Category: Europe 2022

Sep 26 2022

The past 36 hours have set quite the precedent for our travels throughout Greece. We are staying at a beautiful hostel, Athens Hawks, in the central city of Athens. Athens is at the heart of Ancient Greece, a powerful civilization and empire with a recorded history spanning over 3,400 years. The city is the perfect combination of illustrious history and urban innovation with a vibrant rhythm of life. We have completely immersed ourselves in all things the city has to offer.

G and I spent the day yesterday touring the infamous 5th-century BC landmark, Acropolis. The Acropolis is located only 15 minutes from our hostel and sits on a rock that rises 490ft above sea level. The citadel contains the remains of numerous ancient buildings with astonishing architectural and historical significance. We hiked to the top of the rock and were in awe. In awe of not only the “open air museum”, but the thousands of tourists (many of them in some questionable walking gear).

We ended our little historic field trip with some traditional souvlaki and shopping. G and I’s desire for retail therapy has been one of our greatest downfalls. We made the mistake of packing our backpacks to the brim, leaving little to no room for trendy new pieces. Nonetheless, a couple of dresses shouldn’t take up too much space. 😉

Our eventful day turned into an even more eventful night. The hostel’s rooftop bar is the spot to be. We met more friends than I can count, from places all over the world. We now have friends from Australia, Germany, Colombia, Greece, and Canada. Bartenders, Theo and Leo, set the tone of the night with plenty of Rihanna and Nicki Minaj. I am 2-0 in beer pong, and have plans to keep it up as reigning champion.

One euro happy hour shots and five euro cocktails will definetly make for a good night. The night later led to me guiding a group of 15-20 people to a club called Lohan. I’m not really sure how I became the leader of the pack but it was quite an honor. We enjoyed dancing for hours in the club’s vibey and retro atmosphere. There is no question that the people of Athens know how to party. Our night ended in some drama with one of our eight hostel mates. I find it best I don’t go into much detail but promise it makes for a pretty funny story. We have plans to visit the beach today and I am definitely looking forward to relaxing near the Saronic Gulf.

Sep 21 2022

Today marks our first official day. G and I arrived safely in London early this morning and attempted to fight off the foredooming jet lag throughout much of the day. We are staying a few miles outside of the central city of London and enjoying navigating the city’s public transportation system. We are amazed at the diversity and classiness of the locals and got our first taste of UK’s culture and society.

After getting settled in at our quaint little hotel, we walked around Westfield shopping centre and grabbed a snack at a local pub. Tip #1: don’t order the nachos. Our decision to order the nachos was questionable, we were hungry and people make rash decisions when they are hungry. G asked if she thought the “salsa” was a little sweet and we concluded that the “salsa” was really ketchup. I have inserted a pic below.

Following our afternoon-snack debacle, we got some rest and headed towards downtown London to start exploring the city in the night sky. Our first site-seeing attraction of the trip was St. Paul’s cathedral. We were in awe of the building’s size and architecture. Consecrated in 1697 (325 years ago), the cathedral reaches 365 ft tall and 246 ft wide across transepts. St. Paul’s cathedral is truly rich and extravagant and I am looking forward to discovering more of London’s antiquities.

G and I ended our night at a restaurant called Caravan and reflected on our day over cocktails and smoked-salmon bowls. We are learning to appreciate and embrace the different ways in which humans interact with one another cross-culturally. While it is too early for me to articulate particular differences, today served as a reminder of the light that surrounds the world we live in. Radiancy exists within conversation, individuality, and togetherness. We are all different, yet all the same and I am eager to discover more of the peculiarities that make up the human experience.

I am starting this blog in a small French café at DIA; which I find ironic considering I am about to embark on a 3-week adventure across European counteries (France, not included). I’ve decided to start blogging my thoughts to reflect, learn, and discern more about myself and the world around me (and also because my therapist said so). After months of healing, mourning, and grieving, I have finally started to feel my heart fill with warmth. I have taken the time to myself and I am so excited to share what I discover with those I love most. First stop, London.