It seems fitting that I end this blog with my 50th post.
I am currently sitting in my own bed, in my disastrously messy room (unpacking only got to the tornado stage before sleepiness took over) while looking out the window at the depressing lack of snow outside.
I flew from Athens to London, London to Chicago, and then to Minneapolis. After 26 hours of being awake, a very adrenaline-filled reunion with loved ones, and a failed attempt at unpacking, I finally crashed in my own bed (in my a room all to myself- how exciting!)
I am not going to ramble about the plane food or how nervous I was to go through customs. I just want to thank everyone who has been reading this. This blog has been so fun to write, and I am sorry I wont have any gelato to discuss or ancient ruins to post pictures of on here.
However, if you are in need of something good to read now that this is done, might I recommend The Help by Kathryn Stockett- it was my plane read and was amazing.
Thank you, grazie, and Ευχαριστούμε.
Love always,
Dana
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu.
We may as well throw in ciao and αντίο
It is hard to believe I return to the States tomorrow. You would think by now I would be a pro at transitions (Lord knows I am an expert at packing all my belongings into that backpack). As excited as I am to be home, it is definitely a bittersweet feeling leaving Athens and mostly leaving this group and Europe.
This week has been a struggle between balancing final exams and final moments with the group. Monday was our Art History final and my apartment and Michael celebrated by going out to dinner. Our goal was the Number 2 restaurant in Athens with its terrace view of the Acropolis. Who knew it would be closed on Mondays! Don't worry- we ended up at THE Acropolis Cafe, a completely deserted restaurant with a very pushy waiter:" YOU," he says point at me "come play piano." Despite my protests I found myself playing what I remembered of Beauty and the Beast from my third-grade piano recital. Michelle was chosen next and we played a lovely rendition of Heart and Soul. Apparently we were expected to earn our dinner. We finally tried ouzo and had a delicious greek meal.
Tuesday was spent doing last minute shopping. In the evening we met as a group one last time (minus Kate and Garrett who are in Cairo and Charlie who was in Istanbul). We talked about our favorite memories and watched a wonderful slide show Mary put together. We then went out to dinner with some of the CYA staff. I admit I was getting a little teary...
Wednesday was our Greek Literature exam which turned out to be about 200 times more difficult than anyone was expecting. We were expected to define 15 of 20 possible terms: most of us made up ridiculous answers and some even wrote in their own terms and defined them. Sorry Anne! No amount of studying could have prepared us for that impossibility. We needed a pick me up so Michelle, Shannon, Jess, and I got our last gyros. That night several of us watched A Christmas Story to get in the spirit and finally enjoy that we have no more homework!
Today, Michelle and I went to Public- a coffee shop overlooking Syntagma Square and Parliament. It was quite the view (unfortunately I couldn't get a good shot of it). We packed up everything for the last time. Tonight was the CYA farewell party. What a blast! They played Christmas music and good dancing tunes. We got the dancing started and had the whole CSBSJU group dancing away to Party Rock and Waka Waka. It was so much fun! We all said goodbye to Jean and the girls, each other and to our CYA friends (I am proud to say no tears).
Then it was final packing, showering, and resting. It will be a looooong flight home tomorrow!
It is hard to believe I return to the States tomorrow. You would think by now I would be a pro at transitions (Lord knows I am an expert at packing all my belongings into that backpack). As excited as I am to be home, it is definitely a bittersweet feeling leaving Athens and mostly leaving this group and Europe.
This week has been a struggle between balancing final exams and final moments with the group. Monday was our Art History final and my apartment and Michael celebrated by going out to dinner. Our goal was the Number 2 restaurant in Athens with its terrace view of the Acropolis. Who knew it would be closed on Mondays! Don't worry- we ended up at THE Acropolis Cafe, a completely deserted restaurant with a very pushy waiter:" YOU," he says point at me "come play piano." Despite my protests I found myself playing what I remembered of Beauty and the Beast from my third-grade piano recital. Michelle was chosen next and we played a lovely rendition of Heart and Soul. Apparently we were expected to earn our dinner. We finally tried ouzo and had a delicious greek meal.
 |
| Michelle about to start Heart and Soul |
Wednesday was our Greek Literature exam which turned out to be about 200 times more difficult than anyone was expecting. We were expected to define 15 of 20 possible terms: most of us made up ridiculous answers and some even wrote in their own terms and defined them. Sorry Anne! No amount of studying could have prepared us for that impossibility. We needed a pick me up so Michelle, Shannon, Jess, and I got our last gyros. That night several of us watched A Christmas Story to get in the spirit and finally enjoy that we have no more homework!
Today, Michelle and I went to Public- a coffee shop overlooking Syntagma Square and Parliament. It was quite the view (unfortunately I couldn't get a good shot of it). We packed up everything for the last time. Tonight was the CYA farewell party. What a blast! They played Christmas music and good dancing tunes. We got the dancing started and had the whole CSBSJU group dancing away to Party Rock and Waka Waka. It was so much fun! We all said goodbye to Jean and the girls, each other and to our CYA friends (I am proud to say no tears).
 |
| Last night in Athens! |
Then it was final packing, showering, and resting. It will be a looooong flight home tomorrow!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Cramming the Last Bit of Fun into the Semester
I had to resist making a super depressing title like "the beginning of the end" or "don't cry because it's over- smile because it happened." I wanted to, but instead of focusing on all the sad things and counting all the lasts, I have decided to focus on the highlights from the last week.
Monday we got back to Athens and didn't have class until later. We had literature with Anne in the CYA lunch room. Since we were reading the Bacchae, we had our last class with wine and snacks. I can honestly say I have never had wine while in class before... It was a very strange feeling.
After Jean's class on Tuesday, the History group went to the Acropolis and several of us tagged along. Finally, in our second to last week we made it up to see the Parthenon in all its glory (once you get past all the scaffolding). It is quite magnificent.
Wednesday was less exciting and filled with homework. On Thursday, Michelle and I finally went up to the park around the Marble Stadium by CYA. If I liked running, it really would be a beautiful place to go. A lovely view of the Acropolis and St. George.
Speaking of St. George- that night a group of us made the hike up to it to watch the sunset. Boy was it worth it! Seeing the sun go down behind the Parthenon and the city light up was breathtaking (as was the hike up.. but that's mostly because I am out of shape). Up high where I could see the sea and the surrounding mountains, I found myself finally feeling some of that love I felt for Rome for Athens. It's a shame it came at the very end.
Friday was our last trip to the market. We stocked up on pomegranates and sesame seed covered peanuts. Michelle, Jess, Drew and I then went to Plaka for last minute gifts. Wow those shop owners were chatty! One lady talked to us for probably 20 minutes about everything from celebrity gossip to the economic issues: "I hope you are clever like Jennifer Lopez..." It was a strange conversation indeed
This weekend has been full of studying and journaling, but yesterday we took a break to go to the Boy Scout Christmas Bazaar. It was a very strange feeling listening to Christmas music while standing under a fully loaded orange tree.
That night we finally had a toga party, as all real college kids should- especially those living in Greece. It was a blast, a little annoying to make up the bed again...
The next five days will be filled with stress and studying and saying goodbyes. Hopefully it wont go by too fast!
Monday we got back to Athens and didn't have class until later. We had literature with Anne in the CYA lunch room. Since we were reading the Bacchae, we had our last class with wine and snacks. I can honestly say I have never had wine while in class before... It was a very strange feeling.
After Jean's class on Tuesday, the History group went to the Acropolis and several of us tagged along. Finally, in our second to last week we made it up to see the Parthenon in all its glory (once you get past all the scaffolding). It is quite magnificent.
 |
| A little bit windy |
Wednesday was less exciting and filled with homework. On Thursday, Michelle and I finally went up to the park around the Marble Stadium by CYA. If I liked running, it really would be a beautiful place to go. A lovely view of the Acropolis and St. George.
 |
| View of the Acropolis and the Stadium |
 |
| St. George |
 |
| I think I will miss Athens more than I realize |
 |
| I will miss the market quite a bit |
This weekend has been full of studying and journaling, but yesterday we took a break to go to the Boy Scout Christmas Bazaar. It was a very strange feeling listening to Christmas music while standing under a fully loaded orange tree.
 |
| I needed a break from my journaling |
 |
| It was quite warm outside for a holiday bazaar |
 |
| Wearing black and scarves... we planned it |
That night we finally had a toga party, as all real college kids should- especially those living in Greece. It was a blast, a little annoying to make up the bed again...
 |
| Toga! |
The next five days will be filled with stress and studying and saying goodbyes. Hopefully it wont go by too fast!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Why Everything In Turkey Was A Delight
Well except for actual turkish delight- I was not a fan. But everything else was absolutely AMAZING.
SIDE NOTE: I knew it was going to be a good weekend when I took money out of the ATM to find that about 2 Lira was $1. So for the first time in 3 months, things were actually cheaper than they looked. Our constant refrain was: "Cut that in half!!!!" Entrance fee 10 lira? "Cut that in half- that's only 5 bucks!" It was awesome!
After a quick and easy flight Friday morning 16 of the 20 of us arrived in Istanbul (the other four girls had arrived earlier in the day). Friday was mostly spent wandering around and taking in view. We went to the Blue Mosque where we watched a free presentation on Islam and the Blue Mosque (officially called Sultanahmet Mosque) built between 1609 and 1616. It was wonderful! Afterwards we took our shoes off and went inside for a look. It was a striking contrast to the many Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches we have seen. No icons, but instead there was writing and intricate designs. It was beautiful.
That night all 20 of us went to tea and dinner and tried some Turkish Delight (mmmm not a fan). But turkish tea on the other hand is delicious- especially the apple. I must have gotten five cups all weekend. It was a large but very fun group of people. I was two-thirds of our group could make the trip, but we did miss those who weren't able to be there.
Saturday we had breakfast on the terrace of our hostel to stock up on energy before a day full of shopping. Our first stop: the Grand Bazaar. Lanterns, scarves, bowls, thimbles, rugs, jewelry- you name it! It was definitely sensory overload, but an excellent place for some Christmas shopping! We then went to the Spice Bazaar which had mostly dried fruits, spices, and different teas. It smelled heavenly!
After we'd shopped there was no time for dropping- we had some sights to see. The Basilica Cistern was built in the 500s for water needs. From the outside it sort of looked like people were just in line for a public restroom, but it was mind blowing after going down into it! It was beautiful and looked very mystical. One of the coolest things in Istanbul and I had no idea it even existed!
We went to the Hagia Sophia after that- a very cool building. It is such a mash-up of Greek Orthodox and Islam. Several times Derek, Andrew, Drew, and I just sat in awe of how impressive it all was. Later that night we played cards and had tea on the terrace and had dinner as a group afterwards.
After breakfast on Sunday a few of us went to coffee in a really cute place with handmade beanbags. We were about to leave when the waiter told us there were ruins underneath that we should check out. Sure enough, 5 minutes later we found ourselves standing in the midst of a Roman Palace. It was quite the surprise!
For lunch we took a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul (the official continental divide between Europe and Asia slices right through Istanbul). It was pretty uneventful, the food was delicious, but really the coolest thing was just adding "in Asia" at the end of everything we said. "Just eating lunch... IN ASIA" "Exploring... IN ASIA" "Looking for a bathroom... IN ASIA." I suppose that alone was worth the trip.
Megan Levis, Mary and I grabbed some turkish gelato (not as strong of a flavor, but almost a taffy-like texture that was super fun to play with ). We then joined the whole group for some more tea, got falafel for dinner, and called it an early night. 11 of us had to catch a shuttle at 5:50 this morning to catch our flight.
Everything went swimmingly until we caught our taxi to head back to our apartment. Kate, Katie, Megan Levis, and I arrived right by our apartment. The taxi service has a flat rate from the airport of 35 euro, but this driver was asking for 48. We tried arguing but he said "with toll and luggage" (we know for a fact toll is only 3 euro and taxi drivers normally don't request that and we only had our small backpacks). Katie and Kate both put in 20 but the driver suddenly was holding a 20 and a 5. He had switched one of the 20s for a 5 and hoped we wouldn't notice. When we called him out on it, he yelled at us to get out of the cab. Quite a stressful way to end, but if that was the worst thing of the weekend, I would say it was a success!
SIDE NOTE: I knew it was going to be a good weekend when I took money out of the ATM to find that about 2 Lira was $1. So for the first time in 3 months, things were actually cheaper than they looked. Our constant refrain was: "Cut that in half!!!!" Entrance fee 10 lira? "Cut that in half- that's only 5 bucks!" It was awesome!
After a quick and easy flight Friday morning 16 of the 20 of us arrived in Istanbul (the other four girls had arrived earlier in the day). Friday was mostly spent wandering around and taking in view. We went to the Blue Mosque where we watched a free presentation on Islam and the Blue Mosque (officially called Sultanahmet Mosque) built between 1609 and 1616. It was wonderful! Afterwards we took our shoes off and went inside for a look. It was a striking contrast to the many Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches we have seen. No icons, but instead there was writing and intricate designs. It was beautiful.
 |
| Presentation with free snacks |
 |
| So beautiful |
 |
| Praying |
 |
| From the outside |
Saturday we had breakfast on the terrace of our hostel to stock up on energy before a day full of shopping. Our first stop: the Grand Bazaar. Lanterns, scarves, bowls, thimbles, rugs, jewelry- you name it! It was definitely sensory overload, but an excellent place for some Christmas shopping! We then went to the Spice Bazaar which had mostly dried fruits, spices, and different teas. It smelled heavenly!
 |
| The Grand Bazaar |
 |
| Beautiful dried fruit |
After we'd shopped there was no time for dropping- we had some sights to see. The Basilica Cistern was built in the 500s for water needs. From the outside it sort of looked like people were just in line for a public restroom, but it was mind blowing after going down into it! It was beautiful and looked very mystical. One of the coolest things in Istanbul and I had no idea it even existed!
 |
| Does not do it justice... |
We went to the Hagia Sophia after that- a very cool building. It is such a mash-up of Greek Orthodox and Islam. Several times Derek, Andrew, Drew, and I just sat in awe of how impressive it all was. Later that night we played cards and had tea on the terrace and had dinner as a group afterwards.
 |
| Hagia Sophia |
 |
| One Massive Building |
After breakfast on Sunday a few of us went to coffee in a really cute place with handmade beanbags. We were about to leave when the waiter told us there were ruins underneath that we should check out. Sure enough, 5 minutes later we found ourselves standing in the midst of a Roman Palace. It was quite the surprise!
 |
| What started as a normal coffee date with Maggie, Kelly and others... |
 |
| turned into an adventure! |
For lunch we took a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul (the official continental divide between Europe and Asia slices right through Istanbul). It was pretty uneventful, the food was delicious, but really the coolest thing was just adding "in Asia" at the end of everything we said. "Just eating lunch... IN ASIA" "Exploring... IN ASIA" "Looking for a bathroom... IN ASIA." I suppose that alone was worth the trip.
 |
| One last look at Europe from the ferry before lunch in Asia |
Megan Levis, Mary and I grabbed some turkish gelato (not as strong of a flavor, but almost a taffy-like texture that was super fun to play with ). We then joined the whole group for some more tea, got falafel for dinner, and called it an early night. 11 of us had to catch a shuttle at 5:50 this morning to catch our flight.
 |
| Kate Derek and Me and some apple tea |
Everything went swimmingly until we caught our taxi to head back to our apartment. Kate, Katie, Megan Levis, and I arrived right by our apartment. The taxi service has a flat rate from the airport of 35 euro, but this driver was asking for 48. We tried arguing but he said "with toll and luggage" (we know for a fact toll is only 3 euro and taxi drivers normally don't request that and we only had our small backpacks). Katie and Kate both put in 20 but the driver suddenly was holding a 20 and a 5. He had switched one of the 20s for a 5 and hoped we wouldn't notice. When we called him out on it, he yelled at us to get out of the cab. Quite a stressful way to end, but if that was the worst thing of the weekend, I would say it was a success!
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