Quynh Nguyen

Today is our last day in Greece before we take off tomorrow morning. A group of us tried to squeeze in as many activities, historical sites, and souvenir shopping as we could before our Farewell Dinner tonight. I went to the Athenian Agora and its museum. It was fascinating seeing the structure and the columns of the Temple of Hephaistosto be intact since 400 BC. There were many other structures that remained, while others were destroyed. It was piled in organized rows and formed a path that lead to other parts of the Agora.

On our way back from the Agora, we stopped by a flea market. Everyone had their small station of jewelry, handmade clothing, or miscellaneous items. They were all lined up next to each other in one long row on both sides of the walkway. Some stands had an umbrella over it to block out the sun. I could imagine how hot it could get staying outside all day. I noticed that most of the bracelets were handmade; some people were making them there too. A couple of the girls bought jewelry from here too!

My favorite part of the day was at the Olympic Stadium. A few of us ran a victory lap around the Olympic stadium and climbed the stairs to the top of the stands. It was an incredible feeling knowing that I stood where the first Olympic games were held; I ran where the first Olympic runners ran; and I posed on the winner’s podium where the gold medalists received their medals. It felt like making history come to life. Being here made me appreciate the Olympic games more because of all the time and effort put into the stadium in the early days of Greek history.

Tonight was our Farewell Dinner. We ate at a restaurant called Scholario. It was a very traditional family style dinner. We chose ten small dishes for every group of four. Our go to dish was tzatziki sauce because we could eat that with the bread, fried potatoes, and fried zucchini. We also ordered chicken, small fish, calamari, and sausages prepared in traditional sauces and spices. It’s our very last meal with authentic Greek food and with everyone on the trip including Anna and Payanota, our ISA staff members. After we all finished eating, we started taking pictures with everyone to capture this moment of togetherness celebrating our journey throughout Greece with one another. 

Three weeks ago at our Welcome Dinner, we didn’t know each other very well. We started out with small talks and discussed the things we were excited about. We started to get to know each other since day one. Now three weeks later, we learned about each other, shared inside jokes, and talked about our favorite memories throughout the trip. Getting to know this unique group of people these past three weeks has been a great pleasure. We created a lot of memories that will be with us forever. I know I our friendships won’t be ending as this trip comes to an end. 

Courtney and Anna looking at some of the handmade jewelry from the flea market

From inside track to outside are Hailey, Kathryn, Quynh, Matt, and Jenna running a victory lap on the Olympic Stadium

Our final group photo after the Farewell Dinner