Well my time here in Greece is wrapping up. I will be home Saturday night. As much as I am excited to come home and see everyone, I am so devastated leaving here. I have had the best experience ever and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am so grateful to have had such a blessed experience and I will miss everything about Greece and the amazing people I have met. I have the travel bug and I just want to travel everywhere! I did a lot of traveling here, which I am very thankful I was able to do so but I also did experience the Greek culture, too. It is very different than back in the States but I am used to it now and that is what I have been living like for months now. However, when I get home I will probably experience culture shock from the differences. I really do love it really and I can't wait to come back someday. I will miss it a lot.
Anyways, I did travel to one of my dream destinations, which was PARIS! It was so gorgeous. It is literally the city of love. Everywhere I looked was couples and people hugging and holding one another. It was very cute and romantic. I went to Paris on Wednesday, November 27, 2013. We arrived at night. We found our hostel after the plane and got ready to go to the Eiffel Tower! However, our hostel was very interesting to say the least. Very different than any of the hostels I stayed at. Two nights was plenty at that hostel. I wouldn't have wanted to stay longer. But it was definitely an experience. Anyways, we went to the Eiffel Tower and went to the top at night. It was a breathtaking view of the city and everything was lit up. So gorgeous. Words can't describe how beautiful it was. We enjoyed a night around the Eiffel Tower and relaxed. It was just so relaxing and fun to look at the Eiffel Tower shining and lit up! Every hour the Eiffel Tower will sparkle which is also very awesome! The next day we woke up and it was Thanksgiving. It was so sad not to be home with my family but I had such an amazing day that if I wasn't with my family, I wouldn't have spent it any other day! We got up and went right back to the Eiffel Tower. We just couldn't get enough of it! We went by the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower and took millions of pictures. I don't think we took enough.. lol However, the lawn was blocked off for some reason. We aren't sure why but we still got great pictures! After the Eiffel Tower we did a Hop-Oh Hop-Off tour around the city of Paris. We went to Musee Du Lourve which is where the 3 pyramids are that have water surrounding them. Super cool! Then we went under the pyramid and there is a museum there. We walked through the museum and saw the real Mona Lisa. Very cool. I thought it was going to be bigger but it was still very interesting. Also, looking at all the other works of art was awesome! Near the Lourve is also the lock bridge where many people go with their significant other and lock a lock on the bridge and throw the key in the water and it means they will be together forever! It was very cool and it looked awesome! There were SOO many locks! I hope one day I will be able to do that! Then we went to the cathedral of Notre-Dame! So big. The staid glass inside was very intricate and gorgeous! Then we went to the Opera house. Also, very decorative and big. We were able to get a sneak peak of the dancers practicing on stage. We were going to go to the show but it wasn't the night we were there so we were bummed. But it would be cool to attend one. Finally, we went to Champs Elysees which is like a big monument that looks like a bridge. It was very cool. And it was perfect because it was by all the shops :) We then treated ourselves to a great dinner since it was Thanksgiving. We splurged a little. I ended up having honey duck with potatoes which was amazing. Very different than the traditional turkey dinner but it was very good.
After Paris, we left the next morning to go to Brussels, Belgium! The city of chocolate and beer. We went on a chocolate tour through Godiva and tasted many different kinds of amazing chocolate and were able to make our own! To say the least, I got chocolate wasted! lol. I have never been so full from chocolate in my life!!! We then found some "American" looking food, finally, and went to the Hard Rock Café, which was nice to finally have familiar food. They are also known for French Fries, so of course we had to try those! We were pretty exhausted from Paris so we went back to the hostel early and took a nap until like 10. And then we decided to get a few bottles of wine and hang out in the hostel and have a few drinks. It was relaxing and so fun!
We then got up the next morning and got on a train to Amsterdam. Wow, so much traveling in so little time! We got to Amsterdam like midday so we weren't able to do much. We went to the Anne Frank house, which was so intriguing and interesting. It wasn't her original house, it is the Annex where her family hid out during the time Hitler was getting rid of the Jews. It is her fathers work office and they couldn't talk all day or make movement. They didn't want anyone to know they were hiding out there. They had someone bring them food and another family living with them to hide out for protection. They had black cloth hung up in the windows so the rooms would be very dark so no one would see them during the day. Also, the original book case was still there and when you move the book case, it led you to the Secret Annex where they lived. It was so great seeing that and it makes me think how thankful and free my life is! So blessed. Well, we were in Amsterdam so I did go to a coffee shop. Very funny day to say the least. But later on I did go on a canal pizza tour. So relaxing and pretty. All the lights were lit up, especially more because of Christmas time. We went back to the hostel and got up in the morning and came back home to Greece!
Well, I did take another mini trip in Greece to Meteora where a lot of preserved monasteries are. Also, the rocks there are awesome! The highest mountain one is 630m high. It was very nerve racking standing on top of the mountains and looking down because it was so high up!! But it was a great view. When we went into the monasteries we had to wear a skirt and be covered. Even though I was wearing pants I still had to put the skirt on. It was very interesting, I had to walk down a lot of stairs and cross mountains and then walk up a bunch of stairs because the monasteries are on the top of the mountains so it was a lot of stairs! It was very cold this day too and it was snowing! I never thought it would snow in Greece! After I saw two monasteries I toured a cave that was aged back to the Paleolithic period and there were bones found in there and foot prints. Super cool! Then we were able to walk around the town and have some tradition Greek food and relax and play some cards before our 5 hour train ride back to Athens. It was my last trip around in Greece. So sad!
Anyways, those have been my past two weeks. Now its study time for my finals!! Ooohh, I did go to this really cool chemisty bar and I had a bubble shot. Like it was in a bubble, it was very cool! Anyways thanks for keeping up with my blogs :) See everyone soon!!
Kayla
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Crete and Italy
Well the past couple weeks flew by! Time is starting to dwindle down and I will be home in 19 days. It is crazy how time flies. I sure will miss this place but I am excited to come home and see all my family and friends and enjoy the holidays with them.
From November 8-10th I spend my time in the beautiful island of Crete. The island is so big we definitely weren't there long enough to see everything but we did make our time there well worth it. We stayed in a youth hostel in Rethymino which was an hour away from the port, Chania. We took an overnight ferry on Friday night that was 9 hours long but it flew by because I slept pretty much the whole time. However, we almost missed our ship and we found ourselves running from the metro all the way to the port. Lets just say we barely made it! We now allow ourselves plenty of time to travel! Anyways, we arrived at our hostel at about 7:30 am and everything was closed except a small bakery where we enjoyed fresh pastries. Then we checked into our hostel, which was definitely not as nice as the other ones we were fortunate enough to stay at, but then we enjoyed all the shops in Rethymino. The streets were small, just like Italy, and shops very close to each other. By the time we were done shopping, we realized we still had plenty of time to explore. So we got on a bus and went to the Knosos Palace which was an hour away in Iraklio. We went to the huge palace which took us a couple hours to walk around because it was so big!! Then we had a late lunch on this restaurant ship on the water. It was a gorgeous view and very relaxing! Then we went back to Rethymino and relaxed the rest of the night. We got up Sunday and it was gorgeous outside so we went to the beach all day and got a little bit of last minute sun for awhile now. Then we got on our ferry Sunday night that left at 9pm and arrived back in Athens at 6am. We definitely did not have nearly enough time to see the island but I would recommend to go visit there. Its very gorgeous and a lot to do and see there!
From November 15-18 I was lucky enough to spend it in the wonderful country of Italy! It has always been one of my dreams to go there and it was everything and more that I was hoping for! I flew into Rome and took a train to Florence that same night. I stayed with a friend in her apartment which was great because then she took us around Florence the next day and was our mini tour guide for the day. The night we got there we ordered pizza, of course, which was delicious and then she took us to a little bar to get a beer. I ran into a friend from high school, which was crazy because I wasn't expecting it at all, but it was nice to see a familiar face! However, we didn't stay out late because we had a long day the next day. We got up early and I got some hot chocolate which tasted like hot pudding. So delicious! Then it felt like we walked around the city like 15 times because we walked so much. lol but it was worth it! We saw the David by Michelangelo, the real one and the many others around the city, went to the rose garden, walked by the river, did some shopping, saw all of the squares, and the Duomo. We went inside the Duomo cathederal and it was gorgeous and huge! We were going to walk up the Duomo but by the time we were going to do it we were exhausted from walking all day and our feet were hurting! For lunch we had more pizza and dinner I had pasta. I can't get enough of how delicious those two meals were! We stayed one more night at the apartment and got up early Sunday to catch a train to Rome. In Rome we did a Hop On Hop Off tour which was very informative and great. We learned about everything in the short amount of time being there and also were able to see it on the bus. However, we didn't get to explore every stop of the tour so we got a close view of the Vatican and we were going to go to the basilica but the line was way too long for the amount of time we had there. So we walked to the museum where the Sistine Chapel was but we got there and it ended up being closed because it was a Sunday so now I wish I stood in that line. But oh well, I will be back. Then we went to the Trevi Fountain and made some wishes. And we also went to the Colloseum and got a great view of that. We got on a plane Monday morning and headed back to Greece. I can't wait to go back to Italy though and explore a lot more!
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!
:) Kayla
From November 8-10th I spend my time in the beautiful island of Crete. The island is so big we definitely weren't there long enough to see everything but we did make our time there well worth it. We stayed in a youth hostel in Rethymino which was an hour away from the port, Chania. We took an overnight ferry on Friday night that was 9 hours long but it flew by because I slept pretty much the whole time. However, we almost missed our ship and we found ourselves running from the metro all the way to the port. Lets just say we barely made it! We now allow ourselves plenty of time to travel! Anyways, we arrived at our hostel at about 7:30 am and everything was closed except a small bakery where we enjoyed fresh pastries. Then we checked into our hostel, which was definitely not as nice as the other ones we were fortunate enough to stay at, but then we enjoyed all the shops in Rethymino. The streets were small, just like Italy, and shops very close to each other. By the time we were done shopping, we realized we still had plenty of time to explore. So we got on a bus and went to the Knosos Palace which was an hour away in Iraklio. We went to the huge palace which took us a couple hours to walk around because it was so big!! Then we had a late lunch on this restaurant ship on the water. It was a gorgeous view and very relaxing! Then we went back to Rethymino and relaxed the rest of the night. We got up Sunday and it was gorgeous outside so we went to the beach all day and got a little bit of last minute sun for awhile now. Then we got on our ferry Sunday night that left at 9pm and arrived back in Athens at 6am. We definitely did not have nearly enough time to see the island but I would recommend to go visit there. Its very gorgeous and a lot to do and see there!
From November 15-18 I was lucky enough to spend it in the wonderful country of Italy! It has always been one of my dreams to go there and it was everything and more that I was hoping for! I flew into Rome and took a train to Florence that same night. I stayed with a friend in her apartment which was great because then she took us around Florence the next day and was our mini tour guide for the day. The night we got there we ordered pizza, of course, which was delicious and then she took us to a little bar to get a beer. I ran into a friend from high school, which was crazy because I wasn't expecting it at all, but it was nice to see a familiar face! However, we didn't stay out late because we had a long day the next day. We got up early and I got some hot chocolate which tasted like hot pudding. So delicious! Then it felt like we walked around the city like 15 times because we walked so much. lol but it was worth it! We saw the David by Michelangelo, the real one and the many others around the city, went to the rose garden, walked by the river, did some shopping, saw all of the squares, and the Duomo. We went inside the Duomo cathederal and it was gorgeous and huge! We were going to walk up the Duomo but by the time we were going to do it we were exhausted from walking all day and our feet were hurting! For lunch we had more pizza and dinner I had pasta. I can't get enough of how delicious those two meals were! We stayed one more night at the apartment and got up early Sunday to catch a train to Rome. In Rome we did a Hop On Hop Off tour which was very informative and great. We learned about everything in the short amount of time being there and also were able to see it on the bus. However, we didn't get to explore every stop of the tour so we got a close view of the Vatican and we were going to go to the basilica but the line was way too long for the amount of time we had there. So we walked to the museum where the Sistine Chapel was but we got there and it ended up being closed because it was a Sunday so now I wish I stood in that line. But oh well, I will be back. Then we went to the Trevi Fountain and made some wishes. And we also went to the Colloseum and got a great view of that. We got on a plane Monday morning and headed back to Greece. I can't wait to go back to Italy though and explore a lot more!
I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!
:) Kayla
Monday, November 4, 2013
Travel Bug
Hi there everyone,
I am sorry I haven't posted anything for a really long time! However, I have been busy with a lot of traveling and I just finished my midterms which were extremely stressful but I did very well on all of them.
The last weekend in September I went to Mykonos and Santorini. I went with 9 girls including myself. It was very fun and beautiful. We took a 5 hour ferry to Mykonos but the ferry was really nice. There were couches to lay on and comfortable seats to sit and also tables to play cards or eat. It was very comfortable. We spent the night in Mykonos, which is known as a "Party Island" so yeah that was a lot of fun and then did a little souvenir shopping before we went to Santorini. The ferry from Mykonos to Santorini was about 2.5 hours so it went by very fast. Santorini is gorgeous. We went to the black sand beach and laid on the beach for awhile and then also saw the Red Sand Beach. We drove 4 wheelers to the Red Beach which was a lot of fun. Then we also went to Oia, which is in Santorini, to watch the sunset. It is the best place known to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous! Then I did some more shopping... oops! However, the ferry from Santorini to Athens was 8 hours, which was long. However, it was an overnight boat so I slept most of the time which made time go by really fast. The day I got home I was very tired though!!
My family came the next weekend from November 4-13. They stayed in Athens for 5 nights. We did a lot of exploring. We all hiked the Acropolis together and saw the Parthenon on top! Very gorgeous and had a great view of the city. We heard some demonstrations from the top of the Acropolis but found out it was a good demonstration, not a bad riot or protest. So that is always good. They took the "Hop On, Hop Off" bus which took them around the city of Athens and learned about all of the main sites and said it was very informational so if you are visiting a large city and don't have many days to explore, I would suggest taking a tour like this. You learn about everything and then you can explore the sites that most interest you or you want to see. I had class, so I didn't have the chance to do this with them. We were told to go to the town/ metro stop called Thissio and this has a great view of the acropolis at night and a lot of mini shops and so we also did that. And we were told to go to this restaurant and so we did. 3 of us ordered marinated salmon. Well when we got our salmon it was raw.. it was gross. So there are people who sell corn on the cob on the streets so I asked a guy to grill my salmon because the restaurant wouldn't. Anyways, on November 9 through the 13th we all went to Austria. We stayed in Vienna for the first two nights then went to St. Andre, which is where our ancestors are from for one night then back to Vienna for another night. We walked around downtown Vienna a lot. We visited a couple churches and saw the Stephens dome which is gorgeous. It is also pretty at night when it is all lit up. Then one day we did a city tour around Vienna and learned about many sites in Vienna. Then we got a tour of the Schönbrunn Palace which is huge and gorgeous!! The gardens on the palace are also very pretty. I wish we had more time at the palace because it was so big and intriguing but we didn't have enough time to see it all. We also did some shopping and got some fun clothes and souvenirs. I love getting clothes from different countries. Then we took a train to Gols which is the city before St. Andre and we got picked up by our ancestors and had an amazing breakfast with them at their home. It was great experience to meet them and I really would like to go back and spend some more time with them. They were very welcoming and wanted to learn about our family and vice versa. We went to a huge dinner with about 20 other people and had a real Austrian dinner and there was SOO much food!! The food was great though. But I met many people and will never forget them. The last night we were in Vienna we celebrated my birthday which was very emotional. I had some weinersnitchzel which was great and that is the food they are known for. But I was glad I was able to celebrate my birthday early with some family because I knew I wasn't going to be able to spend it with them on my real birthday.
The week I got back I had 4 midterms in one week. I was so stressed and worried about all of the midterms because I didn't know how difficult the tests were going to be and some of my professors arent the best so I was super worried. I literally studied all day everyday for that whole week. I was stressed to the max but I ended up doing very well and I guess hard work (studying) pays off!! I know I got 3 A's on my midterms but I still haven't gotten one back yet, but I feel confident that I did great on that one! So my classes are going well!
Then I had a trip with my school on October 19 to Nafplio. We toured a castle which we didn't have nearly enough time because the tour guide talked for so long and gave us little time to explore. So that was a bummer. It was a very cool castle and had a great view of the city and it was right on the water so it was very pretty. We had lunch and I tried lamb. It was OK, it reminded me a lot of pulled pork. We then went on a winery tour which I found interesting and learned a lot. I did buy two bottles of wine because they were so good. We tasted 6 different kinds but I only bought one. I am not into red wine but I do like white. Maybe one day I will like red wine.
Then it was my birthday weekend. Of course, I went out... Actually my birthday, October 28, is a holiday here in Greece. So luckily I didn't have class on my birthday either. The holiday here is called "Oxi Day" Which means "No Day" It was the Greeks saying no to Italy. I'm not quite sure exactly what it was but I know that much.. Anyways a bunch of us went downtown to this bar and it was the grand opening of the bar so there were like mini fireworks going off and dancers on platforms. It was a lot of fun!! My family sent me gorgeous flowers and huge teddy bear, which I have no idea how I am getting home!! But I loved it so much and it made me feel special even though I am half way around the world and couldn't spend it with them. And then my friends bought me some champagne and I got cake and I felt very blessed. I couldn't be more thankful for the people in my life right now and how special they made me feel.
Thennnnn.. I went to Cirque Du Soleil Dralion on October 29 with my friends Sarah and Lex. It was at the Olympic Basketball Stadium and it was awesome. They did some crazy things. This lady was balancing on a pole on one arm for awhile and there were guys walking on huge balls and doing backflips on them. Very crazy. Also, they were trampolines and they would do flips and scale a wall then fall back on the tramp. And my favorite part was when the guys made a pyramid on top of each other... they weren't kneeling on each others backs they were standing on each others backs and they were jump roping!! SUPER COOL! And of course there were the 3 comedians that were hilarious.
Finally, this past weekend I went to Crete! We took an overnight, 9 hour, ferry which was easy because I slept pretty much the whole time. We stayed in a hostel and these ones weren't so nice. We had to walk down a couple flights of stairs and outside to the showers and bathrooms. The bathrooms were shared between men and women. We had 8 beds in a tiny room but we got lucky and it was only the 3 of us girls in one room so we didn't have to share a room with anyone else. On Saturday we did a lot of shopping.. again, and then went to the Palace of Knossos. The palace was huge! We had a lot of fun roaming around the palace and taking pictures. We had lunch on a boat which is a restaurant like in a port so we were on the water. It was very cool. I had a club sandwich and it was delicious. Then on Sunday we went to the beach all day and laid out on a sandy beach. It was gorgeous. Its weird to think it is November and I was laying on the beach. Very awesome, I loved it. And of course I went swimming too. I really wish we had more time in Crete because it is too big of an island for only two days. I really would like to come back here to explore more.
I am going to Italy, France, Belgium, and Amsterdam so I won't wait this long to do another blog!! Sorry but thanks for reading!
xoxo
Kayla
I am sorry I haven't posted anything for a really long time! However, I have been busy with a lot of traveling and I just finished my midterms which were extremely stressful but I did very well on all of them.
The last weekend in September I went to Mykonos and Santorini. I went with 9 girls including myself. It was very fun and beautiful. We took a 5 hour ferry to Mykonos but the ferry was really nice. There were couches to lay on and comfortable seats to sit and also tables to play cards or eat. It was very comfortable. We spent the night in Mykonos, which is known as a "Party Island" so yeah that was a lot of fun and then did a little souvenir shopping before we went to Santorini. The ferry from Mykonos to Santorini was about 2.5 hours so it went by very fast. Santorini is gorgeous. We went to the black sand beach and laid on the beach for awhile and then also saw the Red Sand Beach. We drove 4 wheelers to the Red Beach which was a lot of fun. Then we also went to Oia, which is in Santorini, to watch the sunset. It is the best place known to watch the sunset. It was gorgeous! Then I did some more shopping... oops! However, the ferry from Santorini to Athens was 8 hours, which was long. However, it was an overnight boat so I slept most of the time which made time go by really fast. The day I got home I was very tired though!!
My family came the next weekend from November 4-13. They stayed in Athens for 5 nights. We did a lot of exploring. We all hiked the Acropolis together and saw the Parthenon on top! Very gorgeous and had a great view of the city. We heard some demonstrations from the top of the Acropolis but found out it was a good demonstration, not a bad riot or protest. So that is always good. They took the "Hop On, Hop Off" bus which took them around the city of Athens and learned about all of the main sites and said it was very informational so if you are visiting a large city and don't have many days to explore, I would suggest taking a tour like this. You learn about everything and then you can explore the sites that most interest you or you want to see. I had class, so I didn't have the chance to do this with them. We were told to go to the town/ metro stop called Thissio and this has a great view of the acropolis at night and a lot of mini shops and so we also did that. And we were told to go to this restaurant and so we did. 3 of us ordered marinated salmon. Well when we got our salmon it was raw.. it was gross. So there are people who sell corn on the cob on the streets so I asked a guy to grill my salmon because the restaurant wouldn't. Anyways, on November 9 through the 13th we all went to Austria. We stayed in Vienna for the first two nights then went to St. Andre, which is where our ancestors are from for one night then back to Vienna for another night. We walked around downtown Vienna a lot. We visited a couple churches and saw the Stephens dome which is gorgeous. It is also pretty at night when it is all lit up. Then one day we did a city tour around Vienna and learned about many sites in Vienna. Then we got a tour of the Schönbrunn Palace which is huge and gorgeous!! The gardens on the palace are also very pretty. I wish we had more time at the palace because it was so big and intriguing but we didn't have enough time to see it all. We also did some shopping and got some fun clothes and souvenirs. I love getting clothes from different countries. Then we took a train to Gols which is the city before St. Andre and we got picked up by our ancestors and had an amazing breakfast with them at their home. It was great experience to meet them and I really would like to go back and spend some more time with them. They were very welcoming and wanted to learn about our family and vice versa. We went to a huge dinner with about 20 other people and had a real Austrian dinner and there was SOO much food!! The food was great though. But I met many people and will never forget them. The last night we were in Vienna we celebrated my birthday which was very emotional. I had some weinersnitchzel which was great and that is the food they are known for. But I was glad I was able to celebrate my birthday early with some family because I knew I wasn't going to be able to spend it with them on my real birthday.
The week I got back I had 4 midterms in one week. I was so stressed and worried about all of the midterms because I didn't know how difficult the tests were going to be and some of my professors arent the best so I was super worried. I literally studied all day everyday for that whole week. I was stressed to the max but I ended up doing very well and I guess hard work (studying) pays off!! I know I got 3 A's on my midterms but I still haven't gotten one back yet, but I feel confident that I did great on that one! So my classes are going well!
Then I had a trip with my school on October 19 to Nafplio. We toured a castle which we didn't have nearly enough time because the tour guide talked for so long and gave us little time to explore. So that was a bummer. It was a very cool castle and had a great view of the city and it was right on the water so it was very pretty. We had lunch and I tried lamb. It was OK, it reminded me a lot of pulled pork. We then went on a winery tour which I found interesting and learned a lot. I did buy two bottles of wine because they were so good. We tasted 6 different kinds but I only bought one. I am not into red wine but I do like white. Maybe one day I will like red wine.
Then it was my birthday weekend. Of course, I went out... Actually my birthday, October 28, is a holiday here in Greece. So luckily I didn't have class on my birthday either. The holiday here is called "Oxi Day" Which means "No Day" It was the Greeks saying no to Italy. I'm not quite sure exactly what it was but I know that much.. Anyways a bunch of us went downtown to this bar and it was the grand opening of the bar so there were like mini fireworks going off and dancers on platforms. It was a lot of fun!! My family sent me gorgeous flowers and huge teddy bear, which I have no idea how I am getting home!! But I loved it so much and it made me feel special even though I am half way around the world and couldn't spend it with them. And then my friends bought me some champagne and I got cake and I felt very blessed. I couldn't be more thankful for the people in my life right now and how special they made me feel.
Thennnnn.. I went to Cirque Du Soleil Dralion on October 29 with my friends Sarah and Lex. It was at the Olympic Basketball Stadium and it was awesome. They did some crazy things. This lady was balancing on a pole on one arm for awhile and there were guys walking on huge balls and doing backflips on them. Very crazy. Also, they were trampolines and they would do flips and scale a wall then fall back on the tramp. And my favorite part was when the guys made a pyramid on top of each other... they weren't kneeling on each others backs they were standing on each others backs and they were jump roping!! SUPER COOL! And of course there were the 3 comedians that were hilarious.
Finally, this past weekend I went to Crete! We took an overnight, 9 hour, ferry which was easy because I slept pretty much the whole time. We stayed in a hostel and these ones weren't so nice. We had to walk down a couple flights of stairs and outside to the showers and bathrooms. The bathrooms were shared between men and women. We had 8 beds in a tiny room but we got lucky and it was only the 3 of us girls in one room so we didn't have to share a room with anyone else. On Saturday we did a lot of shopping.. again, and then went to the Palace of Knossos. The palace was huge! We had a lot of fun roaming around the palace and taking pictures. We had lunch on a boat which is a restaurant like in a port so we were on the water. It was very cool. I had a club sandwich and it was delicious. Then on Sunday we went to the beach all day and laid out on a sandy beach. It was gorgeous. Its weird to think it is November and I was laying on the beach. Very awesome, I loved it. And of course I went swimming too. I really wish we had more time in Crete because it is too big of an island for only two days. I really would like to come back here to explore more.
I am going to Italy, France, Belgium, and Amsterdam so I won't wait this long to do another blog!! Sorry but thanks for reading!
xoxo
Kayla
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Hello,
I have been here for about two weeks and I am starting to feel settled in. Although I am still busy all the time, I am starting to get into a daily routine. As I mentioned last time my Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes it is only me and another girl. Well my Tuesdays and Thursday classes are much better. I am taking a Greek class, which all the study abroad students are in it so I pretty much know everybody! Which is awesome because it is going to be a difficult class so it will be great that we can all study together!! Then I am taking a math class which so far is going good. Then my other class is Political Organization. This class is very interesting. I get to hear the Greek views on politics and how they see their economic. It is especially important because Greece doesn't have a very stable economy right now and they are going through a hardship so I learn why they think they are going through that and what they think needs to change. It is very interesting. The first day they were having a debate and it started out in English and then half way through the class they were all speaking in Greek. I sat there for about 45 minutes having no clue what they were saying!!! But then after class I told my professor that I don't speak Greek and so the next class period went very well!
Lately I have been working out a lot and its very fun. Since we walk everywhere here I need to be in shape otherwise I get tired easily. So lately my friends and I have been going to the gym and swimming in the Olympic size pool! SO big! But it is great because the other day I swam in the same lane Michael Phelps swam in... lane 6. Although it was the practice pool for the Olympics, it is still cool to say that! Some of my friends and I are thinking about running the Athens marathon in November. Although we haven't signed up yet, we have been working out and trying to train for it. The marathon in Athens was one of the first marathons ever invented so it would be very cool to take part of that.
On Saturday the 14th, the whole group of study abroad students went on an excursion to the island called Hydra. We took a ferry to that island and it took about 2 hours on the boat to get there. We slept on the way there and listened to music and relaxed! When we arrived to Hydra, the view is breathtaking. It is so surreal and beautiful. We arrived and saw donkeys everywhere because there are no cars on the island. We could take a donkey and tour the city but we didn't do that. Although I wanted to! Right away when we got there the whole group went to a beach for about an hour because we had to meet for lunch at 2. The water is crystal clear and very rocky. The color of the water is a clear blue and turquoise. I tried adding a photo but it wont let me. If you are my Facebook friend, I uploaded many photos of Hydra. My friend has a go pro camera, and we took many photos underwater and I cannot wait to see what they look like!! Then we went to lunch and it was great!! They brought bread out, a salad, and friend spinach right away. It was delicious!! Then we had a few different options for what we wanted as our main course meal. I had Moussaka. That is like a lasagna with eggplant and cheese and a breading around it. It was delicious! Then they gave us watermelon for dessert. Of course there were seed in the watermelon and so we had a pile of them at our table and we were flicking them across to the other table, acting like little kids. But it was very funny and we all got a good laugh out of it. After lunch me and some girls went back to the beach to enjoy the sun and some cliff jumping! Very fun but difficult to climb the rocks because there wasn't a clear path to climb. Very scary! I almost fell so I stopped climbing and jumped from where I was at. Don't worry I am safe! Nothing happened to me :) We also got some videos of that on the go pro! After the beach we started walking back into town at like 7 because we were leaving at 9. We sat down and had some crepes. I had a crepe with chocolate ice cream, bananas, and biscuit. Very delicious. We did a little shopping but I didn't get anything. We got on the ferry and didn't get back home until about midnight. I got in the shower and went straight to bed. It was a very long but beautiful, enjoyable day in Hydra. I didn't want to leave. Now today, I am planning on relaxing all day and doing some homework!!
xoxo Kayla
I have been here for about two weeks and I am starting to feel settled in. Although I am still busy all the time, I am starting to get into a daily routine. As I mentioned last time my Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes it is only me and another girl. Well my Tuesdays and Thursday classes are much better. I am taking a Greek class, which all the study abroad students are in it so I pretty much know everybody! Which is awesome because it is going to be a difficult class so it will be great that we can all study together!! Then I am taking a math class which so far is going good. Then my other class is Political Organization. This class is very interesting. I get to hear the Greek views on politics and how they see their economic. It is especially important because Greece doesn't have a very stable economy right now and they are going through a hardship so I learn why they think they are going through that and what they think needs to change. It is very interesting. The first day they were having a debate and it started out in English and then half way through the class they were all speaking in Greek. I sat there for about 45 minutes having no clue what they were saying!!! But then after class I told my professor that I don't speak Greek and so the next class period went very well!
Lately I have been working out a lot and its very fun. Since we walk everywhere here I need to be in shape otherwise I get tired easily. So lately my friends and I have been going to the gym and swimming in the Olympic size pool! SO big! But it is great because the other day I swam in the same lane Michael Phelps swam in... lane 6. Although it was the practice pool for the Olympics, it is still cool to say that! Some of my friends and I are thinking about running the Athens marathon in November. Although we haven't signed up yet, we have been working out and trying to train for it. The marathon in Athens was one of the first marathons ever invented so it would be very cool to take part of that.
On Saturday the 14th, the whole group of study abroad students went on an excursion to the island called Hydra. We took a ferry to that island and it took about 2 hours on the boat to get there. We slept on the way there and listened to music and relaxed! When we arrived to Hydra, the view is breathtaking. It is so surreal and beautiful. We arrived and saw donkeys everywhere because there are no cars on the island. We could take a donkey and tour the city but we didn't do that. Although I wanted to! Right away when we got there the whole group went to a beach for about an hour because we had to meet for lunch at 2. The water is crystal clear and very rocky. The color of the water is a clear blue and turquoise. I tried adding a photo but it wont let me. If you are my Facebook friend, I uploaded many photos of Hydra. My friend has a go pro camera, and we took many photos underwater and I cannot wait to see what they look like!! Then we went to lunch and it was great!! They brought bread out, a salad, and friend spinach right away. It was delicious!! Then we had a few different options for what we wanted as our main course meal. I had Moussaka. That is like a lasagna with eggplant and cheese and a breading around it. It was delicious! Then they gave us watermelon for dessert. Of course there were seed in the watermelon and so we had a pile of them at our table and we were flicking them across to the other table, acting like little kids. But it was very funny and we all got a good laugh out of it. After lunch me and some girls went back to the beach to enjoy the sun and some cliff jumping! Very fun but difficult to climb the rocks because there wasn't a clear path to climb. Very scary! I almost fell so I stopped climbing and jumped from where I was at. Don't worry I am safe! Nothing happened to me :) We also got some videos of that on the go pro! After the beach we started walking back into town at like 7 because we were leaving at 9. We sat down and had some crepes. I had a crepe with chocolate ice cream, bananas, and biscuit. Very delicious. We did a little shopping but I didn't get anything. We got on the ferry and didn't get back home until about midnight. I got in the shower and went straight to bed. It was a very long but beautiful, enjoyable day in Hydra. I didn't want to leave. Now today, I am planning on relaxing all day and doing some homework!!
xoxo Kayla
Monday, September 9, 2013
Making my way
Yai sas (ya-sauce) Hello All-
As you can tell I am starting to pick up the language, which is very helpful. The last couple days have been really busy. On Thursday we got to tour our college and have orientation. It was a very long day. I felt like it was Freshman orientation all over again. I had to sit through TOO many speeches about the school. It was helpful but very long and tiring. Many important people talked and gave welcoming speeches which made us feel special and comfortable coming to the school. We got a tour of the school and a cook out for lunch outside. As I walked up to get lunch, I am starving, so I was expecting a lot of food and a full course meal. Anyways, I walked outside to where everyone was standing and went to the food and I saw these bread things filled with this green stuff and it looked nasty! But because I was so hungry I was going to eat anything that they had. Anyways even though it looked nasty, it tasted really good. I ended up finding out it was spinach! Which, I never thought I would eat, but I did. So I learned that I like that. Then I was thirsty so I went to get a pop and it took like 20 mins! Then we were playing ice breaker games and got to know everyone. There is about 50 study abroad students- which is the most that they have EVER had. Which is awesome and exciting! :) We all live in the apartments and so I have gotten to know so many great people, and they're all so nice and fun to be around. I finally started to get my room organized, I had to buy more hangers to hang some clothes up and I put a bunch of pictures on my wall, which makes it feel more homey! We also bought some candles for our apartment and made it feel more girly. Howver, on Friday we got to take a tour of our neighborhood which is called Aghia Paraskevi and both of our RA's (residential assistant), Litsa and Illias, showed us where good places are to eat, pharmacies, shops, STARBUCKS!!!, etc. They showed us everything that we would need to go to look for stuff. Our RA's are awesome and very helpful! They give us great tips for everything. After our neighborhood tour we took a bus to downtown Athens which tour guides were there to show us around downtown. We got a glimpse of the Acropolis, but I want to go back there to watch the sunset because it lights up at night and I think that will be breathtaking. Also, we walked through the National Garden, saw the Ruins, went through a gorgeous neighborhood, and many many more sites. As I was walking down the streets there was this coconut stands and I got like a stick of coconut with chocolate around it and it was delicious, especially for only 1 euro! Anyways, I cant wait to go back downtown Athens and explore more! Friday night we then went to a bar club with Melina. Melina is from this area and she is so much fun! She showed us a good time. However, on the way to this bar our taxi drive got lost and we were only supposed to pay about 12 euros but ended up paying 16. We definitely got ripped off so we reported the drive lol. But on the way home we took a taxi too and so when we arrived at our apartment we were expecting to only pay about 12. However from midnight to 5 am the price doubles!! So we didn't know that and when we found the price out we complained a little. But now we know not to take a taxi from midnight to 5am! Then on Saturday we hung out all day, finally slept it, then at night we went to a huge beach party. It was the last beach party of the year because summer is coming to an end for them... But to me its still summer because the weather is still gorgeous! Anyways, the beach party had like 1500 people there, it was a huge DJ and a lot of fun. None of the Greeks like to dance, so us Americans stood out because we all were dancing and having a great time!! I am so glad we went. I left at like 4am and the party was still bumpin! And some of my friends wanted to stay until 5 am because the taxis are cheaper then! Needless to say the Greeks party hard and all night long!!! haha Finally, on Sunday I got to relax on a beach all day and take in the gorgeous weather. We went swimming and the water wasn't cold so I sat on the beach with my legs in the water and it couldn't have been any more perfect. We took the trains to the beach so it only costed us 2.80 euros which is WAY better than taking a taxi! We got a little lost on the way to the beach so it took about two hours to get there but on the way home we knew what we were doing. And we went in a group of 13 so it was nice that we could all figure the trains out together. Today I started classes. I only have one class on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from 11-11:50am. Which is great! It was a classical roman literature class. So I showed up like 20 minutes early to figure out where my classes were and be prepared and I was like the only one waiting early for my class. Which is different because in America everyone shows up reallllyy early on the first couple days. Anyways, I was waiting and it was like 11am and my professor walks into the room so I followed. In my class it is me and one other student named Sarah. She is from California but now lives in Greece. Which is good because she speaks English. Then I found out my professor is blind. So she has her fingers over her brailed paper while she is speaking. So I think this class will definitely be an experience for me, especially with this professor. Anyways, I am looking forward to seeing how my other 3 classes go tomorrow. Then after class today I went to the farmers market and bought a pineapple! Yummy. I cant wait to eat it. Then I was trying to find a place to exchange my American money but I haven't been able to find a place so I am going to have to ask Litsa and Illias where I can do that. I hope I don't have to go to the airport lol. Anyways, Greece is awesome and I am having so much fun! I miss you all. Sagapo poli (I love you so much)!
xoxo Kayla
As you can tell I am starting to pick up the language, which is very helpful. The last couple days have been really busy. On Thursday we got to tour our college and have orientation. It was a very long day. I felt like it was Freshman orientation all over again. I had to sit through TOO many speeches about the school. It was helpful but very long and tiring. Many important people talked and gave welcoming speeches which made us feel special and comfortable coming to the school. We got a tour of the school and a cook out for lunch outside. As I walked up to get lunch, I am starving, so I was expecting a lot of food and a full course meal. Anyways, I walked outside to where everyone was standing and went to the food and I saw these bread things filled with this green stuff and it looked nasty! But because I was so hungry I was going to eat anything that they had. Anyways even though it looked nasty, it tasted really good. I ended up finding out it was spinach! Which, I never thought I would eat, but I did. So I learned that I like that. Then I was thirsty so I went to get a pop and it took like 20 mins! Then we were playing ice breaker games and got to know everyone. There is about 50 study abroad students- which is the most that they have EVER had. Which is awesome and exciting! :) We all live in the apartments and so I have gotten to know so many great people, and they're all so nice and fun to be around. I finally started to get my room organized, I had to buy more hangers to hang some clothes up and I put a bunch of pictures on my wall, which makes it feel more homey! We also bought some candles for our apartment and made it feel more girly. Howver, on Friday we got to take a tour of our neighborhood which is called Aghia Paraskevi and both of our RA's (residential assistant), Litsa and Illias, showed us where good places are to eat, pharmacies, shops, STARBUCKS!!!, etc. They showed us everything that we would need to go to look for stuff. Our RA's are awesome and very helpful! They give us great tips for everything. After our neighborhood tour we took a bus to downtown Athens which tour guides were there to show us around downtown. We got a glimpse of the Acropolis, but I want to go back there to watch the sunset because it lights up at night and I think that will be breathtaking. Also, we walked through the National Garden, saw the Ruins, went through a gorgeous neighborhood, and many many more sites. As I was walking down the streets there was this coconut stands and I got like a stick of coconut with chocolate around it and it was delicious, especially for only 1 euro! Anyways, I cant wait to go back downtown Athens and explore more! Friday night we then went to a bar club with Melina. Melina is from this area and she is so much fun! She showed us a good time. However, on the way to this bar our taxi drive got lost and we were only supposed to pay about 12 euros but ended up paying 16. We definitely got ripped off so we reported the drive lol. But on the way home we took a taxi too and so when we arrived at our apartment we were expecting to only pay about 12. However from midnight to 5 am the price doubles!! So we didn't know that and when we found the price out we complained a little. But now we know not to take a taxi from midnight to 5am! Then on Saturday we hung out all day, finally slept it, then at night we went to a huge beach party. It was the last beach party of the year because summer is coming to an end for them... But to me its still summer because the weather is still gorgeous! Anyways, the beach party had like 1500 people there, it was a huge DJ and a lot of fun. None of the Greeks like to dance, so us Americans stood out because we all were dancing and having a great time!! I am so glad we went. I left at like 4am and the party was still bumpin! And some of my friends wanted to stay until 5 am because the taxis are cheaper then! Needless to say the Greeks party hard and all night long!!! haha Finally, on Sunday I got to relax on a beach all day and take in the gorgeous weather. We went swimming and the water wasn't cold so I sat on the beach with my legs in the water and it couldn't have been any more perfect. We took the trains to the beach so it only costed us 2.80 euros which is WAY better than taking a taxi! We got a little lost on the way to the beach so it took about two hours to get there but on the way home we knew what we were doing. And we went in a group of 13 so it was nice that we could all figure the trains out together. Today I started classes. I only have one class on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from 11-11:50am. Which is great! It was a classical roman literature class. So I showed up like 20 minutes early to figure out where my classes were and be prepared and I was like the only one waiting early for my class. Which is different because in America everyone shows up reallllyy early on the first couple days. Anyways, I was waiting and it was like 11am and my professor walks into the room so I followed. In my class it is me and one other student named Sarah. She is from California but now lives in Greece. Which is good because she speaks English. Then I found out my professor is blind. So she has her fingers over her brailed paper while she is speaking. So I think this class will definitely be an experience for me, especially with this professor. Anyways, I am looking forward to seeing how my other 3 classes go tomorrow. Then after class today I went to the farmers market and bought a pineapple! Yummy. I cant wait to eat it. Then I was trying to find a place to exchange my American money but I haven't been able to find a place so I am going to have to ask Litsa and Illias where I can do that. I hope I don't have to go to the airport lol. Anyways, Greece is awesome and I am having so much fun! I miss you all. Sagapo poli (I love you so much)!
xoxo Kayla
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Welcome to Athens!
Well, I made it to Greece safely and I am having so much fun! When I arrived in London it took me about 3 hours to get through customs and then to the correct terminal. It was crazy and busy. I was tired and exhausted because I didn't sleep much on the plane but on my way to Athens I slept the whole plane ride! Tonight is my 2nd night staying in my apartment with 3 other girls. The girls are awesome and we get along great!! I am staying in the apartments that the Olympians stayed in for the Olympics in 2004. (my apartment even has heated floors)!!!! So blessed. However, I ordered sheets so they should've been here when I got here but I have not received them yet. So tonight I will not have sheets, again. But that is ok. Good thing I brought my pillow pet! I also have AC! Also, I cannot throw any toilet paper down the toilet... we have to throw it in the garbage.The weather is great here- its been about mid 80s. We went out to eat last night for dinner and had a pork sandwich, a salad, and a beer and it only was 5 euros! which is like $6.50. I thought it was pretty cheap. But the food was great! Then we went out to the bars last night, which was super fun and relaxing. We became friends with a bartender already. We tried ouzo, which is like their main alcohol... its like how Mexico loves their tequila. Then today I slept until 3pm- the jet lag got to me. I got up and our apartment place served us dinner at 5:30 (which is technically a late lunch for the Greeks) but it was very good. Then we walked around town, found some awesome stores- which I cant wait to check out! (they were closed by 7pm!!) We also found a supermarket and bought some food for the apartment! Something very interesting and inconvenient is that on the sidewalks here there are trees in the middle of the side walk and bushes like pushing you off so you almost have to walk on the streets because there's like no room to walk on the side walks. The drivers here are crazy too! Drive super fast and don't pay attention to pedestrians. It's definitely cars first. Also, all the cars that I have seen here are super small. They all look like smart cars! Well tomorrow I have to be up in the lobby by 8:30am because we have tours and meetings about school tomorrow! And it is 2am now so I will be so tired in the morning. But I am having so much fun and I cant wait to see what else is in store for the experience :)
God Bless!
xoxo Kayla
God Bless!
xoxo Kayla
Monday, September 2, 2013
Take off
Today embarks my journey to Greece. It was hard to say bye to all my friends and family that I am leaving back at home. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such loving people. However, I am off on a new adventure and couldn't be more excited to start my next chapter in life. I am sitting at the Dallas, Texas airport waiting for my next flight to go to London. I will have a 4 hour layover there and then I will take off on another plane to Greece! Please pray for safe travels for me. It will be about a 24 hour travel time. I will be so exhausted by the time I arrive in Greece. I am so blessed to be going on this journey and I am hoping to have the time of my life over there! My mom, Aunt Sue, Aunt Cathy, and Grandma Diane will be coming to visit me on October 3rd and I will be able to spend 9 days with them. It will be a great taste of home when they come because I am sure I will be missing home by then. Anyone can contact me through social media or via email.
God Bless.
xoxo Kayla
God Bless.
xoxo Kayla
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