I hope I haven't completely lost my audience. I'm sorry that I haven't updated in over a week. Last week was a little crazy and all over the place! We had Off-Week so we were open to plan our own side trips. It was nice to get out of Glyfada for a few days. Part of the time I didn't have my computer and the other half we were traveling. So this will be a catch-all blog entry for last week. Enjoy and thanks for still reading!
Day 15: Monday was basically just packing and doing laundry by hand in our hotel room sink. There aren't really any places to do laundry at all in Glyfada and the hotel charges 1€ per item which is ridiculous. This was an interesting experience.
Day 16: Tuesday a group of about 16 girls & 1 (out of 2) guy traveled by bus and by ferry to the island of Andros. We woke up extremely early and took a taxi to the port. When we got to the island we got off the ferry and realized we didn't have everyone. We tried to stop the men from raising the platform but the boat took off with 3 of our girls still on it. It was going to Mykonos and wouldn't be back for hours. We stood there in disbelief. "Did that really just happen?" We were shocked but couldn't help but laugh!
The blue and white villa we stayed in was so adorable and had an amazing view of the bay and the charming little town of Batsi! We went out to explore and find the best places to eat and lay out. A few of us found this area of rocks that was sort of secluded. I really liked this spot more than the beach and it became my favorite place on the whole island. We laid out on the rocks and played in the water. It was so peaceful and the water was so clear and blue! That night we went to dinner as a group and watched the sunset behind us from our rooftop restaurant. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. I had an amazing piece of swordfish which was a treat because (oddly) a menu with fish isn't common in Greece and is usually very expensive. Then of course, I had gelato for dessert! I think this was the day that I began to really fall in love with Greece!
Day 17: Wednesday we just laid out, played on the rocks, had PB&J for lunch, swam in the cold water, and then for dinner had pizza and one of the best caesar salads I have ever had! It was so nice just to relax, hang out with the girls, and reflect on Service Week!
Day 18: Thursday was our last day on Andros. We bought some goggles and snorkeled in the water around our rocks. We saw a few fish but the water was too cold to really dive down or go out any further. Then we ate lunch at the same place as last night's dinner. That salad was just too good so I had to have it one last time. We took a ferry back to Athens and this time we made sure we had everyone!
Day 19: Friday was the tour of Ancient Corinth and Bungee Jumping into the Corinth Canal! It was an emotional day. I tried to stay calm and keep my mind off my fear. I made a special "relax" playlist on my iPod and tried to sleep on the bus ride there. Despite the fact that we had a crazy tour guide lady, I really enjoyed Corinth. It was cool to see the agora where Paul walked thousands of years ago. We saw the place where he was accused of subversive teaching against the Mosaic law and brought to the Bema by the elders of the synagogue. It wasn't exactly the best planning to have the tour of the ruins before jumping because most people were so nervous that they couldn't really enjoy Ancient Corinth. To be honest I wasn't really that nervous. I expected my stomach to be in knots all morning and to be worried about the jump. When we got to the bridge, it wasn't a high as I had imagined. I was really excited while I was getting my gear on. We had to pay first and tell them if we wanted a video of our jump. Then we got out on the bridge- all 24 of us that were planning to jump. I have to admit I was a little teary when the first girl jumped. It looked fun but the falling part scared me. I don't ride roller coasters and free-fall is just not my thing. But I calmed myself down and tried to stay focused. The only problem was that I had to stand there for almost two hours watching everyone in front of me go.
When it was my turn, I started freaking out. My legs were shaking and I couldn't stop crying. I wanted to jump soooo badly! And not for anyone else, I wanted to jump for me. I knew that it would have been an adrenaline rush. But standing there with my toes hanging over the edge, I panicked! I could feel the weight bag tugging on my foot and I leaned back, fighting the pull. It wasn't the height, that part didn't really scare me. And I knew it was perfectly safe, so I wasn't worried about getting hurt. Everyone said the hardest part was the actual jumping off of the platform. I just couldn't make myself jump. I was so afraid of falling. I couldn't let go of the guy's arm. I didn't even make it to the count down (everyone yells your name and counts down from 5 before you jump). Everyone was so supportive and encouraging, saying "you can do it" and "you got this". I covered my face and just cried. The bungee staff realized I was too far gone. I was thinking too hard and there wasn't anything I could do to get my focus back. So I didn't jump. I wasn't embarrassed or upset that I couldn't get my 60 euro back. I was mad at myself for letting my fear control me. But I just couldn't do it. The bungee staff were so sweet and helpful. They weren't rude and didn't pressure me at all. It felt like I was standing there forever. They finally unhooked me and all I could do was cry. Robbie, who was standing near, was so supportive and gave each person a pep talk before. But I was the first person not to jump. I hugged him and soaked his t-shirt with my tears. I kept saying "I wanted to jump so bad. But I couldn't. I'm so mad at myself." I wasn't worried about disappointing anyone but myself. I was relieved that I didn't jump and I know I can live with the decision not to. I would like to say that if given the opportunity again I would try, but I'm not sure if I could. I hate that my fear has such power over me and I hope that one day I will overcome and crush it. It was still an amazing experience in which I learned a lot about myself. One of the lady bungee staff talked to me after and told me it was okay and that it was a good learning experience. I still had tons of fun watching 23 amazing Global LEADers jump off a crazy bridge into the Corinth Canal! It was totally worth it!
After bungee, we took a boat ride down the canal. It was cool looking up at the bridge and seeing it from a different perspective. The boat dropped us off for lunch in a little town. Then it was back to Glyfada.
Day 20: Saturday we spent the day relaxing and packing for Crete. On the way to dinner, Dustin (one of the other CGLs) challenged me to turn off my BlackBerry for 72 hours. I was a little hesitant but I knew it would be good for me. So I handed it over to him until Tuesday after class. I was excited to see what it would be like without my phone. We had ate with our community groups and discussed our feelings about the trip so far. It was great to get to know the girls in my group a little better. Then we checked out of our hotel in Glyfada and took our bus to a port in Athens. Our ferry ride to Crete was 8 hours long overnight. It was amazing to see all the Athens lights at night from the top deck of the boat.
Day 21: Sunday we arrived in Crete at 6:00am. On our bus ride to the hotel, we got to see our first sunrise on the island! It was gorgeous bright orange and red. The villas we are staying in are so adorable and we have an amazing view of the ocean from our balcony! But it was so early and we didn't really get much sleep so as soon as I got everything moved into our villa, I went right back to sleep. I woke up to eat breakfast and then went right back to sleep. For lunch, I split a margarita pizza from the hotel with Rachel. It was so delicious! One of my bucket list goals for the trip is to write in my journal every day from now on (because I've been slacking). The last time I wrote in my journal was Day 3 which is sad. But at least my blog has been almost like a journal. Tonight we had a group dinner on a rooftop of a restaurant. I sat with one of our professors Craig and his wife Abby. It was great to get to know them a little better since they have to leave in a few days. I'm excited to be in Crete and for a change of scenery. I'm also ready to get down to business and start class tomorrow. Only 3 weeks left and I want to make the most of every minute!
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