Gabrielle Torrez

Today, we head home, we have to leave the hotel by 1030 am and that’s saddening for us because that means yesterday was our last day for any real activities.  Which was well spent, I took a mini 1 day cruise to 3 islands: Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. They were beautiful! And I rode a donkey! A day well spent for me. 

But as for today, not wanting to face the reality that we would soon be on a long, sad flight out of the country we have all grown to love, a few of us got up at 7am (or earlier) to do some last minute exploring and of course spend whatever euros we had left over. It’s Sunday and we didn’t expect any stores to be open, as most European countries follow this rule. However, being in tourist central, the shops opened at 0900. You better believe I took advantage of this time, and didn’t take into consideration how early in the morning it was, I got gelato. Two scoops. It was wonderful. 

During this time, we saw a man rolling a cart that was FILLED with doughnuts., doughnuts larger than my face and dipped in pure sugar. Nope, not powdered sugar, real sugar, like what you you put in your coffee. It was totally awesome! Virginia made a joke at this time, “only three men I’ll chase after, the elote (corn on the cob, which we got a lot of in Thessaloniki), the ice cream man, and the doughnut man!” 

At the Athens airport, I ordered my last Freddocapuccino, and it was great, I need to find a place that sells these! When landing in Germany, the airlines thought it would be funny to make sure we landed in a gate that was EXTREMELY FAR from the gate of our next flight. And if this wasn’t humorous enough for them, they also gave us a 10 minute “layover” from arrival time to the time boarding began. And to make things worse, my bladder chose then that it needed to make a deposit. Fearful of my consequences of failure to comply, I stopped, thus losing more time.  After that giant run of a workout with my bags across what felt like the entire airport, I could have sworn I had just hiked Mt. Olympus again, I was pooped! And yet, the airline gods must not have been satisfied enough by our struggles just yet, because they decided to make sure we didn’t leave the runway until about 45 minutes or so after it was scheduled. We ran all that for nothing. ☺ 

When we went through customs, my guy got upset at me because I was wearing a Purdue sweatshirt, he was an IU man, however this interaction was nice because it was funny and lightened my mood after that super long flight. It’s also always fun to pick on IU people. 

Now I’m sitting in my hotel room, alone, (which is strange), in America (also strange) waiting for my flight home tomorrow morning and to tell everyone about our wonderful adventures in Greece and Cyprus. Till next time, γεια σας! 

Achieved my dream of riding a donkey on the island of Hydra

The giant doughnut

Waiting at the airport in Frankfurt

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

Amanda Amari

​Today was our first full day in the city of Athens, Greece, and it was beyond amazing. I saw more culture and beauty than I ever expected I could in such a short amount of time. We started our day in the morning by climbing to the top of the Acropolis to see the Greek Parthenon. The view of the city as we climbed to the top of the Acropolis was the most spectacular part. You could see everything in the city from the top of it. We learned that the Parthenon was used to store gunpowder during the Persian war. One night during the war the building was shot and all of the gunpowder exploded. The inside of the building and the walls was almost completely demolished but much of the outside structure and columns still remains intact. You can still see how beautiful the architecture is and imagine how it must have been when it was first built. 

​After the climb to the top of the Acropolis, our tour continued on to the archaeological museum. The museum was built on top of the old ruins. The floors at the entrancewere built of glass so that visitors could see the marble ruins at the bottom below us. The museum had hundreds of finely carved statues throughout it. The tour guide told us that the statues were all buried in a cave hidden during the Persian war. The statues represented everything from everyday Greek citizens to the mythological gods. It was a great representation of their history because many of the statues were still very well intact. 

​Our day of exploration continued on even after the guided tour. Many of the group went to these beautiful gardens in which they had little ponds and quiet, enclosed areas with benches. From the garden, we walked to the temple of Zeus next. Again the building was somewhat destroyed, but we could still see the outlining structure and the beauty of it.

​The last part of our exploration was of the Olympic stadium. It was absolutely breathtaking. We all took turns standing on the winner’s platform taking pictures. We met some other people in the stadium taking pictures after us that we struck up a conversation with. As it turns out, they were from Indiana and Wisconsin. One of them mentioned that he had a brother who is currently attending Purdue and I happen to know his brother. It was a really cool experience meeting someone halfway across the world that I have a mutual contact with and who happens to live near to me. It just goes to show that this is a very small world and you can make connections anywhere. It makes me appreciate Purdue even more knowing that I can find these connections through my school anywhere in the world. Today was by far one of the most amazing days, and I’m so grateful to have experienced it.

Virginia, myself, Samantha, Hailey, and Kathryn on our way up to the Parthenon! 

This is the gorgeous view of the city looking down from the steps up to the top of the Acropolis!

Samantha, myself, and Mariela striking our victory poses on the Olympic winner's platform!

This was the remnants of the temple of Zeus that we visited on our exploration today!

Courtney Emerick

Hey all! Well today is the day that we left Thessaloniki for Athens and it was definitely bittersweet. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to leave what had been our home for the last two and a half weeks. It's the place of gelato runs, crepes, conversations by the sea, and heavenly chocolate cake made by the gods. It was also where I made new friends that I hope can last throughout the school year. 

The trip to Athens was a long one. We had about a six hour uncomfortable bus ride through Greece. In between naps we would look out the windows and catch a glimpse of the scenery. I never realized how many mountains were in Greece! It seemed like everywhere we looked there were these gorgeous mountains and hills. For lunch we stopped at a cute little cafe/rests top. It was nice to move around for a bit after sitting for so long. 

Once we made it to Athens we hit the ground running by going straight to the National Archeological Museum. Fun fact about me, I absolutely LOVE museums. I think it is so cool that we get to go and learn about an ancient culture. The museum had so many beautiful statues and sculptures. One of the cool things we learned was that marble was actually in abundance back then so it was pretty normal for a statue to be made of it. It was special to have your statue made of bronze, and that's why you don't see many bronze statues from that era. Our tour guide told us that the museum we were at was the equivalent to the Metropolitan back in the states. It was amazing to see how much our guide knew about each exhibit. I wish we would have had more time to look at everything but there was just so much to see. 

After we left the museum we had some down time at our hotel before we went to dinner. It was nice to explore somewhere new for a bit. I'm really looking forward to our stay in Athens. There's so much that we are able to see and do while we are here. It has been such a privilege to be on this trip! I've had so many great experiences and I know I will have more as the days go by. I want to thank everyone who has made this trip possible for us. It really has been life changing! I know we are ready for all the adventures that Athens has in store for us! Adio! (Goodbye)

The biggest statue that I have ever seen at the National Archeological Museum.  

That's me in front of the museum ready to explore! 

                                      The whole group at the cute cafe/rest stop that we had lunch at!

Hailey Gloden

It's our last day in Thessaloniki!! 

To wrap up the final day we all split up to do one final scavenge of the city.  I went with a group to the Byzantine hill area for one last view over the amazing city that we have lived in for our time here in Greece.  As we started our journey to the hill we got a little lost and Josh had to asks for some directions, but we eventually got to the right bus stop. Like any other bus experience we have had it was crowded and slightly sticky, but oddly enough I have grown to be used to it. 

I went with Josh, Katie, and Matt to an old prison and it was a great experience.  We didn't get to go too deep into the prison which was upsetting but at least we got to go in right? After we left the prison we explored around the surrounding land and stumbled upon the best view I've had the entire trip! The four of us climbed up a slightly rocky area and once we reached the top we overlooked the entire city and it was so humbling. We were able to see a section where rain was falling and it was beautiful.

We took some pictures and Josh realized he forgot his memory card at the hotel and got a little salty about that discovery. Once we snapped some photos we walked down a ways and caught up with another portion of our group and from there we walked back to the hotel. I can't imagine a better way I would have wanted to end my time in a place that has oddly enough become a sort of comfort to me.

I am excited to go to Athens but I am equally as nervous. I know it is going to be a much more crowded place so we may not get to do as much exploring. A positive to that though is that I will most likely get some time to hang out with all of the amazing people here. I couldn't be more blessed to be here with all of these other awesome Purdue students. We have a six hour bus ride in store for us tomorrow so I am looking forward to the bus shenanigans that will take place during the drive! This trip has been one of a kind and has caused me to grow a lot. I can't thank Horizons or the ISA staff enough for allowing me to be a part of such a life changing experience. The journey that I've had so far on this trip is unparalleled to anything I have experienced in my 19 years.  There have been many memories made the past two weeks and even though I'm sad to leave Thessaloniki I'm looking forward to what Athens has to offer. It's time to say goodbye to the comfort of Thessaloniki and hello to new adventures in a new city!

                                      

The shadowy area to the left is where the rain is falling, I thought this was super cool.

Here's me behind the entry door of the prison!

Matt, myself, Katie, and the stunning view of the city.

This is the entrance of the prison!

Anna Zhang

Building Friendships

May 26, 2015 

Today was our last lecture over the Greek Legal System by Lambrini Nassis and it was such a fantastic lecture. I thought that she was absolutely brilliant and it was definitely interesting learning about her life, because she actually has a dual citizenship in New York and Greece. Ms. Nassis was so inspirational, because she actually worked in New York and gave up a well paid job to come to Greece so she could pursue her dream. The reason why she decided to do so was, because she would rather work for a lower paid salary and be happy than working for a high paid salary and be miserable. After her lecture, she gave us some really good insight on life and I was really glad that we were able to meet her. 

After class and debriefing, Rosa got us these "magical" ice cream sandwiches and it was absolutely fantastic. Then, we all split up into different groups since everyone wanted to do something different so I went with a small group and got some rotisserie chicken, which was delicious, and then we headed to the market. My plate of food was only 4.90 € and it was definitely worth it. Before we arrived at the rotisserie chicken place, I was able to bond with Hailey, because we have talked for a couple of times, but it was never in depth so I wanted to have the chance to talk to her and get to know her a little better. It was really cool, because she opened up to me and in just a short hour I knew so much about her and I have never heard her talk so much either! 

After lunch, we went to the market and it was so much fun. Some of us wanted to do some last minute shopping here before we left since we heard Athens was extremely expensive. So while we were shopping we stopped at a waffle place for mini waffles and ordered a "Blackforest," little did we know that it would be covered completely with chocolate. Aside from the chocolate coma, it was absolutely delicious. The worker was so nice to us and it always surprises me how nice everyone is here. 

Today is our second to the last day here, and I will most definitely be sad when we have to leave tomorrow. I have had such a wonderful and amazing time here in Greece, and I would not trade this experience for anything in the world. Thank you Horizons, ISA, and Greece for such an incredible time! 

XOXO, 

Anna 

Antonio, Meagan, Me, and Sara by the pier.

Our Blackforest waffles aka chocolate coma food

You can see Mt. Olympus in the very back! 

Me, Sara, and Meagan with our waffles by the square.

Katie Keifer

Beautiful Disasters

We have officially started our last week in Greece today. To kick off the morning we got a much needed extra hour to sleep before class. Our class was on the Greek economic crisis, but it also put the crisis in a global perspective. Then, after class, a group of us decided to go to the war museum in town. We had seen signs for it on our earlier museum excursions, but we didn't know much about it or its location. So we went on the hunt, and we got turned around a couple of times due to bad signs. Once we found it, we wandered a few halls filled with displays of metals and weapons. Then a tour guide named Kostos came up to us and asked if we would like him to guide us through. He started off by explaining some of the metals and weapons, and he caught us off guard when he was explaining a particular handgun and he said, "This is the gun your police use to shoot black men". I was shocked, and I gave a nervous giggle because I was speechless. It is amazing how news travels, but I was somewhat sad and almost disturbed to know that people across the world see us through the lens of the media and the stories on the news. Kostos's comment also put into perspective the lecture from the morning and how we view the Greek economic crisis through a lens that sensationalizes the crisis more than what it should.

After that comment, the tour continued more normally. It really got interesting when we ventured to the second floor and walked through the exhibit on WWII. In all of the classes I have taken thus far over history, we have always talked about wars from the U.S. perspective. Hearing about the war from the Greek perspective was like hearing personal stories of an event from two different people. It is important to look at things from all perspectives to get the full picture because some people, or in this case countries, were affected in different ways and take something different from what happened. 

To end the day we went to an outdoor cinema. The only movie playing in English was “The Humbling”, and I will say it was… interesting. Most of us were confused, and the awkward giggles and the exchange of facial expressions was the best part of the experience. After the movie was over we took the bus back to the hotel. Even though we have now ridden it at least 6 or 7 times, we forgot to press the stop button and we all had to run out of the front door laughing and in a panic. To say the locals love us would be a stretch, but at least we entertain them. 

This trip so far has been two weeks of fun, beauty, and “ beautiful disasters”, but these are the memories that I will treasure for a lifetime. 

 

 Our group with Kostos the guide. I'm the one in the white in the front left

Our group in a carrier tank at the war museum (cameraman Josh not in the picture)

The Outdoor cinema

Movie poster of "The Humbling"

Mariela Carrasco

  ​Today was our last day in Cyprus. Although we did not have an entire day to spend there, it was full of adventure. We finally took a group picture with all of us in it, and it was beautiful! The scenery around us made it the ideal spot for our "wish you were here" picture. Also, by walking to our picture perfect spot, I was able to explore the city a little more. On our way back, I stopped by a few spots that I found interesting. One was a handmade arts and crafts exhibit. There were beautiful pieces, my favorite were the wood carved hair brushes. From there we visited many souvenir shops.  At the shops, I found a beautiful little turtle sculpture, which is so far my favorite souvenir purchase. 

​After a bit of shopping came my favorite part of the day. Virginia and Gabi decided to go parasailing and I went with them. Although I did not go up with them, I got a beautiful view of the city from the boat. I was honestly too scared to go on the parasail, but I am so proud that Virginia and Gabi had the courage to do it. At first they were nervous, but after the fact I could tell they had an amazing time. I hope one day I am able to partake in such adventurous events.  

​After being in Cyprus for the weekend, I am excited to go back to Thessaloniki. Cyprus was filled with beaches, beautiful, and fun, but I'm ready to go back to the homey atmosphere that Thessaloniki provides for us. In my opinion, Thessaloniki has more of a true Greek culture, probably since they do not get as many tourists. While in Thessaloniki, we always encounter people who are so friendly and excited to meet us; that was not always the case in Cyprus. Also, I feel as if I got more authentic Greek food while in Thessaloniki, and I really miss it. So far I have loved every dish I have tried. 

​I cannot believe how fast time is going. We pack our day with so much exploration that it is over in a blink of an eye. Now, we only have a week left. Although I am very homesick at this point of the trip, I am enjoying every second of our Horizons Greece Adventure. The people in our group are amazing and the programs are so fun and full of information. I hope that one day I Can come back and continue to explore Greece.

Me getting my feet wet

Horizons group picture

Virginia and Gabi parasailing 

Garrett Swisher

Blog May 23, 2015

​Dramatic is a good word to describe Cyprus. Today, we got to see a different side of the island. Our day started off slow as we all got up and had a leisurely breakfast followed up by a quick gelato run. We didn’t have any definite plans for our day so we went down to check out the beach. We spent a few hours swimming and relaxing by the crystal blue waters before heading back to grab a quick lunch from the supermarket to save some money. We ate and shared some laughs together over our food. In the afternoon, a few of us decided to go deeper into the city away from the touristy beachfront in hopes of finding some cool places to check out. We walked no more than half a mile and we found an old Roman theatre built into the hillside. Today it is left in ruins, a shadow of what is would have been like centuries ago. It was haunting to think how old it was and that today it is still standing quietly right across the street from someone’s house. 

We continued walking and found foundations of ancient buildings dating back to the time the theatre was built. Nearby was the quarry cut into the Earth to supply the stone for these Roman buildings. Walking through this man-made cave was very cool. Steps cut into the rock and little narrow tunnels led to other areas of the quarry before coming out in the large cavern were the large stone pieces were excavated for the Roman building projects. We left the underground quarry to come out across the street from the Pafos Mall, a huge modern shopping mall. It completely caught you off-guard as it brought you suddenly back to the 21st century. It just seems very strange having these breath-taking old places sewn into the daily life of people today. You would think these places would be somewhere much more remote, but the fact of the matter is that the history is all around you. There probably isn’t many places void of history here. It is rich with it. After travelling back to the modern age, we continued down the street to find Ag. Solomonis catacombs. We were able to walk into the catacombs for a short distance but a gate kept us from the deeper sections were bodies of the ancient people of Pafos were laid to rest. From here we made a short 10 minute walk back to the hotel.Later that evening, I caught up with Rosa’s crew at a Syrian restaurant and had dinner. We got to try some interesting dishes including eggplant and some amazing seasoned hummus on pita. After that we hit a little bar on the way back where a Michael Jackson impersonator was performing. We stayed for quite a while and all had a great time. 

This study abroad experience has been amazing coupled with our great group, we have been learning cool things and making memories that will last a lifetime.

Me on a rock

Entering the quarry

The main room in the quarry

Having fun after dinner

Faith Dalton

Today we headed to Cyprus for a weekend adventure.  Our day started out with an early morning, since we had to catch a bus to the airport.  We expected the bus to be less crowed since it was early.  However, the bus was packed and this time we all had our carry-on luggage.  After the bus ride we arrived at a small airport. The airport was very efficient with getting us through the line quickly and onto our small Ryan Air flight. 

We arrived ahead of schedule and hopped right into the taxis that lined the sidewalk of the airport.  I have never traveled before this trip, so when I hopped into the taxi and saw the driver on the left side I was confused.  Then when we started to drive away, we also drove on the opposite side of the road.  Many of my classmates have traveled and have been to countries where they drive like this, but I was so fascinated by this experience.  Finally, we arrive to our beautiful hotel.  We arrived ahead of schedule so we couldn’t check in right away, but this wasn’t a problem because we all were starving.  We grabbed our maps and headed out to find a unique and non-traditional place to eat.  A small group of us stopped at a seaside café.  The prices here weren’t what we were use to in Thessaloniki, but the food was worth the money.  While relaxing and taking our time to enjoy our meal, the small group I was with began to people watch.  We all concluded that Cyprus must be a place where retired people choose to move to and hoped that one day we too would be able to retire to somewhere beautiful.  Once we paid and did some souvenir shopping the group I was with headed back to the hotel to wait to check in.  The staff at the Pryamos hotel worked hard and was able to allow us to check into our rooms a little early.  This was wonderful since all we wanted to do was change into our bathing suits and hit the beach.

I was finally standing on the sand after a short walk from our hotel.  I just stood there for a while taking in the wonderful breeze, the fresh air, and the friendly locals.  After Katie and I found a great spot, I couldn’t help but dip my feet into the clear water. The spot we were at had sand and also some large rocks that were perfect for climbing.  Then, I positioned my chair perfectly and settled in for a couple of hours of relaxation.  

Once the sun had set, it became very cool so Katie and I changed out of our bathing suits and headed to the market with some others to get dinner.  We all grab random items and sat along the seaside and had a picnic together.  This was a wonderful way to end a perfect day. 

Love,

Faith

Waiting for the bus

The first look of the sea

Spontaneous picnic 

Me at the beach!

               

Taylor Rhymer

We are coming near the end of the trip we have a little over a week left. This trip so far has been such a great experience, and there have been so many friendships made. Greece has been a very welcoming place the locals are all very kind and helpful. Today we started out our day with a Guest Lecture on Greek History, after that we had some free time. With our free time a group of us decided to go to the White Tower and take a tour of it. The White Tower had six levels to it and as you went through each level you got to learn more and more about how Greece’s boardwalk was formed, and what happened during the fire that took out a lot of the city of Thessaloniki. So we kept climbing the tower and learning all of this new information on the Greek history, then we got to the top and at the top of the White Tower there was the most amazing view. We could see so much of the city just from this one spot. 

After the White Tower tour we went to find lunch, we ate lunch in an outdoor restaurant. It was very nice, our waitress did not speak much English and the menu was for the most part in Greek so interacting with her and learning new ways to ask questions was fun.  We pointed to pictures to ask questions and when she spoke to us she used the little bit of English she knew, she spoke with her hands and she also pointed to pictures. It was neat to interact with her even though we did not speak the same language. 

After lunch every one relaxed until our cooking class. Antonis Theodorakis who is a chef here in Greece taught a cooking class, we made two different dishes. The first dish was called Tzatziki Sauce; it is like a cucumber and yogurt sauce. Some of the restaurants that I have tried while in Greece serve it with fried zucchini or French fries. Then we made Dolmadakia Yalantzi with herbs. It is vine leaves stuffed with rice, dill, and spearmint leaves, then you bake it in the pan with onions and fresh lemon juice. Learning to cook these dishes was a lot of fun because that is something we can take home with us and share with our family and friends. The trip so far has been amazing and taught me so many new things and I hope there is only more new and exciting things to come as we finish the trip. 

Adio(goodbye), 

Taylor Rhymer

At the top of the White Tower

Chef Antonis Theodorakis and I 

Dolmadakia Yalantzi in the pan and ready to be cooked. 

Learning how to make the Tzatziki Sauce.

Samantha Fisher

I wish I could tell you about everything I have done so far, but that would be impossible.  This experience has defiantly been one for the books, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to share it with. Within the short amount of time being together, a group of strangers became great friends, and I know that we will extend these friendships beyond Greece.  

This morning we survived our first storm, I’m sure the locals thought it was amusing seeing a group of Americans running as if we were going to melt.   It only lasted a couple hours, and that Greece sun came right back out to brighten up the day!  We started our day off with class at the Folklore Museum where we learned about the history of Greece, and then ended it at the Byzantin Museum.  It was really interesting to have a guest lecturer come and teach us about the history because it was very memorable.  

The best thing about Thessonaliki has been the many adventures that we go on each day.  Even for the couple hours that we had free today, we managed to explore a part of the city that we hadn’t seen yet.  Only ten days in and my perspectives on life, cultures, people, and traveling have changed in such a great way.  Before being in Greece, I didn’t take much time to think deeply about my life and my abilities as a student.  We often get caught up in our busy, daily tasks to take a moment to see how blessed we are or taking time to experience different parts of the world other than what we are accustomed too.  Trust me, just within the time I have stayed in Greece, my eyes have been opened to a culture that has impacted me with not only cool adventures, but personally.  I know that I will leave here with a different perspective on life, and it will help me become a better leader. 

Lastly, I want to go over a few of my favorite things about Thessonaliki, Greece!  I absolutely LOVE all of the cafes that are around the city.  Each café has a different style, and wandering the back streets of the city is where you will find the best ones!  It’s been really enjoyable sitting down and just talking to people instead of, what we are used too, having our phones in our faces the whole time.  My other favorite time so far was our adventure to Halkidiki, where a small group of us were beach bums for a day!  We laid out and napped on the beach for six straight hours, and I got to enjoy some seriously delicious seafood.  

To say I am thankful for this opportunity is an understatement; studying abroad here in Greece has impacted me on so many different levels!  I will not go home and just remember the things that happened in Greece.  Instead, I will leave with new friendships, a new perspective on culture, and a new outlook on life.  

​

Thanks Greece for all of the adventures so far!

Samantha Fisherfolk

This is me at the Byzantin Museum

My adventure in town this afternoon!  Authentic gyro for lunch and Katherine and me in the taxi.

 A few of the MANY cafes around town. From left to right (Me, Quynh, Katherine) with our juice and coffees! 

Our adventure to Halkidiki.  My yummy fish I got at the restaurant.