By Anina Murray
My name is Anina Murray. I have already earned my A.A. degree and shall be transferring to USF (as SPC does not offer a degree in my field). My interest? English and Literature. I will be obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in English Education to help further my career of teaching at the collegiate level. Why am I taking this study abroad course if it has almost nothing to do with my major? Learning is tied to literature. Greek mythology was written down as literature: The Iliad, the Odyssey, Classical Drama, and Lyric Poetry. In addition, I have often been told (by various professors) that travelling abroad would widen my opinions, ideas, and perspectives. This seems necessary to become a future professor! As a cherry-on-top, Greek Mythology has been a favorite of mine for years.
1
Waking up on a plane was a new experience for me. I had fallen asleep on long car rides before, so this was very similar. The flight itself was rather relaxing and the view was breath-taking. I was so excited to see Greece; I could not fall asleep again. When the flight landed, I was ecstatic. This was the first time I had ever been outside of America! The plane ride to Kalymnos was a completely new experience too. It was a smaller, propelled plane, which is uncommon for flights. When we arrived on the island of Kalymnos, it was sunny and warm. The air smelled unpolluted and felt thicker than the air in Florida. My first impression of the hospitality on Kalymnos was instantaneous. We drank coffee at a café, as all the other stores were closed. I had mentioned how I was incredibly hungry to the other group members, unaware that our server had overheard. He had given us a plate of chips which I quickly devoured. As soon as I ate the last one, he returned with the bag and emptied it onto the plate! I felt so thankful for his kindness. It was the best first experience of Kalymnos!
2
Our first full day in Kalymnos, we visited many landmarks. The first was a castle on a cliff. It had been there since Byzantine times and had a church inside. Climbing up to the castle was a full workout, as the hill was quite steep. We had to then climb the steps in the castle. The whole time, we could see all over Kalymnos. The view was astounding. After that, we visited a historic museum. We learned about the depth of Kalymnos’s traditions and their history. It was beautiful to see the exhibit and then be able to take home a piece of it. Lastly, we visited the church of Saint Savva. Although we weren’t allowed to photograph anything, we did see where the saint lived, where he was buried, and the beautiful church there in the monastery. We also lit candles for the saint to pay our respects.
3
After getting ready, we all took a bus to the harbor where we boarded a boat and went to the island of Telendos. There, were visited various archeological sites. Most of the ruins were from the 6th century. We visited the oldest church in Greece on Telendos. Originally, it was the center hub of all religious activity, but after the earthquake in the 6th century it ceased to be as visited. Then we visited another church. This one was on a cliff, and we were able to go inside to see it. After all the climbing, and walking, we ate lunch on the island. The food was immensely fresh and perfectly made. Once we were all finished eating, everyone wandered around a bit to explore the island. I went into the ocean bare-footed, and came back with some rocks. The water lovely and cool. It was perfect.
4
On our last full day in Kalymnos, we visited two museums. The first was more of a house with exhibits and showcases. We met a woman named Calliope who gave a tour of Kalymnos and its history in fashion and culture. She spoke wisely about things that she had experienced and seen. After we were done, she gave us all nicknames from Greek mythology. Our guide, Evdoxia, showed us a film about the life of a sponge-diver. It was a very morose and emotional film. The men who have this occupation risk their lives to provide for their families. Afterwards, we toured a museum with many sculptures. They depicted Apollo, Athena, and other non-deities which displayed the Ancient Greek culture and life. Once the tours were all finished, Diana and I went off with Evdoxia to go shopping and mail some postcards. We met up with her friend Kalotina to enjoy lunch at a wonderful restaurant. We all decided to meet up again to eat dinner, and they said they would take us to dessert. We met up and had such a wonderful time with them! They came along with us for the rest of the night. It was a wonderful way to spend our last day in Kalymnos: with Kalymnians!
5
We flew off to Athens! After spending the night celebrating our last night, we were all very tired. The plane ride was quite bittersweet because we all had become attached to Kalymnos. Once we arrived at the hotel, Rosalie and I did laundry the old fashioned way. Once it was hung out to dry, we relaxed and took a nap. Some other people went out to the temple of Zeus while we napped. When we woke up again, we went out for sushi. Then we returned to the hotel so that we could wake up early enough for the next day.
6
We woke up at 6:30AM in order to eat breakfast and board the bus to Delphi. The ride there was 3.5 hours, during which most people slept. We made one stop in order to get food and coffee. We finally arrived in Delphi around 11:30PM. We walked all the way up to the stadium of Dionysus, past the temple of Apollo, the theatre, and all the other ruins. After hiking back down the mountain, we walked to the museum where we were lucky enough to see the Greek architecture that had survived. We finally saw one of the only complete bronze statues in decent condition. Lunch was paid for at a restaurant. The food was amazing, and the people were so hospitable. I felt as though we were back in Kalymnos! We finished the day by shopping in Arachova, and then headed back home.
7
Waking up early again was pretty hard. We boarded the bus, and everyone fell asleep as soon we could. One unexpected stop was to see an enormous man-made canal. The water was so blue, it reminded me of the grey colour of canals back home. This just emphasized how beautiful Greece is, whether it is something as simple as a canal or a view from a mountain. Being able to see the theatre, and experience its acoustics was beyond anything that I could have imagined. One of the biggest problems musicians deal with is the fact that microphones often distort the sound of their voices. It is a problem I have had to deal with myself many times. The fact that an ancient civilization was capable of overcoming this barrier is so astonishing. The concerts performed there must have been so beautiful and pure. Then we travelled to Mycenae, the site of the play, Agamemnon. There we saw a castle which had a beautiful view and a tomb where many royal Mycenaeans were buried.
8
Today was definitely the best day of the trip. Originally, I hadn’t planned on coming to Greece because of the brevity of the trip. However, when I saw that I would be able to spend my birthday in Greece, I was ecstatic. I woke up early and received birthday wishes from loved ones. Then, I readied to see the Acropolis and Parthenon. I was so excited to be able to see these historic monuments on this special day. They were so much more beautiful than any photo could portray. The view was unique and moving. The amount of history was mind-blowing. Greece was the best choice to make. I don’t regret anything about this trip. I have learned so much about the culture, the history, and the people. Afterwards, we headed to the Acropolis Museum so that we could view more of the buildings that had been removed for preservation. When we were released on our own to explore the city, a group of us toured the Temple of Hephaestus. Unlike the other sites that we saw, we were able to view these artifacts in a closer, more personal way that I loved. It was also so nice and quiet. The amount of tourists was not something that I anticipated when planning this trip. Afterwards, we stumbled upon a little flea market and bought some small trinkets. It was a wonderful birthday!
9
On our last full day in Greece, we went to a museum together rather than spend it on our own. There we saw so many beautiful sculptures and magnificent artifacts. The sculptures were fascinating. The amount of effort put into each individual piece and the meaning behind all the little details really impressed me. Afterwards, we went out for lunch together. Dinner was later in the night. The next morning, we had to get up early in order to catch our flight back home. I am definitely going to miss Greece, especially the friends that I made and the people that I met on Kalymnos. I feel so thankful to the International Program for allowing us to go and for helping me specifically. I never could have gone to Greece without their help!
Image: Anina in Greece by Anina Murray