Megan the Greek

Anonymous

What about me has become more Greek?  

In a way, you could say I started out kind of Greek.  People mistake me for someone that could possibly live here because of my dark features, and let's face it, my sometimes stubborn spirit.  Yes, I am Italian.  So, it kind of makes me look a bit more like an insider than my classmate Rob.  But other than the outside, what have I adapted to that makes me understand the culture a bit more?  

Well, I say hello and goodbye in Greek.  I say thank you in Greek.  And I sometimes bust out the excuse me in Greek.  I embrace the food and taste it's wonderful goodness (except the cheese).  I stay out late at cafes having a nice drink with my friends.  I talk for hours at dinner, not realizing how much time has passed......Yeah.  I think that's the biggest thing.  Letting time pass me by as if it doesn't exist at all.  Allowing dinner to last me as long as I please because it's more than just getting nourishment for the day so I can quickly get up and proceed with my many activities.  It's about enjoying the company of the people around you.  It's about realizing that time is more important and less important than we make it out to be.  Time is more important in the sense that we should fill it with things of quality.  It is less important because we should not let our things of quantity interfere with our things of quality.  I am guilty of this fact.  I run around making "the most of my time".  I thought I knew what that meant before this trip: fitting both quality and quantity into my time, when really I was just continuing my habits of fitting in as much as possible, without giving my activities the true attention they deserved.  

I am so hoping that I can remember the feeling of lost time when I come home.  When I'm here, I don't regret spending hours doing nothing but talking with the people around me.  I don't think of my laundry list of things to accomplish.  I just enjoy the moment.  Wouldn't it be nice if I did the same at home?  I think I will try this out.  What's the worst that can happen?  I fail.  I can deal with that.  It's worth the risk. :)