek Islands at the end of the month. The amount of excitement I have for all of this is unreal. For now, kalinichta!