My moment in Greece

Katie Garrow

When I think about my moment in Greece, I'm overwhelmed with all the nostalgic feelings that sort of pass over me in a haze. I logged onto facebook this morning to see all the photos Brian had taken and tagged me in, and was reminded of just how fantastic my time in Greece was. He had a shot of me at the acropolis in Athens, with my head over the edge of the ledge, and the wind blowing- and I'm so glad he took the picture, because that was a really awesome moment! The wind was incredibly strong, and when you put your face over the ledge, it felt like a wind tunnel. (I'll post the photo below so you can see exactly what I'm talking about!) Then he had other shots, beautiful ones in Symi, one of me chatting with an old man (pictured below), and photos of coffee drinking and climbing and meandering. These photos serve as reminders that there have been so, so many moments!

hanging over the edge at the acropolis

artist man

But today, I'll write about our time at the University of Athens, because I took some of my favorite photos that day, and because it was one of my favorite experiences in Athens, and because I don't think I've gotten the opportunity to write about that day yet. 

We visited the university in the afternoon one day, and I didn't really expect the experience to be anything special. Just looking at a college campus... But, once we got there and started to walk around I felt like I could feel the pulse of the space. There was a lot of graffiti, which some may call ugly, but for me, it was really awesome. I like to see where art and social change (or at least protest/dissent) come together, so it was neat to see the work that students had done. But, it wasn't just the artwork, there were (what looked like) political posters everywhere, too.  I was also fascinated by the idea that the school was considered a place of asylum.

But, there was another highlight- seeing Dr. Finitsis with his college professors. It was really sweet and to be privy to such a special moment between them. 

Then, we walked/bussed back to our apartments. It was a really great afternoon, and if I'm correct, we finished off the evening with karaoke- and yours truly sang, "Livin' la vida loca" by Ricky Martin with Megan, Kim and Jessica. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself performing a Ricky Martin song in an Irish bar in Athens. The whole concept is pretty ridiculous/absurd if you even think about it, but some things are better left unanalyzed-- I think karaoke is one of those. 

I miss you already, Greece.