Let me start this blog like every study abroad
student: I miss Greece. Though I was there for only a short time, I look for oregano
chips in the supermarket and I tried to buy gas in euros yesterday. I want Greek
coffee and gelato after every meal, as was my Grecian routine.
I have what feels like a million pictures on my phone
of the mountains in Delphi, the ocean in Crete, the bitter orange trees that
line every street, and every coffee that I drank (no matter how small the cup).
Though these pictures are beautiful, they do not capture the true feeling of
being there, of hearing Greek around me while I try to retain every view from
every angle. No picture could capture my favorite days, like making grape
leaves in the Cretan sunshine with my friends or watching fireworks off my
balcony while listening to ABBA.
My favorite game in Greece was trying to spot the most
interesting graffiti and trying to determine its meaning. Greekffiti as I came
to call it was largely in English and focused on anti-fascism, American politics,
life advice, and (rarely) about creating a piece of art. Amongst every ancient street
was a modern perspective of how life should be, an attempt to create a link
between the tourists and the locals. I
loved to try and spot the Greekffiti as I walked from one art museum to another,
because I wanted to understand the modern culture as much as I did the ancient.
Despite this all this, I am happy to be home. I am
happy to not be living out of a suitcase and to be able to read every sign around
me. Being in Greece has made me think about the history around me; though my
house is nothing close to the age of those in Greece, I have a new appreciation
for my Victorian neighborhood. I live minutes away from the childhood homes of
Muhammad Ali and Hunter S. Thompson and the lightbulb was first publicly
displayed in the lot behind my house. After being in Greece for two weeks, I still
cannot believe the history that some people get to live amongst, and I’ve come
to appreciate the history that I get to enjoy every day.
I went to Greece two days after I graduated from Maryville
College. It was my last hurrah of sorts. It was weird to spend my last days of
college in a foreign country; my friends would try to make plans for fall
semester and for a second I would forget that I have my diploma. Though I miss
the country, I most miss the people I enjoyed it with. Before Greece, I had never
met most of the people on the trip. Now, I miss them and our inside jokes and late-night
hang outs. It is true that people make the trip, and I could not be happier
with all the people I went with. I miss Greece, but I miss the people I went
with more.