Greece, in Retrospect

It has been nearly a month since I left the shores of what I came to call "my" island, and though I am now completely settled into my American summer routine, there are still mornings when I wake up half-expecting to see the familar snow-white walls of my apartment instead of the wooden panelling of my childhood room.
Studying abroad was an incomparably wonderful experience, an a fabulous opportunity to learn, challenge myself, and grow. I made new friends with a colorful and terrific variety of backgrounds, ideals, and beliefs. I saw things that I had only dreamt of...marble ruins still standing under the hot Mediterranean sun thousands of years after their construction; the ocean pounding against the palm-dotted cliffs of many islands; happy Greek families dancing in circles, rosy with local wine; blue and white houses stacked on hillsides like you might see in a postcard. I LIVED in a postcard! And I will be forever grateful. Anyone, anywhere, who has the chance to study in a foreign country, be it Greece, China, or Guatemala...go for it! I guarantee that you can't possibly regret it --- it will change your perspective on so many things, and you'll have so much fun doing it!!

Sigh. I miss my beach, my balcony, spinach pastries, my friends, a life of sun-warmed leisure.

BUT I just LOVE having a vertical shower, the ability to flush toilet paper, Chicago-style pizza, a distinct lack of creepy men, Chinese restaurants, Petoskey sunsets, and the possibilites of my American summer to come!