γειά σου — that means “hello” in Greek. It also is the extent of my knowledge of the language here, which makes ordering coffee, finding the bathroom and not looking like a total imbecile to the locals a little difficult, but we’re all taking it one day at a time. There’s something to be said for the confidence you feel when you correctly pronounce “gyro” for the first time.
It’s almost as difficult as trying to wrap up these first few days in Porto Rafti in one blog post, but again, I’ll try my best. There are a few key moments that stand out in defining what is the beginning of this adventure abroad. You’ve heard endless accounts of your friends who have all studied abroad, and maybe you’ve even studied abroad yourself, so I’ll save you the repetitive details that you’ve already watched in some video in chapel and get to the good stuff.
Now, as I’m sitting here on the balcony of my room in the Artemis, basking in the sunlight and general splendor of not being in Searcy, I’m trying to think of a few things I’ve learned since embarking on this Grecian escapade.
Lesson No. 1: Leave your comfort zone behind, because you probably won’t be needing it here. They warn you of this to an extent, but I’ve found that it doesn’t mean adjusting to the food or the culture—that part is easy. The food is fantastic (for real—”study abroad” is just a code. What they’re really selling is an extended “food-cation.” No complaints here.) and the culture, from what I’ve seen so far, is exquisite. The real absence in comfort comes from initially realizing that whether you like it or not, these people are your new family. You’ll laugh, cry and look ugly most of the time with them for the next couple of months, so it’s best to just accept it. To sum it up — we’re all Artemisfits and we’re all in this together.
Lesson No. 2: You really don’t know anything. I’ve never been so frustrated with the fact that I’m not already brilliant. You tour places like the Acropolis and learn about the Parthenon and other incredible structures and it really is amazing. There’s so much more than what’s right in front of you and every single day I realize I don’t know a thing. There’s so much to learn and so much to see, and it’s almost shameful to realize you’ve lived your entire life without knowing some of this stuff.
Lesson No. 3: There’s something lacking and there’s something extra. Sometimes it’s easy to look around and think about what we’re missing from America and about all the small conveniences and luxuries (and most importantly, a better toilet paper situation) but there are so many things here that we don’t have in America — it’s just adopting new priorities and appreciations. Now, you can ask any previous HUG’ger and they’ll tell you about the toilet paper woes, but we’ll save those details for another time. I’m talking about living a little off-brand for a while and instead of seeing everything as a substitution for what we have back home, accepting what they have here and considering it as more than just adequate. Not just in things you eat or buy, but in the way you live out your time here. Breaking out of the routine and embracing this new schedule and new lifestyle for what it is and not expecting it to be like home. It’s growth — plain and simple.
It’s been the longest and shortest week of my life, and I hope the rest of the semester continues to feel that way. There are rumors of our trip to Israel next week, but until then, it will just be classes, trips to Athens and exploring more of Porto Rafti. Not to mention, we are discovering more of the bizarre artifacts you find in the Artemis, including but not limited to a functional rotary dial telephone, several terra cotta pieces from previous digs and random framed photos of Hillary Duff.
Until next time, I hope Searcy life still goes on without me and you all don’t miss me too much.
I’m optimistic.
