So as you
may know, here in Rome I have been completely surrounded by girls 24/7. I live with all girls, go to school with all
girls, and have thus far traveled like a small sorority around the world
without seeing any familiar male figures.
So finally, after a month without seeing any of our guy friends, we
traveled to Athens to spend a weekend drinking cheap beer and eating gyros with
Mattimore and Angus…welcome to frat life.
After settling in to (aka taking over) Mattimore’s apartment in Athens we walked around the city, taking in the different neighborhoods and districts, from the neat balcony gardens and markets of the working class families to the young vibrant quarters electric with social protest and graffiti. Everything about Greece was new to me, from the illegible language to the weather that boasted of a southern Michigan spring. All of us, following Mattimore around like a train of little ducks, were quite the sight as we wound our way through Athens and, looking back now, I’m pretty sure the Greek people were as confused about us as we were when trying to pronounce the word “gyro.”
After settling in to (aka taking over) Mattimore’s apartment in Athens we walked around the city, taking in the different neighborhoods and districts, from the neat balcony gardens and markets of the working class families to the young vibrant quarters electric with social protest and graffiti. Everything about Greece was new to me, from the illegible language to the weather that boasted of a southern Michigan spring. All of us, following Mattimore around like a train of little ducks, were quite the sight as we wound our way through Athens and, looking back now, I’m pretty sure the Greek people were as confused about us as we were when trying to pronounce the word “gyro.”
The morning after going out to a rock and roll bar (yea that happened) and reuniting with Fisher Hall in the form of “nice Rob” (still confused by this and will always be confused by this), we woke around noon and ventured to the Acropolis. It was one of those days that hinted at summer and as we walked around in bare shoulders and sundresses it felt like a late April day that I would have normally spent eating ice cream on my back porch and reading in the sun to wash away the staleness of winter from my skin. If I could live in the moments spent sitting on the smooth stones above the city, drinking in the sun in silent company with my friends, I probably would, because in those seconds everything seemed simple, and still, and unfalteringly perfect.
On the hills by the Parthenon, amongst one of the most striking views of the city, we met a man from California who had just graduated from grad school and was spending the day playing the ukulele in the sunshine. Wondering why he was in Greece, we struck up conversation and when asked he simply answered, “I’m here on an adventure,” explaining to us that he has been touring across Europe for about a month and will continue until April, ending in Dublin. Just listening to him speak of his adventure, completely unplanned and on a whim, he was inspiring and probably one of the most genuinely good-hearted people I have ever encountered. He told us that his girlfriend was about to study in Ireland over the summer and he plans to arrive right before her, taking a day to bury treasure from all the places he’s been in the world across the plains of Ireland where they will stay and wait for her. We then somehow discovered that he was flying in to Chicago on April 18th from Dublin….on the same flight that Morgan was taking home. So ukulele man, you are an amazing individual, and we’ll hear from you soon. Even whilst across the world, small instances like this make me realize how connected we all are and for some reason it makes me feel at home and…I don’t know, that just seems nice.
After the Acropolis, we walked around the market and found a small restaurant for lunch. Can I just say for a moment that Greek food is a completely new experience for me. We ate a spread under the sun, savoring the tastes of Moussaka rich in potato and eggplant, fresh greek salads, hearty white bread spread with cucumber Tzatziki, Saganaki, the rich fried cheese, gyros and chicken souvlaki. Greek food is amazing. I don’t think I can emphasize this enough…GREEK. FOOD. IS. AMAZING. Even now sitting here writing this I’m craving a gyro and some moussaka. while i'm sitting on my bed eating rice krispies...cool.
Overall, I loved Greece. I adored seeing my friends, the food was incredible and the whole atmosphere made me think of summer. It felt as if we fast-forwarded time to June, where I didn’t have to worry about things like missing a flight or losing my passport or trying to study for a midterm on a plane. So thanks Greece for bringing me a summer weekend in the middle of a Roman winter, it was just what I needed when I’m about to be traveling up to the cloudy winds of Northern Italy this week…..fun.
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