I was told, before the trip, that this month would go by so fast. While it is unbelievable that it is already January 30th, I don't feel as though time went by fast. As I've already mentioned in previous blogs, my sense of time has been a bit skewed since my arrival in Greece due to my lack of cellphone. I would go as far as to say I had absolutely no sense of time while in Greece and this was the greatest blessing. I am sad to leave and, again, in disbelief that our departure home is so soon but I do not feel cheated. I do not feel as though it went by too fast. Everything about this trip was perfect, even the "time" spent here.
So how do I capture a moment of Greece when it's all been so seamless to me? How does one pinpoint an experience without the aid of time?
Remember this? We're going to go full circle here. Brace yourself!
In the exhaustion of travel and the sickness that threatened to (and eventually) took over my body, it hadn't really hit me that we'd landed in Greece. If you recall it took the Acropolis of Athens (pictured above) for reality to hit me. Greece. I remember the feeling of the smile that appeared on my face, automatic and sincere. Despite my lack of sleep and my body's unwillingness to do anything but sleep, I was ecstatic to be standing in Greece, so close to the Parthenon.
Ironically, it wasn't until this last Saturday that we saw the Acropolis of Athens up close. After everything else we'd been through, it wasn't until then that I confronted, head on, the origin of my acceptance of Greece as a reality. This is what I saw, through sleepless eyes, that made everything feel so real. Twenty-one days later, there I was.
It's hard to define this trip in one moment. Although the Acropolis of Athens might be the closest I'll get, there's so much to tell! I saw ruins (and never got tired of seeing them!), I spoke to the locals, I ate the food, and loved every minute. If that wasn't enough, I made new friends along the way. All of these treasured moments in Greece wouldn't have been the same without them. No matter who I was hanging out with in this amazing group of people, I was having fun. Everyone brought something unique to the experience. When we arrive back in Washington I will still think of them as my Greece friends. There's a bond there that will remain as long as we keep it in our hearts.
I cannot call this trip a moment. I cannot say that the title of this blog is accurate in any sense. This was a life experience, this was a soul searching quest, this was a month of laughter and awe. To call any part of it a mere "moment" would be a lie and a dishonor to the experience.
This was a month's worth of journeys, adventures, meals, stairs, recovery, inspiration, and falling in love with everything Greek. And I will never forget it.
<3Christine
So how do I capture a moment of Greece when it's all been so seamless to me? How does one pinpoint an experience without the aid of time?
In the exhaustion of travel and the sickness that threatened to (and eventually) took over my body, it hadn't really hit me that we'd landed in Greece. If you recall it took the Acropolis of Athens (pictured above) for reality to hit me. Greece. I remember the feeling of the smile that appeared on my face, automatic and sincere. Despite my lack of sleep and my body's unwillingness to do anything but sleep, I was ecstatic to be standing in Greece, so close to the Parthenon.
Ironically, it wasn't until this last Saturday that we saw the Acropolis of Athens up close. After everything else we'd been through, it wasn't until then that I confronted, head on, the origin of my acceptance of Greece as a reality. This is what I saw, through sleepless eyes, that made everything feel so real. Twenty-one days later, there I was.
This was a month's worth of journeys, adventures, meals, stairs, recovery, inspiration, and falling in love with everything Greek. And I will never forget it.
<3Christine
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