Goodbyes and Hellos

          Well, folks, we’ve come to the end. Yesterday was my last day at ACS and my last day in Greece. It started and ended as all Greek things should: with coffee. Kersten and I got some before school and I had some while waiting for my plane to Rome.

          The kids gave me all sorts of adorable gifts throughout the day, but the one I will treasure most is the book they wrote for me. It has pictures of every kid and their wishes for me as a teacher. It is a beautiful gift. I learned so much from these kids and I’m honored that I got to be their teacher!

          I also met some of the most amazing teachers and just all-around great people. Without them, my time in Greece would have been a very different experience. I am so grateful for their friendship. J

          As I left Greece, I turned my thoughts toward my next destination: the Eternal City of Rome. I arrived at the airport and made it to the train station, where I waited to meet up with the Conception alum studying at the North American College – Brashears, Mattingly, and Niggemeyer. We caught a train toward my hotel and pretty soon I was steps away from St. Peters. I closed my eyes and was led to the center of St. Peter’s Square. When I opened my eyes, I was struck speechless. (Which, for you who know me, is not an easy thing to do!) Plus, the pope’s light was on. Again, speechless. I am such a Catholic nerd. J

After grabbing pizza with the guys, I got settled into my hotel and set the alarm clock for 6 am so I could attend Mass at St. Peter’s in the morning. Today has been a whirlwind of sightseeing, but I’ll describe that when I can post pictures! As I was told on the tour today, “It keeps getting better” so just take it one step at a time!

Like it’s your last…

Here’s my pearl of wisdom for today – Take in every moment because you’ll never be there again. Never put off doing something that could be done today. Why am I offering these you ask? Well, mainly because of my lovely going-away present from the Greek Transportation system.

          Let’s backtrack for just a moment – It’s my last week in Greece. Yeah, you read that right – my LAST week in Greece. As of now, we’re down to my last 36 hours in Greece. I had great plans for this week too. Cleaning the apartment on Tuesday, dinner with the gang on Wednesday, packing and one last stroll through Plaka on Thursday, flight on Friday. It had the makings of a great week. I had plans to see the city one last time, to say my goodbyes, to take in the sights and sounds of city center just once more.

          Alas, it was not to be. I found out yesterday afternoon that the metro was going on a 48 hour strike – from Thursday morning to Friday night – effectively complicating my life. So, I was faced with a few choices. I could stay in my apartment and catch rides with Steve back and forth to school, or I could pack it all up and move out to Kersten’s until my flight. I chose option B, mainly because it cuts down on the travel time and adds to the convenience factor.

So, in about 45 minutes, I packed all my belongings into my suitcase, backpack, and a few random bags and headed for Aghia Paraskevis, the suburb near school. (By the way, when I say ‘packed’ what I really mean is ‘threw everything into the bags as quickly as possible with little to no organization or thought’) One quick metro ride later, my last metro ride, and I was settled.

It wasn’t until I was lying in bed thinking about the day that I realized some things. 1) I moved out of my apartment. Out. Nothing makes the thought of leaving more real than moving out. 2) I’m not going to see the Acropolis again. Or the Temple of Zeus. Or Hadrian’s Arch. Or Parliament. Or Plaka. Or, or, or. The list just kept scrolling through my head. This was it. I’m really leaving and I guess I’m going to miss this place more than I realized.

Thus, the pearls of wisdom – Always take the chance to do that one thing you’ve been thinking about. Take the time to walk down that street that looked really interesting. Take a picture, capture a moment, turn it into a memory. Because in the end, it’s the little things that you’ll miss the most. So, explore, dream, discover, and as always, take it one step at a time.  

KALO MINA!

Happy December everyone! While I am thrilled that Christmas is just around the corner (as well as graduation!), I’m a little confused. Can someone explain to me how the days slipped by so fast? It seems that just yesterday Brianna was flying in and Budapest seemed but a dream that would never arrive, and now both those are crossed off my calendar. The countdown for Rome is in the single digits, with the one for my trip home just days behind.

November has been a month of “new-s” – new responsibilities in the classroom, new experiences in Athens, new Greek words in my vocabulary, new friends, new stamps in my passport, and even new foods. It was a month of new memories and they are ones that I will treasure forever. It’s also been a rollercoaster – the homesick phase crept in for a few days at the beginning of November, but that was quickly put aside for the adventures that were in store. Now, it’s December and I’m looking homeward.

It’s finally sinking in that there is an ending date on this leg of the adventure. I’m having a graduation party here tomorrow and then getting in my last day of shopping for gifts since this is my last weekend in Athens. I have come to realize that each day is a small adventure, if only you open your eyes and look for the unique in the midst of everything. If you are open to the world, you can continually be surprised by the littlest things. It’s the little things that can turn into the best adventures. I’m excited for the next two weeks of adventures abroad –but I know I’ll be ready for a whole new kind of adventure as a recent college grad back in the States.

This week has helped prepare me for real –life as my cooperating teacher has been out sick all week so I’ve been truly in charge of the classroom. It’s been a great trial-by-fire experience and I’ve learned so much about truly running your own classroom. Please keep Marla in your thoughts and prayers so that she can get back to the classroom soon!

As I finish up the semester over here, I’m thinking about all of my college friends finishing up classes and looking toward finals. That part of college I don’t miss so much. I do miss seeing all of you, having random adventures on campus, and especially Newman events. I’m praying for all of you as you take on those tests and papers. Study hard, try to get enough sleep and just take it one step at a time!

Buda + Pest = Beautiful

Did you know that Budapest was actually two cities, Buda and Pest? They were divided by the Danube river, but are now combined into the capital city of Budapest. And what a city is it! 4 days was nowhere near enough time to explore this beautiful and historic city! 

What struck me first was just how beautiful the city is. Every building had a decoration here or a statue holding a balcony there. Beauty hidden in the tiny details – I kept falling behind the group because I wanted pictures of everything! However, the pictures don’t even come close to capturing the experience. I could see my breath, feel the cold in the tips of my fingers, see the skyline in the distance, and breathe in the crisp air. It was wonderful.

An estate on Kodaly Circus - I had fun taking pictures while looking for the Kodaly museum!

We took a bus tour and saw the major sites of the city, but the best views were obscured by the fog. I split off from the group and saw the Liszt museum, which is housed in his apartment. It was a cool exhibit with both his musical and religious artifacts. Speaking of religious artifacts, I saw my first Incorruptible saint—well, part of one anyway!!  St. Stephen’s right hand, known as the Holy Right, is housed in the Basilica of St. Stephen. It was such a beautiful church and I had the opportunity to attend an organ concert there on Friday night. There aren’t words to describe it. It was a dream come true.

St. Stephen's Basilica 

Food was also another focus of the trip – I tried a lot of new foods this weekend. Coming from the queen of peanut butter and jelly, this was huge. I tried ostrich, chilled apricot soup, chicken tikka masala (Thanksgiving dinner, my first experience with Indian food), falafel, and we even found a Hungarian wine and cheese festival!

It was a great vacation – full of crazy memories with new friends and quiet moments surrounded by the sights and sounds of a new place. It’s hard to believe it’s over because it was the big milestone to look forward to before I finished teaching. I have 4 days of instruction left, then a week of observations and then I’m done. Time truly does fly. I have to start reflections about my time here and I know that the bottom line is that I have been changed by this experience. I have been truly blessed beyond my wildest dreams. And, it all started with just one step.

Parliament and the Danube - taken from the boat  

Gobble Gobble!!

                  Happy Thanksgiving from Budapest, Hungary! For the long weekend, I was invited to join some of the teachers for a holiday in Hungary. It could not have come at a more perfect time. I'm 6 weeks into my Athens adventure. I flip between feeling like I just arrived and feeling like I've been here forever. I love the school more each day and have so enjoyed making friends with the teachers from the States.
                  I had a long (but completely wonderful) weekend around Athens. We celebrated Thanksgiving, had an American football tournament, and went out to celebrate one of the teacher's birthdays! Kara will be glad to hear that I found a flea market and bartered for some great jewelry! I made a fort in the corner of my  apartment and took a nap :) Then, I went to mass and found out that this church will not be getting the new translation until after I'm gone. Bummer.
                  After two intense days of school, (lots of tests and projects), we flew out of Athens and arrived at our apartment in Budapest. We have the whole apartment to ourselves - there are 8 of us. It's a cute place and has a great location. We're loving it! Today, we walked to the Christmas market and it felt a bit like home.
                 This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all the people that made my trip possible. For the friends that told me I could do this, put up with my craziness, and celebrated with me when I was finally accepted! For the teachers that supported me, educated me, encouraged me. For my family, without whom I would not be here. For the people I have met that have made this trip wonderful. I love you all. Be thankful, keep the world beautiful and always take life one step at a time.

Humanity's Awesomeness

            It's so easy in a big city to forget about everyone but yourself. Athens isn't like Minnesota, where everyone waves, stops to chat on the sidewalk, or invites you in for some coffee. Big cities just don't function that way. However, something happened the other day that opened my eyes to just how awesome humanity is. The city has it's own way of 'inviting you in for coffee'. Here in Athens, it's as simple as a piece of paper.
            This piece of paper is a small rectangle of blue that costs 1.40 euro. It's a metro ticket, good for 90 minutes of travel anywhere in the city. How does that make humanity awesome? Well, 95% of the trips the average Athenian takes are much shorter than the 90 minutes. It has become common practice for people to leave the used, but still good ticket on the escalator going to the trains where it can be picked up by another passenger. Call it Athens Nice :)
             I have been the reciepient of this random act of kindness and have since adopted the practice myself. It's such a great feeling when you find a ticket and know you've saved 1.40 euro (about $2). And passing on that feeling to someone else? Priceless. On Monday, I picked up a ticket at my metro stop, rode home, and then passed my ticket on to someone else. Best feeling ever. I swear I floated home :)
           Here's my challenge for you, friends. Today, take the time to do something nice to someone else. Buy a coffee for the guy behind you. Take out the trash. Compliment a stranger. Leave a metro ticket. Whatever you do - start small and take it one step at a time.

Family = love

     This past week was completely awesome. Brianna and I split our time chilling and seeing the sights all over Athens. Brianna hit so many of the sites and took some great pictures. Now, I've got to get going and catch up on the sights as well! 

     On Thursday, I discovered why girls like boats so much! Bri and I caught a ferry from Piraeus to Crete. It was a huge boat and it was awesome. I snuck around the ship for a while (I think I was allowed to be where I was) and saw some great views of the port! However, all my pictures are on Bri's camera, which is back in America. So, you'll have to wait to see! 

      We headed out to Crete to see our Uncle Bryan, Aunt Chrisa, and cousins Roula and Melina. It was a great weekend! We toured the town with them, saw the markets and a few museums, went shopping (of course) and basically had a great time. We bowled on Friday night and I was reminded just how terrible I am at bowling. :) They took us to a church in a cave which was spectacular and then drank hot chocolate by the sea (inside because of the rain) I'm so glad we were able to make it out to see them while I was over here! 

        Brianna took off super early on Monday morning and is now back in the States. I'm back to focusing on school and enjoying Athens. I'm teaching practically everything at this point, which is great. It's crazy to think I'm halfway done with this experience. I'm looking forward to making the second half even better than the first, and you know I'll start by taking it one step at a time!