Bad Romance

Anonymous

At first I was really stumped with today’s blog, thinking how in the world am I going to write a blog about “Bad Romance”? There’s no way I was going to spill my guts on the internet about my romantic life, which meant I was going to have to be really creative to connect “Bad Romance” with a generic, unromantic topic. And then it hit me, there was a romance I was willing to share about, and pretty positive my fellow bloggers would understand. That would be the newly begun romance with the country of Greece. Though our time has been but a short three weeks, it has bonded us forever. Going through a ten hour flight may have diswayed some, but you have been more than worth it. From the first striking sight of the acropolis on that sunny day the romance began to flourish. Day by day I became more intrigued, learning more and more about the wonderful city of Athens. I fell in love with the fast paced city and the slow paced cafes. The atmosphere and the visual beauty always invigorating. Just as I was becoming familiar with the capital we were whisked off to Rhodes, your island of the sun god. Let me tell you nothing takes my breath more than a beautiful beach, your turquoise waters and rays of sun seem endless. I could go on and on about the food as well, but instead lets just agree its fantastic. I should also state now, lest I forget the other-worldly city of Delphi, your famous Sparti, and secret enchanter Symi. All of these places making me fall in love once again. You may be wondering is Greece is so great, how can this be a bad romance? But let me tell you my affection for Greece is exactly what makes this a bad romance, for I leave its embrace in three days and that is terrible. It has been such a wonderful place, and this is just the winter not even the best it has to offer! So my whirlwind romance with Greece will have to end soon, I will think of her with fond memories and affection always and maybe one day I can revisit. But until then and for the time in between I’m sure it will be wretched and horrible, in the after effects of a bad romance.

Hellas you have stole my heart.

Bad Romance

Anonymous

Having lived in Washington all my life I happen to love the rain. But sometimes this becomes a love-hate relationship. For example, today when I was caught in a Rhodes downpour with no hood and no umbrella, I definitely didn't like the rain.

There are times when I would love to go out in a rainstorm and jump in a few puddles, but today was not one of those times. When it comes to walking in the rain, I prefer to have a choice in the matter. This afternoon I did not have that choice.

Because of the love-hate dimension of my relationship with rain, I would call this a bad romance. Any relationship that involves even a small feeling of hate can't be good for you. Since the rain is never going to cease to exist, my only option in this relationship is to accept the bad with the good. Luckily the feeling conveyed in the picture above is rare and usually insights laughter after the fact.

Bad Romance

Anonymous

One of the things I've noticed being in this country is that public displays of affection are totally okay. Well great, but being a single American, it takes some getting used to. PDA is generally frowned upon back home, especially if you're single. That being said, it's refreshing to see how respected love is here.

College is a tough time for romance: you fall in and out of love, you watch others fall in love and wish that you would too, you might think you've found the one just to find out you haven't, and maybe if you're lucky, you find the person you're meant to spend your life with. Personally, I think most of the "bad" in romance comes when you just can't seem to do or get anything right or be the right person for your romance, and I've been there. But people change in college too. When experiences like this come up, it's a moment to examine your life, figure out who you're becoming, and change the parts of your life you want to change.

I think my experiences here have really put everything in perspective. Is it a cop-out to say that everything happens for a reason? Looking at myself in the scheme of time has kind of caused me to look at things like romance in a different way. If it's meant to be, that one person will come along. In time, I can only control so much. Part of realizing my identity is liking the person I am becoming, because that is something that is in my control. Maybe this entails the realization that I can't change myself to accommodate the way others want to view me, but I can change myself to reflect the qualities I would like to see in myself.

In the story of Aseneth and Joseph, a wise angel gave Aseneth a honeycomb that transformed her into a person even more beautiful than she already was. In a sense, this trip is part of my honeycomb. Along with many other life experiences, it's one of the things that has made me think, develop as a person, and will be a part of my heart forever.