Hello Greece.

At the top of the Parthenon

Flying into Athens filled me with childlike excitement and as I walked down the automatic pathways through the airport corridors towards the exit I felt weightless and energetic, regardless of not sleeping a wink the night before. With Google Maps at the ready, I found my way to the Parthenon via bus and by foot to kill time before meeting with an AIESEC member who I would with travel to Patras. Smiling greeks, hurrying tourists, colorful graffiti and countless kitties lined the path to the the Parthenon. A couple of times I questioned my decision to visit this archaeological destination because of the hundreds of steps that lay before me and I had my suitcase and a 20 pound backpack. I accepted the sore back and shoulders which would follow and pressed on. I couldn't be happier with my decision because once I reached the top not only was there free storage for my luggage but entrance for that day was also FREE! After a thorough exploration of the ruins I sleepily made my descent back to the city center to meet the fellow AIESECer, Michalis, who is a super guy! We got to know each other over a pre-dinner snack of savory greek pastry stuffed with mashed potatoes and oregano; delicious. Together we took a train then bus to Patras where we found my lovely host waiting for us, Kon. He is also a greek AIESECer who is sweet as can be and always smiling. The three of us went to dinner and I got a falafel sandwich that had french fries in it which wasn't bad but still weirds me out a little bit. After the guys briefly showed me around the city center, Kon and I said "goodbye" to Michalis and headed towards my new temporary home. During this 20 minute walk we told each other about ourselves, our families and discussed cultural differences. Once we arrived to his adorable home he showed me around and informed me of the basic need-to-knows before heading off to bed. That night I fell asleep almost instantly and most likely with a smile on my face. 

Pussycatius: God of Entitlement

Rad Athenian graffiti