Matthew Basham

Our group flew from O’Hare to Frankfurt, Germany. When we arrived in Germany the first thought that came to my mind and I am guessing to everyone else’s was, "thank the lord we are off that plane!". That flight was about seven and a half hours where we felt squished and could not sleep.

On the positive side we were given a wide range of movies, music, and T.V. shows to watch that made the trip more enjoyable. Upon entering Germany’s airport it was as if I was in a sense of disbelief. The thought of not being in the continent of North America had not yet settled in my mind. We sat in Germany’s airport for about two and a half hours then it was time to board the last flight of the day to Greece. On both flights I can say that the airline food was pretty good. The first flight had a dinner and a breakfast, while the second flight provided one meal. When we arrived in Greece we were not welcomed with the most ideal weather but it still did not hide the beauty of the city of Thessaloniki.

 The city had a vibe of closeness and felt small even though it is very large. After loading on the bus, we rode to our hotel while just staring out the window to see what this opportunity would bring us. The city was full of apartments approximately eight floors high and each of them were full of character in the design. Some floor balconies would have greenery all over the railings so whoever was living there would be able to walk onto the balcony and have a beautiful view. Upon arriving to our hotel we received our keys and proceeded to our rooms, mine was on the seventh floor. We looked out on the balcony to see a view you just cannot get in Indiana. It felt so comforting and made me feel excited to know that as I stood there I was beginning a journey that would not only change my way of life but how I see the world.

 Ready to check-in at O'Hare

Finally in Greece! That's me holding the camera

The view from my room!