Spíti

I had planned so many different posts to gradually close out my time in Europe. I had the clever idea to stick with my theme of learning a new word, and for my final post, I was going to string together the word goodbye in the language of every country I visited. I could still do that, but it doesn’t feel right to me now. I’m leaving behind so many cities I wanted to keep getting to know, so many cities I didn’t even get to say hello to. A goodbye would be too sudden, too early. This was my first time in travelling outside the country other than visiting our neighbors to the north and the south. Though I’m not sure how much either of those count, as the touristy spot in Mexico I visited felt like Southern California and where we visited in Canada, you could spit and hit New York. 

This was truly a trip of firsts. First international flight, first time in Europe, first legal glass of wine, first time staying in a hostel, first time grocery shopping in a foreign language, first time going out to a bar, and so many other firsts I cannot recollect at this moment, but that will live in my heart forever. This trip was composed of a collection of highs and lows. I am grateful for every single one. The lows taught me so much about myself. What I’m capable of bouncing back from and what I’m capable of enduring. The highs are much easier to be grateful for. They carried me to the happiest moment of my entire life, and I will never forget it.  

I only have words of gratitude to give back in exchange for this. Thank you. Thank you a million times over. Thank you to Madeline who quickly became my personal trainer, therapist, wingwoman, chef, travel buddy, and everything in between. I do not know what I would have done without your jokes, hugs, and calming presence at the various airports, bus stations, train stations, and anywhere else I found myself stressed. Thank you to my incredible roommates for their kindness, smiles, patience, generosity, jokes, intelligence, grace, and of course, for cooking for me so many times. Thank you to all the friends I made along the way. I am confident that these friendships only would have grown as the semester went on, but I am thankful for the time I had with these amazing people. They all brought fresh perspectives to life I had never considered. You don’t realize how much of a bubble you grow up in until you are thrown halfway across the world from it. I’m grateful to all the people I met here who challenged me, engaged me, opened up to me, and allowed me to open up to them. When I came here, I was told NOT to discuss politics or religion under any circumstances. I don’t know what it was, but it seemed as though at least once a week and sometimes more, I found myself engaged in a discussion in which our respective beliefs and values were being dissected and mulled over. I am grateful for all of these conversations. They opened me up to new things I had never considered. They forced me to really look at my own beliefs and decide whether or not they held up in my eyes after being questioned by someone else. I am so grateful for the new perspective I will take home with me.

The reason I didn’t name this blog with the goodbyes of every country is because I’m not saying goodbye. I know I will be back. I have to come back. There are so many cities that I will be leaving behind. Most immediately, Barcelona. Today, I would have been catching a flight for a fun weekend trip with Madeline where we planned to make Paella and drink sangria. There are so many cities I want to return to. I want to be awestruck at the elegance of the Trevi Fountain and the Belvedere Palace. I want to stand underneath the iconic Brandenburg Gate with its tumultuous past and its untapped future. There are so many dishes untasted and so many experiences unhad. I know I will come back, so goodbye is unfitting for this blog post. 

I named this blog post spíti because that translates to home in the Greek language. If you would have told me on night one that I would describe Athens with this word, I would have had my doubts. It was so overwhelming stepping off that bus into the unknown. I was across the sea from everything I had ever known. There was a different alphabet that labelled buildings and streets riddled with drivers swerving in and out of their lanes, honking their frustrations to one another. I had no idea what these next two months were going to be like. 

Now that I’m here, two months later, I call Athens home. The signs that once inspired confusion now make sense, and have become favorite dinner spots or a frequented bar or a trusted supermarket. The chaotic streets that sent anxious tremors throughout my body when I approached an intersection have become a game to play and win. It’s funny how doing the most mundane things like grocery shopping, doing laundry, going to the gym or classes have the power to turn a place into a home in a matter of weeks. Perhaps it is the kind woman at my favorite cafe who remembers me, and asks me about my classes and what it’s like in America. Or maybe it is the fact we saw an empty lot graduate into a pasta restaurant, and as Madeline says, this makes us true locals. Whatever it is that allows us to settle into an alien place and call it home, I am thankful for it. I am thankful for Athens, and specifically, Agia Paraskevi. 

Thank you so much for keeping up with me these past two months! It means the world to me to know people took time from their busy days to read about what shenanigans I was getting myself into overseas. 

I am excited to see my beautiful family, my supportive friends, my reliable Panda Express, and of course, I cannot wait to flush my toilet paper again. What a luxury that was! I will surely never take that for granted again. 

I have learned so much about myself while I was in Greece. I have learned how big and beautiful this world really is. It is ripe with possibility. It is ripe with opportunity. It is ripe with adventure. It has placed a thirst for exploration in me  that I fear will never be entirely quenched. But at the same time, I am filled with joy and excitement of every sort that my adventure will never end. I know I will never see it all, but you can bet I will try. 

I will be forever for the 72 days I spent in Greece. It taught me that home is wherever you settle in. Home is both where you find your favorite restaurant and the pages of history textbooks become tangible. Home is both where you are humbled by the beauty of the world around you and where you grocery shop. Home is where you explore, where you cook your dinner, where you meet your friends, and so much more. I have learned that spíti can be anything and anywhere, and I am so unbelievably comforted by this. 

Perhaps, years from now, I will find my spíti in Berlin or Rome.  

Parisian Flowers courtesy of an overnight layover.

March 19, 2029

I am filled with so much gratitude as I write this. I was given the opportunity of a lifetime, and that is something I did not take for granted. I travelled as much as I could, saw as much as I could, met as many people as I could, and learned as much as I could. When I look back on these 2 months, I see no missed opportunities. There is no regret. I reached for everything that came my way. Even though this is not ending the way I had been planning on, that does not change a single thing about the past 71 days. I will hold onto those with white knuckles for the rest of my life. They will be a reminder of how big this beautiful world is, how much there is to see and do, how many people there are to meet, and how many languages there are to learn.

Evgnomosýni

The past week has been an absolute whirlwind of emotion. Of course, I was thrilled to have my Mom in Greece with me, but that quickly turned to anxiousness when the housing complex I regularly live in was placed under strict quarantine. As the week went on, I received numerous emails from NAU which contained updates regarding the virus and its spread throughout Europe. These emails reached their somber climax when I was informed that NAU was requesting I return home. Though I am not quarantined, my belongings are and I cannot get them until March 23, when the quarantine ends. As for my current situation, the university has made arrangements for me to stay elsewhere, and I am very gracious for their help. So, I will be in Greece at least until March 23. In a perfect world, the hysteria will have died down, everyone will be healthy, the hallways and streets will be noisy again, and the world will return to some form of normalcy. 

Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world.

We live in the real world, and I this beautiful fantasy I have been living for the past two months has seemingly expired, leaving me confused, stressed, and of course, heartbroken. I have no idea what is next for me. At the end of the quarantine, most of my friends will be gone and most of my next adventures will have to be cancelled. I am not ready to say avtio to Greece, not yet anyways. 

That being said is is close to impossible to give a definite plan as to what I’m going to do next. The tricky part about this whole situation is how quickly everything changes. In a matter of days, most my friends packed up their suitcases and headed back to the states. The halls are eerily empty, the streets of my little Agia Paraskevi are quiet and void of the friendly faces I was still getting to know. It breaks my heart. Today marks what is supposed to be the halfway point through my European adventure, and I fear it is coming to an abrupt ending, many goodbyes left unspoken. Many friendships half formed or still to be forged.

Evgnomosyni is the Greek word for gratitude. It seems out of place, as this is a relatively somber blog post. But it is the word that describes how I feel. I’m grateful my Mom arrived when she did. This entire process has been a slow bleed, the emails unrelenting and offering only bad news that somehow only escalated. Both she and my father and brother have been extremely supportive ever since I applied to this program last year, and their support has not wavered even for a second despite the mayhem going on around us. I am so grateful for our adventures and the memories that will no doubt last a lifetime. I am thankful for the patience of all my professors, as my physical and mental health are being tested in ways I would never have even imagined, even a week ago. I am thankful that I have a place to stay and that despite the mania, am managing to make new friends. I am thankful for the friends and family members who have reached out to me, even if it was just a little text. It truly means the world and I hope I can give you all more updates soon. 

It is absolutely impossible to put into words how thankful I am for this experience, even if it ends today. Of course, if it does end soon, it will be a hard pill to swallow. Last semester tested me in so many different ways and Greece was always the escape. It was the promised land that guided me through a difficult emotional and academic season. I worked hard to get here. Between applications and driving to California and meetings with advisers, getting to Greece was an enormous undertaking which I conquered. I picked up extra shifts to save some more money, and that doesn’t even take into account the coins I have been putting into jars to help fund this since I was a little girl. 

This is a tough situation, but I am still looking for silver linings. I am healthy. I am thankful. Two things I hope to keep going for me as I attempt to navigate this ever evolving situation.

Island hopping!

March 12, 2020

March 10, 2020

Spent the day at a black beach and wandering the streets of Santorini. Ate some amazing food, found some amazing views, and I did it all with amazing company. Santorini truly was a dream. It feels almost impossible to imagine the narrow streets packed with tourists during their high season: the summertime. Even now, in the “low tide” of tourism, people are racing by on quads and scooters, swerving down the tight alleys lined with souvenir shops. Though there were a limited number of choices as far as places open for business go, we were still struck with indecision as we sought out a lunch spot. We ate some fresh Santorini salad complete with the creamy feta, sweet tomatoes, and crispy cucumber all dressed in a tangy balsamic vinagarette. For our second course, we switched it up and had some amazing Pad Thai. Of course, we had to get some dessert so we went back to Greek cuisine. The whole time my mom has been in Greece it has been my mission to introduce her to my favorite Greek dishes and it seemed as though baklava was the last man standing. We went to a small bakery where the woman spoke little English. I decided this was my moment. “Thelo ena baklava, parakalo.” The lady was so impressed! We snacked on the baklava, soaking in the last of the Santorinian sun. I am thankful for our sunny day, but I will always be thankful for our rainy one too⛅️

The Iliovasílema of March 9, 2020

Oia, Santorini, Greece

Iliovasílema

Greetings from the famed island of Santorini! We arrived yesterday a little before noon ready to go exploring. And in the spirit of true spontaneity, that’s exactly what we did. We arrived at our home for the next couple of nights and before we could even take our shoes off, the manager of our hotel offered to give us a lift to Feira where most restaurants were awaiting our arrival. We feasted on kebab which was pork and lamb. We also had ntomatokeftedes which were tomato fritters complete with sweet signature Santorini cherry tomatoes, feta, some greens, and served with a creamy yogurt sauce. This could have potential to become one of my favorite Greek dishes. The fritter was crispy, the tomatoes were sweet, the sauce was creamy. They were delicious, and I wish they were endless. 

Next, we caught a bus to Oia, one of the most famous sites in all of Santorini. Complete with tight alleyways, windmills, blue roofs, and white washed buildings, Oia had it all. It was beautiful. My Mom and I spent a few hours winding our way through the maze that is Oia. We kept stumbling into an amazing view which would only lead us to another amazing view and so on and so on. We ended our day by attempting to catch a trademark sunset at a little spot across from our hotel. But as fate would have it, the fog rolled in and obscured our view, effectively stealing the sunset away. We accepted defeat, and retreated back to our hotel where we had some flavorful gyros. Maybe it was the company or maybe it was the fact we were watching “My Best Friend's Wedding” (my Mom fell asleep the last we tried to watch) but that pork gyro has secured a top spot on my list of best gyros in all of Greece. (In my vast experience, of course.) 

The next morning, I felt like a Queen. The place my Mom found includes breakfast but not the kind of breakfast where you serve yourself, the kind where a nice older Greek woman comes upstairs with a tray FULL of food. We feasted, then set out for our bus tour. 

Travel is all about rolling with the punches and today that’s exactly what we did. In a country where there are more than 300 days of sun, we happened to catch one of the rainiest days. The rain began shortly after we left our hotel and arrived at our bus stop. We were picked up, and along with 20 other visitors, endured the rain. 

Our first stop was Akrotiri, and unfortunately the fog obscured most of the view. That didn’t stop us from exploring the ruins in Akrotiri which are “older than Zeus.” Despite knowing a substantial amount of the diets, clothing, and tools utilized by the civilians who built these homes, there have been no skeletal remains found. Not a single fossil of a living thing. That being said, archeologists theorize the society was a matriarchy in which the women were prioritized and honored in art and everyday life. Sign me up! 

The rain persisted as we visited both the red and black beaches which contained the most vibrant colors. The red of the rock against the white of the foam, the black of the rock against the blue of the ocean; it was out of a movie. We made it back onto the bus, dripping with rain water but with smiles still on our faces. Our next stop was the little village of Pyrgos where we walked around and appreciated the architecture. 

The weather did chase us back onto the bus, but the promise of a wine tasting made the short visit worth it. I felt like such an adult swirling my wine around and trying to figure out what it tasted like. The white was sweet and dry, the red smoky, and the dessert wine was far too sweet for me. (Again, take my vast wine tasting experience with a grain of salt.) 

Our last and final stop was Oia for the sunset. The entire day, I had prepared myself for a disappointing view. The dismal storm clouds had been blocking the sun, the rain letting up for only pockets of time. When we made it to Oia, the rain had relented to only a slight drizzle. I allowed myself to hope for our sunset. After 45 minutes, the clouds began to break. It was 5:45 and that meant the sun was going to set soon. The sun peaked out through a few gaps in the clouds and cast a brilliant glow throughout the heavens. It continued to push through the rain clouds until it had turned the bottom part of the sky pink, the top still golden. It was beautiful. I was grateful. 

We made it back to our hotel room and ordered ourselves a pizza because after all, the Greeks invented pizza, not the Italians. It was a beautiful day. Like I said earlier, travel is about rolling with the punches. Sometimes your expectations are met. Sometimes you stumble upon invaluable memories by happenstance. Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time and get the perfect picture and the perfect story. Sometimes, not so much. Sometimes, you get unlucky. But if this experience has taught me anything thus far, it is that travel is about appreciating the rainy days just as much as the sunny ones. Travel is about enjoying your company and appreciating the opportunity that has presented itself to you. It is about savoring the moment, no matter how many imperfections it might have. Because despite the rainy day, sometimes you end up with a iliovasílema after all. 

March 9, 2020

March 8, 2020: Santorini!

Phone eats first in Santorini!

More Athens Views

Mitéra

It’s March 7 which means my Mitéra (mother) has made it to Athens, Greece! Madeline and I met her at the airport after a hectic few hours for her at the Istanbul Airport. But she made it! I was so grateful for my mother’s arrival because I truly have missed her. But I think one of my favorite parts of having her here is the hotel lifestyle that she brought with her. Hostel travel is tons of fun, and it adds color to any trip. I think it offers an extremely important point of view that everyone should experience. But I do love having a bathroom in the room, roommates whom I know, and the complimentary slippers that came with the room.

We all woke up relatively early and hit a spot called “God’s Restaurant” for some traditional Greek breakfast. My mom and I split Kagianas, which is essentially scrambled eggs, feta, and tomato and another dish with potatoes, sausage, and eggs. It was delicious! From there, we wandered around the National Gardens. Lucky for us, my Mom had her handy dandy Athens guide book and was able to tell us a little bit about what we were looking at. There were tall trees that lined the walkway, citrus trees, flower beds, and even a pond full of turtles.

From there, we walked around the corner and arrived at the parliament building where we caught the end of the extravagant changing of the guard.

With the help of my two navigators, we meandered through the streets of Athens and finally made it to the Acropolis. After two months, I finally made it! The pillars stand tall, the only hint of modernity coming from the scaffolding added by the Greek government in an attempt to conserve the site. Again, my Mom’s Athens book was vital to understand what was around us. We saw the temple given to Athena when she was victorious over Poseidon, we saw the very first olive tree given to the Athenians by Athena, and we saw the theater of Dionysos. The view at the top was absolutely unreal. You can see the entire city from up there. The buildings sit so close together, the roof’s irregular heights offered dimension to the vast sea of civilization below us. In the far distance, you could even make out the sea. The Athens skyline is truly one with great personality and an endless parade of views. We made our way back down to the museum where we were able to see some of the artifacts that have been excavated from the Acropolis. Statues of what traditional Greek life might have looked like, a myriad of gods and goddesses, mythical figures that adorn the pages of history, and Greek royalty that rules fearlessly or by using fear have all been immortalized in the stone. Of course seeing the statues without heads and arms can be underwhelming at the surface, but upon further reflection, it is amazing any of these works have survived at all. We learned of the tumultuous past that the Acropolis has endured. It has been converted, ransacked, and parts of it have even been attacked. Of course natural disasters are inevitable but it is disheartening to learn that people have stolen precious pieces of history from the Greeks, and are holding them hostage, away from their true home. This country that shall not be named has many pieces of history from many different places and has refused to return anything. Despite the negatives, the Acropolis is an example of the privilege travel bears: seeing where history has been written.

It was time for another Greek meal, so we set out in search of food. On the way, we sought out Anafiotika, a photogenic neighborhood in the shadow of the Acropolis. The houses were all quaint, complete with white washed walls and bright blue doors. My favorite was a small cottage with yellow walls and bright red shutters. Needles to say, after seeing all of these neighborhoods I will not be short on ideas when it comes to home design.

We ended up at Thea on the roof garden and feasted on fried cheese, gyros, and moussaka. The sun was shining and the wind from earlier had all but vanished. It was a very peaceful lunch after a day filled with history and site seeing.

We rested for a little bit at the hotel before taking to the streets to find some dessert. On the way, we caught a glimpse of the Acropolis at night! What a sight. The ancient columns looked so majestic with the starry night sky as it’s backdrop. The bright lights added to the regality of the structure, and we stared in awe, taking in the zealous street performers as well. We decided on ice cream, and my Mom and I treated ourselves to both caramel and Bueno. For all of my American readers, Bueno is a popular European cookie with praline and hazelnut. The night ended with “My Best Friend’s Wedding” and the start of this blog post.

This morning, we said goodbye to Madeline bright and early and my Mom and I headed to the airport for our next Greek adventure.

March 7, 2020: My Mom has arrived!!

HAPPY CLEAN MONDAY!!!!! Today we went downtown and sat on Philipappos Hill where Greek families flew kites and celebrated the beginning of Lent in the Greek Orthodox faith. It was such a gift to see all the children and their parents as they took part in their religious tradition, flying kites up to the highest height, in classic Marry Poppins fashion. The kites looked absolutely beautiful and vibrant against the vast blue sky. Some of them were traditional, decorated with bright colors and patterns. Others contained images of popular animated figures and some took on the shape of animals. The wind delicately spun them around as they all soared together. It was such a peaceful day, and I continually feel blessed and lucky to be able to live in this amazing place.

“To every age it’s art, to art it’s freedom.”-Secession, 1898 Belvedere Museum, Viena, February 25, 2020 P.S. Two of my favorite paintings could not be featured in this post because Tumblr took them down due to their “inappropriate content.” One of them was “Judith” by Gustav Klimt! Get with the culture Tumblr! It’s art!

february 23, 2020