"Feta" than Ever

Hi all!

I have been so preoccupied with blogging about my weekend adventures I have yet to blog about how much I love the city I actually live (Athens) and what I do on a daily basis. Contrary to popular belief, I do attend school and do schoolwork sometimes. When I'm not off exploring the most beautiful sites Greece has to offer, here's what I'm up to!

First off, that one thing that brought me here: school. I have school four days a week, Monday through Thursday, and I am taking five classes: theology, study abroad seminar, Greek language and culture, art history and literature. As a biology major, my course work is much different than my average semester at home. Although it is different, I really do love the change! Here are some of the highlights from my classes:

1. My favorite class is theology. While in Greece, my theology class is focused on the Eastern Orthodox Church, which is the official church of Greece and also the religion of 97% of Greeks. Before this trip, I really had no idea what Eastern Orthodoxy was except for that I was pretty sure it was similar to Catholicism. It is very similar to Catholicism, however, it also has significant differences, which are super interesting to learn about. I really love my theology professor as well, who is extremely passionate about theology and Orthodoxy. On the first day of class she showed a BBC documentary that she was in. Total power move.

2. Greek is a hard language to learn. A large aspect of my language and culture class is learning the fundamentals of the Greek language. Sadly, my Greek is not progressing well, much to the dismay of my professor. Did you know Greeks use a different alphabet? And that their V is an N? And that they have a bunch of different letters that make the exact same sound? That phrase, "It's Greek to Me" really has taken on a quite literal meaning.

3. Experiential Learning. I'm going to be honest, I'm not a fan of art history and have a difficult time appreciating art. Understandably then, art history is not my favorite course. Despite this, every week I get to go to the National Museum with my art history class and experience ancient art work in person instead of sitting in a dark classroom looking at pictures of it on a slideshow. What do you think would be the more beneficial learning experience? I get to read ancient Greek literature in Greece where it was written hundreds of years ago. It's such a cool feeling to be so close to what you are learning, to really experience it for yourself. I wish I could describe this emotion in a more concrete way. This is why I wanted to study abroad.... to become immersed in what I am learning; to experience it wholeheartedly.

Minnesotans always seem to want to talk about the weather so I suppose I should touch on that. This section is for you, grandpa Skip! And no, I do not know what kind of crops they have here in Greece. The climate here is, quite obviously, different than Minnesota. According to the locals, it has been a very hot September, with highs of at least 90 every day. I have a love-hate relationship with Athens weather. It hasn't rained since we got here and I really miss the rain. It's also very hot and I'm more of a sweater weather kind of gal. On a more positive note, I get to watch a gorgeous sunset from my apartment balcony every night. I am more tan now that I have ever been in my entire life. I don't often get to enjoy a long summer and when I get to Rome it will be much cooler, so I am trying to enjoy the warmer weather we are experiencing.

Okay, okay. Enough of that school stuff and weather talk... on to fun things! When I'm in Athens but not in school, there is a bunch of fun things to do and places to explore. Slowly but surely, this place has become my home. I feel comfortable walking the streets by myself. I get that warm feeling of familiarity every time I return to Athens after a weekend trip. I. Love. This. City. It's people, it's animals, it's shops and restaurants, everything. Here are some other random facts about my life:

• Coffee, coffee, coffee! One of my favorite things to do is go to the coffee shop next door to my apartment, order an iced latte and sit on their front porch for an hour, reading or doing my homework. When I have free time but also need to get things done, it's my go-to activity.

• What else do I do in my free time, you ask? I walk a lot, not really for purpose, but more to just wander and people watch. On Thursday nights several of us go to karaoke night at a bar near the Acropolis. I love to spend time picking out fresh fruits and vegetables at the fruit/vegetable stand every week and cooking in my kitchen. I also love getting gyros when I am too lazy to cook. I love the Bennies and Johnnies I am here with and getting to know them more. I love playing cards with my roommates and looking at the Parthenon lit up at night. My favorite things about my time here are the little things that I never imagined I would come to love so much. I have three weeks left in Athens before I move on to Rome where I finish out my semester. I have come to love Athens in a way I didn't think I would and the thought of leaving in a few short weeks is so sad. I have lots left to experience and areas of the city to explore in the next couple of weeks! For now I am trying my best to think "I have three whole weeks left!" and not "I only have three weeks left!" I cannot say enough positive things to convey how fortunate I feel to be where I am and experiencing what I am experiencing. This is an experience I will remember fondly for the rest of my life.