10 Things I (Already) Love About Greece
I've been in Greece less than a month and I've already created so many memories and have had so many wonderful experiences. Below is a list of my top 10 favorite things about this country...
1. The Food
Greek food is definitely some of the best food I've ever had. I love the meat, the pastries, and the fresh produce used by pretty much all of the restaurants. The prices are so great, too! I can eat a full meal that completely fills me up for under 2.5€ (about $2.80). Needless to say, I eat out a lot. I've had gyros (of course), Greek salads, chocolate croissants, spanakopita (spinach pie), freshly made Greek donuts, and baklava, but my favorite would have to be pastitsio. It's pretty much the Greek version of lasagna, but better, and I love it! The desserts here are also amazing. One of my favorite restaurants down the street from us serves desserts, for free, at the end of every meal and they're all so good. And, I have to say I like the way chocolate tastes here better than in the states.
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2. The People
Everyone is very friendly here. Strangers have stopped to give me directions and to help me figure out the transportation system. The Greek students will come up and talk to me just because we have similar interests like photography or swimming. One girl in particular has made the biggest impact on me. This is Neya (pictured below). We instantly became friends as soon as we met, and she even spent her whole Saturday showing me her favorite places in Athens! She also helps me study for my Greek language class. I'm so grateful for her friendship.
3. The Water
The Mediterranean Sea is beautiful! The water is stunningly clear with mixed colors of blue and turquoise. It's also very salty which makes for easy swimming and floating without a raft. I'm happy my roommate, Katie (pictured below), found these broken goggles so I could enjoy the perfect snorkeling conditions in Greece.
4. The Weather
The weather is for the most part terrific. I find myself saying "it's nice out today" a lot here. Athens (and the islands) is generally sunny, sometimes humid, but always has a nice breeze throughout the day. (Grace is pictured below.)
5. The Scenery
The views are especially gorgeous from up on a hill overlooking the city in Athens or on an island with the ocean within sight. I love exploring this country and its diverse scenery. My favorite so far has been the dreamy sunsets every evening.
6. The Transportation System
It's honestly an adventure in itself. I thought I had mastered the metro from the other cities I've been to in Europe (like London and Barcelona), but it's a lot different when the language is far from familiar. Plus I have to take at least three different forms of transportation to get anywhere other than school, sometimes even more! I'm starting to feel more confident on how to get a few places though. It is definitely convenient when I don't end up getting lost.
7. The Activities
I love how much there is to do here: island hopping, going to the beach, cliff jumping, swimming, hiking, site seeing, and more. There's never a boring day when you're living in an exciting new place.
8. The School
Deree - The American College of Greece has definitely exceeded my expectations. It has everything I could ever want from an Olympic-size swimming pool (that Michael Phelps himself has swam in) to small class sizes (which is wonderful compared to the 150+ students I'm used to in my lecture halls at NAU). And the cafeteria has delicious food, which is obviously very important to me. (Marleigh is pictured below.)
9. The Architecture
The buildings are modern and beautiful in my area of Athens called Agia Paraskevi (Αγία Παρασκευή). And downtown Athens has the structures Greece is known for - the Ancient Agora, the Erechtheion, and of course the Parthenon all in or around the Acropolis. Lucky for us, the weekend we went to see these famous monuments, also happened to be a free admission day (which saved us over 25€ in entrance fees). This did make it more crowded of course, but totally worth it in the money we saved!
10. The Culture
Basically I just love everything about Greece - the language, the people, the 4 course meals, the punctuality (or lack there of), and so much more. I could not have chosen a better country to study abroad in.
