It's time for something new.

Time is definitely flying by.  I'm now in Roma & completely in love already.

To rewind a little, my last two weeks in Athens went really great.  That place left me with so many memories that I'll never forgot.  I had one of the best Theology professors of my life who constantly challenged me, I grew closer to the wonderful people in my group, BUNGEE JUMPED, traveled to Delphi with my hysterical History professor, and made two unforgettable Greek friends.

To elaborate, bungee jumping was freakin' awesome.  Me and three other brave souls traveled to the Corinth Canal to take the plunge.  It was a very spontaneous decision but its been something I've always wanted to do.  Plus doing it in a canal in Greece wasn't a bad addition.  I was extremely nervous, yes, but it was so worth it.  Only strapped at our feet, we stepped to the edge of the platform, spread our arms and as the assistants count down from five, prepared to dive off.  This was the point in which I was most nervous.  The free fall was really only 4 seconds, but that is more than enough time to be terrified.  As the rope catches, you swing back and forth for no longer than a minute, but the view is incredible.  I would say this is definitely one of the craziest things I've done, but also the most worth it!

Isn't this beautiful?

Aaaand here we go!

We did it!

Our last week in Athens, we got to know Alex, a girl around our age who helps at CYA (our school) from time to time.  She made an authentic Greek meal at our apartment for me and my roommates!  Not only was it delicious, but really fun!  Another one of her friends, Nikos, came over and we played cards and had awesome conversation.  The next day, Nikos invited us over to his parents' house for lunch.  Ohhhh my goodness, one of the best experiences ever.  His parents couldn't really speak English, but they were phenomenal people.  I felt as if I had known them for years.  We were given soooo much food, including 3 incredible desserts and champagne.  As soon as our plates would begin to empty, they'd quickly add more food and encourage us to eat and drink more.  We were stuffffffed.  This experience added so much to my Greek experience.  They were so welcoming and with hardly knowing us, showed us such love.  I couldn't help but feel completely blessed the whole time.  Greeks are freakin' wonderful.  Oh and btdubs, riding in an actual car is way awesome.  Definitely better than being a pedestrian in Athens.

Our last few days in Athens were quite stressful, but still very enjoyable.  The city went through a 48 hour strike that was definitely an experience for us.  Down in Syntagma, one of the main squares, protestors in the thousands came and caused quite the violence and trouble with the police.  This affected all of us because the Air-traffic controllers were on strike, thus canceling the majority of our flights out.  My group was one that was affected and instead of flying out on Thursday like we originally had planned, we weren't able to leave until Friday, the 21st.  Though this wasn't much of a difference, it was definitely a hassle to change things and get our new plans organized.  Nevertheless, Athens was an awesome experience.

I have so many memories that I'll never forget and Athens is like nothing I've experienced.  Though the country is going through a lot of difficulties and their economy is really struggling, I feel very fortunate to have witnessed it and Greece itself is an amazing country.  The people are hilarious; always loud and invading your personal space.  Everyone is slow going; enjoying their lazy afternoons and living life for people and conversation.  These economical troubles are hard for them, but they try to see it in a positive light while always being hopeful.  Greeks reminded me of the importance of relationships and how people exceed everything else.  People are what truly make you happy, anyway.  I am so thankful that I was able to spend 7 weeks there.  I will miss Greece, its people, its beauty and all of the incredible memories.  Time for Roma :)

God bless!