Glorious Week

Monday I barely got any sleep. Up at 7 to go to the immigration office and get my extended visa approved. Greece I tell ya. The girls and I enjoyed ourselves while observing the wonders of a government office in Greece. It looked kinda like a dirty, florescent version of basically no government office in the United States.
After our visas were approved (yes can stay for longer then 90 days now!!) Jayna and I trekked it to the Acropolis Metro for our Greek Key walk. Our Greek key class is a really cool class that isnt really a class? its more of a freshmen (or freshmen in greece) seminar. Anyway we hate on it all the time because it is very horribly organized. Only meets once every three weeks or so, random assignments due without explanation, and no comment if you never show up or turn anything in. But they are really cool walks around different neighborhoods and areas of Athens. Anyway it was only 4 of us and Maria and we climbed the Philoppapos Hill and sat up there and talked about maps and memories and other things. It was awesome. Then I got pooped on by a bird.

After I showered and napped before class. In Aegean we were suppose to do stuff, but 3 of the 6 students didnt show up and Demetra started talking to us and we kinda forgot to start class. It was the best class I've had since coming to Athens. We talked about history and anthropology and the humanities and what archaeology tells us. We talked about how being from America changes how we look at the generalizations that archaeology makes. It is a concept I have such a hard time understanding. How can one clue mean everyone was the same? I come from a culture of billions of thoughts, expressions, religions and attitudes, it is hard to imagine a society where everybody is practically the same. It gives me the motivation to look deeper into the society at hand. We talked about the importance of a well rounded education and how even if we never do anything again with archaeology or history, it had aided in our global education. "Even coming here to Greece," she said. We then got lost in the tangent of living abroad. Demetra lived in Edinburgh for 6 years while getting her Masters and PHD so she understands the difficulties and adventures of living in a place so unlike your home. We talked about that tiny stress sometimes on your shoulders where you dont get "it", the code or way of life because you are essentially not quite a tourist, but not a native. We talked about the idea of home and how nothing gives you a feeling quite like it. The way it envelops you and makes you feel whole. But how as young adults, we search for other things besides this feeling. Adventure, knowledge, wisdom, ourselves. We live and all the things we learn about a place teach us more and more about ourselves. We talked about everything is seems. Everything relevant, everything that matters.

After class I had to study for 2 midterms and finally passed out late, but I was so satisfied. Complete and happy. I thought this morning about how Demetra said its not liking something, or disliking something, its understanding it, understanding ourselves, others, cultures, societies and places. Its not about loving a place, its about loving what it teaches you, how you leave it, and what you see when you return home. Its about loving the change that surrounds you. I love the change. I love everything.