HOME

Well it's official I'm home. I've been in the States a little over a week, it's been an adjustment getting back into my American groove :) My last days in Greece were filled with happiness and fun times. Our last weekend we took a ferry to Skiathos Island, it was a great weekend. The island offered gorgeous views, beautiful water, and plenty of elder British folk to keep us entertained. We were able to see some beautiful beaches, take a fun boat cruise, and enjoy our last friend time in Greece. Our final days in Alikes involved some rainy weather, beach time, and plenty of good byes. It's hard having to leave behind a life I had come to enjoy, a lot! I'll never forget the experiences I had on this trip, the friends I made, and the lessons I learned. The only thing I wish I could have changed was adding just a little bit more time :)

Thessaloniki, Istanbul, and Kavala

Hello, it's official I can cross of another continent on my list. But I will get to that in a second :) Our journey to Turkey began on an early morning day, with a few stops before arriving. Our first day on our Turkey trip had us stopping in Thessaloniki, Greece. Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, and we had yet to see it since being on the trip. Our teachers provided a tour guide and showed us the city through walking. I liked Thessaloniki, but when getting towards the end of this trip, we were getting touristy tired. We saw some churches, ancient ruins, and the sea walk. I have to admit, the Volos sea walk is better, in my opinion :) The next day we began our very long bus ride to Istanbul, we left around 10 in the morning, and didn't arrive until around 9 at night. The only place we went to in Turkey was Istanbul, but we could already see the differences between Greece and Turkey when we arrived. Turkey is a more well off, than Greece and there were many wealthy people walking around. We had to make sure to hold our tongues and not speak any Greek, because the Turks and Greeks do not get a long at all. When we arrived in Istanbul, which has 16 million people, by the way!, we went to their main square for supper. It was packed with so many people. The square we were at was modernized with many shops, and restaurants, and sky scrapers in the background. The next day we saw the Old City of Istanbul. We went and saw the Blue Mosque first which is still a mosque today. It was beautiful, amazing architecture and wonderful painted designs. In order to go in I had to wear a skirt, and if one wanted the ladies could cover their head with a scarf. Our next spot was the Hagia Sophia, which is one of the seven wonders of the world. It was beautiful as well. It began as a Christian church and was then converted to a mosque, and now it is a museum. Once again the architecture was amazing, and the place is very big, with tall balconies, big chandeliers, and beautiful mosaics. After the Hagia Sophia our teachers to the Grand Bazaar and left us on our own. The Grand Bazaar is truly grand, it has rows, and rows, and rows of shops where you can find and barter for clothes, antiques, spices, and other things. It was crazy. Although I would have loved to buy many things, I held on to my purse and saved my money :) The next day we went to Tokapi Palace. It was big as well, lots of buildings, gardens, and jewels. Once of the biggest jewels was a huge diamond, now safely on display. We then crossed a bridge and arrived in Asia :) Every day Turks cross the bridge and go from Europe to Asia, back and forth. It doesn't look any different, but the place we stopped at was really pretty. We took a boat ride on the Bospohrous River and saw Istanbul in a different light. Our last stop of the day was at a spice market, I didn't buy any spices, but I was able to see the set of the new James Bond movie...that was really awesome.  All in all Istanbul, was a nice place but it wasn't my favorite. Now don't use my opinion to create your experience, I think if we would have went earlier in the trip, I would have seen Istanbul in a new light. On our way back we stopped and slept in Kavala, Greece a sea side town which was really nice. My favorite part was seeing  a carnival set up for that night, lots of happy kids and families running around :) 

Happy Just To Be.

Hello! I apologize for not writing in awhile, but last week I was really busy working on a group project and then  I was gone for about six days in Turkey. I'm not going to talk about Turkey today, I'll save it for my next post. I would like to talk about my amazing daily life. Every morning I wake up to the sunshine pouring through the windows, and the sounds of daily Greek activity. I have to get up around eight every morning so I can get to the bus by nine-thirty. I, slowly, get out of bed, get ready, and head down to breakfast. After breakfast we head for the bus to get to Volos, where our language class is. The bus ride takes about fifteen minutes, and it's about a ten minute walk to get to the building. Our class lasts an hour, and afterwards I usually try to take the next bus back so I can enjoy Alikes more. The weather has been wonderful, so every free moment we have we are out at the beach. I love the beach, it is so calming and relaxing. Some days I'll swim, other days I'll toss a frisbee, and when I really want to relax, I'll just lay out and enjoy the breeze. Yesterday, was a fun day, the majority of our group went to the beach, and we had a wonderful four hours of swimming, taking pictures, and having lots of fun. I'm so fortunate to be able to get along with everyone :) Being with twenty people all the time can be tough, but I believe in staying out of everyone's business and being kind to everyone. I don't have much time left here, and I'm sad and happy at the same time. I'm going to miss Alikes a lot, especially the beach and the people I've gotten to know. I am happy to see my family and friends, and share the crazy adventures I've been on. It's a wonderful feeling knowing how blessed I am and I thank God every day. I hope you all have a wonderful end to spring, and great beginning to summer. Will write soon. Sarah.

Spring break..living my dream!

Hello! I am safely back in Greece, a little jet lagged, but extremely happy :) My spring break was a dream come true and I am so happy I was able to see the cities I have always wanted to visit!

Our trip began in Frankfurt, Germany. Frankfurt is known as the business center of Germany and it appeared to be. There were a lot of guys in suits and carrying brief cases. While in Frankfurt we went to the Frankfurt Zoo and the Natural History Museum. Both were fun and interesting, but not German enough for me ;) We also explored its main center and walked around for a bit. I bought some German gummies, and some German streusel. All in all Frankfurt was okay, I just wish there was more to see!

Our next adventure was London and there was plenty to see! I am officially in love with London! We arrived around 7 in the morning, hopped on the Tube, and began our adventure. London has so much to offer, so much history to see! We stopped at Baker Street and visited 221B Baker Street...also known as Sherlock Holmes house :) It was pretty cool. We took a free walking tour, and our tour guide was excellent, he was able to show us all the amazing well known sites, and also provide some cool stories too. I was fortunate enough to see Buckingham Palace, Green Park, Clarence House, St. James Place, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, House of Parliament, and an old bomb shelter from WWII. The tour was excellent! Our guide even took us too a pub, where they served some delicious fish and chips. It was the perfect birthday!
Our next day we went and saw the London and Tower Bridge. So cool! From a distance we saw the tower of London as well. Since we were on a bridge, we saw the Thames river flowing. We were in a popular area which was near the Rose and Globe Theater, famous because of Shakespeare! We also saw the Millennium Bridge which was featured in Harry Potter 7 pt. 1 :) We then took the tube to King's Cross Station where I found the portal to Hogwarts, platform 9 and 3/4. It was sealed though, because it wasn't September ;) Our journey ended by taking a train to Holyhead, England to catch our ferry to Dublin. The train was amazing, I was able to see the English countryside, it is my dream to live in a cottage some day in England!

We hopped on our ferry and arrived in Dublin bright and early! What I liked most about Dublin was the atmosphere. Everyone was friendly, and enthusiastic! Our first night there we joined a pub crawl, drank a Guinness(not my drink) and met some new people. We were able to listen to some amazing, live music and have a good time. We then took a tour the next day and I learned some interesting things about Dublin and took some nice pictures of it's history. I wish we were able to see the countryside of Ireland, but unfortunately we didn't have the time, but I will be back.

We then moved on to Amsterdam. Amsterdam was very different. As most people know it is famous for legalized marijuana, and the Red Light District. But it also offers some amazing architecture and canals. Once I got away from the Red Light area and saw more of traditional Amsterdam I really liked it. We ate some Dutch pancakes while we were there, and they were yummy. We also took a night canal ride, which was a lot of fun! I was lucky enough to go to see the Anne Frank House, which was very sad. One thing you will notice in Amsterdam is the locals bike everywhere. It was very cool to see, and I wish America was set up for better transportation besides cars! Something to think about, I guess :)

Lastly, our long but amazing journey ended in Paris! Yes, Paris, my very close second favorite to London! The very first landmark I was able to see around 7 in the morning was the Eiffel Tower. It was surreal. I could not believe I was looking at something so expansive, beautiful, and timeless. My whole time in Paris I couldn't let it sink in I was actually there :) For breakfast I ate a chocolate croissant which was heaven! We then went and the saw the Basilica of Sacred Heart, we had to climb about three hundred steps, but the view of Paris was worth it :) We also saw the Moulin Rogue, Arc du Triomphe Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore, the Seine River, the Lover's bridge, and we watched the sunset near the Louvre. It was an amazing day and a wonderful end to our adventure! Our last goodbye was to the Eiffel Tower which we saw lit up a night, it was perfect! I can't wait to go back :)

On My Own

Hello! Tomorrow I'm off on Spring Break. I will be traveling to Frankfurt, Germany, London, England, Dublin, Ireland, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Paris, France. I'm excited but also really nervous! I won't write much today, but when I come back I promise I'll have some more detailed adventures ready to share :)

A piece of home

Hello! Today was a really wonderful day. I found out that I am an Aunt, again! Evynn Anne was born April 4th and she is beautiful. I wish I could go home for the Easter holiday, and spend time with my family whom I miss so much :) Above is the picture of the foothill we climbed and behind us is Alikes where we live. Wonderfully enough, Volos has a movie theater and five of us went to see Titanic in 3D! It was my dream come true, Titanic will always be my favorite movie, ever since I saw it at the young age of six I knew that I would love it forever. (Tears were shed a lot today ;-)) Hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Easter-Sarah.

Happiness is...

Hello, so I apologize for not writing in awhile, but I am in Greece so I must "seize the day." Life is wonderful for me :) And partly it's because I am in the beautiful country of Greece, but it's also because I am so blessed to have wonderful family and friends who support me, and wonderful friends on this trip. Last Thursday we took a trip up to a village town in the Pelion mountains. The village was my kind of place: quaint, rustic, and views to "kill" for. We didn't have much time, but just being able to see Volos from a new perspective was great. I did a little shopping, and a lot of picture taking. The streets are made of stones, and require some caution when walking them, and they go so high the villagers use donkeys to carry their bags. Unfortunately, we took the wrong paths and no donkeys were seen, but they had left little "presents" behind. ;)  The weekend flew by and now it is already Tuesday! I can't believe how fast the time is going. Today, I strapped on my "adventure" shoes and climbed (yes, climbed) a very steep foothill that had amazing views of Alikes (where we stay). The climb gave me some new battle wounds, which I'm very proud of, and also reminded me that I can do anything if I try. I'm going to keep my positive attitude up, and live life to the fullest. Life is too short to be anything but positive and happy. I leave for Spring Break a week from tomorrow, and I can't wait. I'll turn twenty-one in London, which is wonderful to say, the only wish I'm making is to have my friends and family with me, but at least they'll be there in spirit. Love and miss you all-Sarah.

Greece..the good life.

These past two days have been filled with homework and procrastination. Yes, even in Greece we had to do a little studying. Yesterday, we had language class, which we all like. It's only an hour, but it's a lot of fun to learn something new. Their alphabet is very different from ours, their "P" is our "R" and their "v" is our "n." Yup, confusing! We finished the alphabet today, and while we were learning, we also learned a few words. My favorite is Zoi (kind of pronounced Zoey) which means life. Right now I'm living the kalizoi (good life). Yesterday, for lunch, the morning language group all ate at Roma's Pizza, it was so good :) I'm always a fan of pizza and pasta!  Today, was a bit cloudy, and I spent my time inside. By four it was sunnier so I headed to the beach to read for class. It was a bit chilly but the view was, as always, beautiful. The sea was crashing today, and when I heard it, it reminded me of a song I enjoy. Symbol In My Driveway, by Jack Johnson, begins with the sea heard in the background. So listen to the song and you can hear what I heard today, and you'll be one step closer to Greece :)  Miss and love you all!

Adventure in Athens

Well, I'm officially back from my three days in Athens. Before we left I was a little nervous going, because the media only reports the bad news from Athens. I was proved wrong, though, Athens was wonderful. Our group was lucky and our hostel we stayed in, was close to everything we saw. Our first day we saw the Arch of Hadrian, the Temple of Zeus (pictured above), the Olympic Stadium, Parliament, the Changing of the Guards, and the Acropolis Museum. It was a great day, a lot of walking, but everything is in close proximity to each other. That night I participated in karaoke night, which was a lot of fun :) Lots of American songs were played so it felt like home. I also made some new friends from Canada, and I was able to give them a night tour of Athens, and in turn I was shown the city of Athens lit up at night. We had to climb uphill for a bit, but it was worth it. The next day our mission was to see the Parthenon, unfortunately it involves a lot of walking uphill, it took about three hours to get to the top, but we stopped often at certain spots, to see more amazing views, and sculptures. We finally made it to the top and it was pretty cool :) The rest of the day was ours, so of course, we went shopping. I was able to get all my gifts for my family and friends! Our last day was not the best, because we were all so tired. We took a subway to the National Archaeological Museum, and we headed home! It was a very successful trip, and I'm so happy I was able to experience it! I'm sad to report we did eat some McDonald's, but it was good to have some American food, we made up for it by eating some delicious gelato! Miss and love you all!

Took a stroll through the market

Today was a fun day. We had a combination art and food lecture, which resulted in a field trip to the Volos farmers market.  The market offered a variety of seasonal vegetables and fruits. There was also fish, grains, flowers and some knick knack tables. We had an assignment which was to walk and view the stalls and observe the interactions, food, and other things. With our observations we had to sketch in our journal. I'm the worst artist so sketching wasn't the best, but the viewing was fun. I was able to buy some fresh yummy strawberries, and some beautifully smelling flowers. After our sketching we had a discussion on Greek food, and more on Greek culture. We learned that Greeks eat seasonally, so they always have something to look forward to each season. We also learned that many Greeks follow a vegan diet during Lent, which is very interesting to me. We'll have a religion lecture later in the trip, and we'll learn more about their Lenten ways. After class, Pita and I, bought a cheese pie from a bakery right near our bus stop, it was delicious :) After getting back to our hotel I finished my homework and headed to the beach, it was great. I'm now working on my tan (or my sunburn ;-)) and I listened to some Jack Johnson, while admiring the sea. I tried skipping rocks, but...I failed! haha
Last night we met some locals who are very kind. They're father and son, and not originally from Greece, but they love the Greek life. Ferris is the dad, and Sheyan is the son, who is 18. Their easy to get along with, and they provided wood for a bonfire. Coincidentally, Ferris has been to Nebraska, he lived in California for awhile, and traveled all over the states. He's a very funny man. P.S. they lived in England for awhile, so they speak with an English accent! (Yup, life is good!)
Love and miss you all, Sarah.
P.P.S.: tomorrow we head to Athens, until Saturday! Woot, woot! So I'll write again later!

I see seafood!

Hello! Tried some delicious seafood, and I'm not allergic ;-) At the top the far left was an oily fish, I didn't like it, the pic of green leaves and meat on top is octopus! So good, yes I Sarah Simon, tried octopus and liked it :-) I know most people say this phrase but it really did "taste like chicken." The far back pick was potato salad, which some people liked..I personally don't like it in general. The bottom picture was the best round. At Tsiparo (sp?) bars, they bring out a round of Tsiparo (which is similar to ouzo-but too much like black licorice, not my thing) and then they bring out a round of "snacks" which was our first course the top picture. The bottom picture was my favorite round, the red plate that looks like lobster, is actually roasted red pepper, with feta cheese inside-yummy. The far back picture tasted like meat, but was mushrooms! And the right plate was fried cod, we think. All in all it was a yummy lunch. I'm glad I expanded my taste buds and gave everything a try, I will definitely bring my "try everything" attitude back to the states :) Love and miss you all!

Seashell Sunday!

Today was a beautiful day :) Pita and I spent our afternoon  eating a nice lunch, spaghetti carbonara, and walking along the beach finding seashells. It was so simple and relaxing. Family is very important in the Greek culture, and today a lot of families were out eating, chatting, and enjoying the weather. One major difference between the Greeks and Americans (at least Midwest people) is the temperature. I thought today was very warm, so my outfit of capris and a short sleeve shirt was perfect for me; until we walked along the beach and I saw two ladies with winter coats on! I felt way under dressed! But my discomfort was overshadowed by my happiness. I'm so grateful to be here, and I can't wait to enjoy the rest of the days I have. If only homework wouldn't get in the way! Love and miss you all!

Happiness is...enjoying every moment :)

Yesterday was once again a good day! We didn't have language class, so I was able to sleep in and get ready for our  first lecture at 2. The night before our group built a bonfire on the beach and had a great time. Unfortunately, we dealt with our first "creeper" who wanted to hang out with our group, but was a little too freaky. Once he whipped out a chainsaw out of his trunk, hopefully for the wood, we bolted and headed back to the hotel. It was a fun night though. Yesterday, our history lecture went from 2-5, it was too long, and I'm pretty sure I fell asleep once or twice, whoops! After class, we headed back to our village and found some much needed coffee and food. Greek coffee is amazing, I had a mochachinno, which is chocolate heaven, and today I had a cappuccino, yum! We ate at Smashing for supper, it was so good. I had carbonara pasta, and it was delicious! After, supper, I spent the rest of the night booking my flights for spring break, not the best time. Today, we went to class, and came prepared with coffee! Love and miss you all!

When in Volos drink Ouzo!

Today is a beautiful day! I could not be happier! Pita, my Zeta sister and roomie, and I woke up around 7: 45 this morning, thanks to the wonderful sun and got ready for the day. We had language class at 10 so we had to be at the bus a little after 9. When arriving to Linguaplus--our language school, Sol one of our instructors had a surprise for us...Ouzo! Bright and early at 10 I was taking a shot! It was good, some of us compared it close to  a vodka like liquor. After our pick me up we learned good morning- kalimera (which is not even close to the Greek spelling) good afternoon- kalispera (once again the spelling is just to help us pronounce) and good evening- kalinitha. We also learned hello (pronounced ya sue) and goodbye (pronounced Adio) It was so much fun, my instructor Valentina (pronounced ValenDina) is amazing and I can't wait to get to know her more. After class we took a walk along the pier and stood in awe of the amazing views :) It truly made me so happy. The rest of the days was ours and we filled the time with shopping, looking, eating, and a lot of people watching. It's  5 here now, and I'm about to start my homework and practice my Greek spelling for tomorrow's class. Life is wonderful :-) Miss and love you all!

My first Volos experience!

View from my balcony in Greece :-)

Today was a great day. I woke up around 8 in the morning, took a shower (no shower curtain, have to get used to that!!) and ate breakfast in the hotel dining room. They typically serve bread, meat, cheese, cereal, yogurt, and orange juice. We took a bus to Volos and explored! We were very touristy today, which for today was okay...but I can't wait to act like a local. We were shown where we are going to take our language class, and I can't wait! The teachers seem so nice, Sol will be our main teacher--he's really friendly. After that we were shown the general area of Volos, shops, groceries, markets, food! We ate on the sea walk at Casa Pizza, soooo yummy :) I bought shampoo (herbal essence) and also bought water, bread, and nutella. I took a siesta, and then had supper! I had my first gyro, which is a pita filled with meat, (pork), a special sauce, tomatoes, and  fries( yup fries) it was delicious! I also tried epso which is carbonated lemonade..not bad! I took a walk along the beach, and admired the local eateries, we stopped at a bakery and I bought a sugar doughnut, and a hazelnut chocolate ball. That's about it, it's 11 30 now so I'm trying to write everything out and get to bed. We have language class from 10-11 and a short lesson after, then the day is mine! Can't wait to explore and learn more :-) Miss and love you all!

Journey to the Sea!

Hello! I'm in Greece! The journey was great, a little long, but there was so much to see! Can't wait to give you more of an update on my journey---I will write soon! Love you all!

Greece2012

Hello, this is my first post. Today is Thursday March 8, 2012 and I am leaving the country on Sunday! I can't believe the time has come and I'm so excited. I can't wait to share my experiences with you, and show you how much fun traveling can be :-)