Greece is the Word

Wow, what a whirlwind the past couple of days have been! I was going to wait a until after my orientation week was done to share my first blog post, but I already have so much to write about! (That reminds me, hi Mom/Dad/Anna! I am alive and promise to call you soon) For starters, Athens is beautiful and has exceeded my expectations in almost every way. Here has been what I've been up to:

1. First Impressions Aren't Everything

I left at 7 from MSP on Friday and arrived to Greece after a smooth flight to Paris. It was definitely challenging to say goodbye to my family. Luckily for me, the airports treated me well and I didn't run into any bad luck! Once in Athens I had a driver and translator take me to my hotel, which, to put it lightly, was not in the best part of town. The hotel itself was nice but the neighborhood seemed dark and I was told that in this area there were often fights between the youth and police. While I did walk about a block to get dinner my first night, I could tell I wasn't exactly welcomed and headed back to my hotel where I stayed until check out. Lucky for me, a friend from my trip arrived at the hotel Saturday night, we ordered pizza from Dominos and hung out in our hotel together. It was so comforting to see a familiar face! That first 48 hours I was worried. Monday morning I left the hotel for my new home with lots of apprehension. "Is this was all of Athens is like?" "Will I never be able to walk to streets alone?" "Will I be started at constantly?" However, all of this worry was for nothing. In the fifteen minute taxi drive from my hotel to my school, I swear I was transported to another world. In this world, every street had a view of the Acropolis, lush greens filled the sidewalks of the street and everything seemed brighter. Our school is right next to the stadium where the first Olympic Games were held and it is breathtaking. Cue the music from "Annie" the musical.... "I think I'm gonna like it here!"

2. Moving in/Orientation

The first thing I did upon my arrival to my school, CYA, was check into an apartment I would share with five other Bennies. A short two minute walk from school, our apartment is a great location as it is steps from two coffee shops, a pharmacy and the bus stop. The apartment itself exceeded my expectations as well! It is a traditional Greek apartment that has large windows and balconies (there are two balonies off my room alone!) shutters on windows and traditional hardwood floors. We are on the fourth floor with a beautiful view of the city and our apartment already feels like home.

In our first days we have had the opportunity to explore and some of our group enjoyed a trip to the area nearest the Acropolis where we window shopped and enjoyed the typical iced coffee drink of choice here, the nes frappe (instant coffee, sugar, water, ice and a little bit of milk.) Our first evening, most of our group of 30 Bennies and Johnnies walked near the Acropolis to Areopagus Hill for breathtaking views and to watch the sunset. I cannot think of a more perfect way to spend my first real night in Athens!

In addition to wandering the city, last night we all went out through the school with our professors to local restaurants where we shared some classic Greek foods, including falafels, spanakopita, and tzatziki sauce. Everything was so delicious and I cannot wait to try and cook it for myself!

We do have actual orientation provided by the school to learn logistical information about our classes and the city. We were shown important places we will need, like the nearest ATM, bank, and grocery store, good cafes and restaurants in our neighborhood, etc. We have three more days of orientation before a weekend break and the real work that begins on Monday when our classes start!

Views from our balcony.

My new room!

Our cute (and tiny!) kitchen.

Our group at the top of Areopagus Hill.

A beautiful sunset over Athens!

3. I'll wrap it up now....

I thought one of my roommates, Shannon, put it well when she said that "Greeks are the Minnesotans of Europe." So far, everyone I have met is so incredibly friendly. Most people speak English, so communication is not difficult. When I attempt to greet the Greeks with my very poor Greek, they do not laugh but applaud and encourage. Despite being a metropolitan city, the neighborhood we are located in, Pangrati, seems small and friendly. I feel very safe walking alone here (during the day, of course.) The local coffee shops and restaurants love the American students and provided us with free food and drinks on our first visit. The cafe closest to my apartment (whose name I don't remember and won't attempt to butcher) already has a special place in my heart. It's a family owned business that has been open for 60 years and the couple who now own it are two of the most kind hearted people I have ever met. They already remember my name and provided each CSBSJU student with free gelato and doughnuts upon our first two visits (they tell us we have to start paying when school starts!) Their menu is expansive and affordable, and the environment of the cafe is cozy and homey. I could just sit their for hours.

Additionally, shout out to the Bennies and Johnnies who have made this journey with me. Our group is so wonderful. Nelsey, our professor from CSBSJU who is accompanying us, is my mom abroad and my classmates are outgoing, friendly and fun. I could not have hoped for a better group and I cannot wait to know them more as our semester continues.

There are things I will need to get used to about life in Athens, like the noise of the street below my apartment, being nearly hit by a car every time I cross the street and not being able to see my family whenever I feel like it, but it is all part of the experience. I feel so incredibly grateful for this opportunity and the ability to be here. We have lots of fun activities planned for the next few days, and I am of course excited (and nervous) for school to start. I cannot wait to share more experiences with you all! (and hopefully shorter next time, this blog post was WAY longer than anticipated.... bless your heart if you actually read it all!)

Love, Kelly

#athens #greece #studyabroad #csbsju #college #travel