day 3ish

hey again,
so the past day or so has been a whirlwind. i got my luggage! it was delivered to me without a suitcase and in a black plastic trash bag. it smelled of the shampoo and lotion that had exploded all over it, and it was ridden with coffee beans for some reason. clothes are stained but the laundry shop hooked me up... for 20e. we had two lectures yesterday and today with this professor named haris. he went to oxford and has the most amazing greek/british accent and was brilliant. we reviewed greek history, etc etc. last night we went out on the town, for a real greek evening- drinking a strong frappe (shaken iced coffee) at around 9pm and then dinner at 11ish and then sitting outside on a street full of bars for a few beers. i was told by a few greek men that i look like a california girl, and one called me a movie star. haha thank god i got my clothes back...
today we climbed a mountain called mount lycabetus (totally wrong spelling, i'll let you know the correct later). the view from the top is amazing. one can see the entire city, all of the roof tops glittering in the noonday sun... ok enough of that, but the view really was great and there are many pics to prove it.
probably the most impressive part of athens is that you can see the parthenon and the acropolis from almost anywhere. it has acted as our north star thus far, somehow guiding us back to our hotel after every impulsive excursion. in this way, the role these antiquities play in our lives here is much like the pru... ahh home.
well tonight we are off to a shmancy dinner, with unlimited wine. :-) but that's not until after nine. tomorrow we're headed to an athenian beach and then monday we leave for crete and will stay for a few days. so excited. i won't be able to write from there i'm sure. the island is supposed to be amazing.
oh and i had my first gyro last night... phenomenal. we found a really cheap place to get them and the beer is only 2,50e - half the price of everywhere else. we're excited to find bargains hahaha. others are waiting yet again so i will ttys. and there is just not time to post photos so they will have to wait until i get back. love you all and keep the comments comin

<3your>

p.s. kate that's very exciting about the roomie situation :-)
p.p.s. thanks, jim, for putting up the blinds.

she's heeeeeereeee

hi everyone,

i am indeed here, safe, sound and jetlagged. there have been a few obstacles along the way unfortunately. i didn't think to bring my student id card to get discounted rates on admission into antiquities, but so far my northeastern student insurance card has worked thankfully!!! another problem- much larger in scope- i am luggage-less. i have my carry-on, but for some reason my suitcase that i checked did not show up in athens. don't freak out, mama!! i'm hoping for the best, and the people at the airport were very optimistic, as another woman was missing hers as well. they should get back to me today at the hotel after the next flight from london arrives in athens. thank god i packed extra outfits in my carry-on, but i'm missing everything else. at least i also have my euros and passport and other key items like my camera. if it takes a couple days to get it back, i have an excuse to buy a new bathing suit!!! honestly, i have no idea how i'm staying calm, but i just can't imagine it not working out. ahh so deep breath. it is 5 p.m. here and we need to pull through the jet lag so we can sleep well tonight. we saw the acropolis today as well as the parthenon. the panoramic views of the city were phenomenal, with mountains surrounding three sides and the ocean on the fourth. absolutely breathtaking. random fact of the day: wild dogs are EVERYWHERE here! they just lounge around the antiquities like they own the place. i guess they were brought here after an occupation to represent freedom. interesting... well i will write more when i can. other people are waiting to use the computer. wish you all could be here with me! i know you're jealous. <3>

Drawing near...

So close to departure time. I've been gathering things that I want to pack... laughable what will fit... I rented a DVD about travelling to Greece from the library and it was phenomenal. I learned that Athens has terrible air pollution due to its traffic problems that is corroding the Acropolis and that the Greek islands have a happenin' gay scene. Somehow these little facts, among others, shook off all nerves, and now all that's left is excitement - well, not for smog, obviously. I just regret that I will not be able to make it to my sister's high school graduation in mid-June. Good luck and happy birthday, Julie!

Also, please feel free to comment on here. Thanks! Bye!

Home Sweet Home

I'm back in SW, after a rainy move-out of the lovely West Village C. Much shopping is definitely in order. Flip flops - clearly a top priority. Also, I'm riding my bike to the library tomorrow to get Eleni because the first book report is due on May 15! It's all becoming a reality... But I still can't believe I'll be in a foreign country in a little over a month. Summer 2007 BRING IT ON!!!

Spring semester is over

My middler year is complete. Just took my last final and I am free as a bird until June 6 when I will be flying to Athens to begin my month-long stay! Can't wait... but also can't figure out how to fit all of my shoes and a month's worth of clothes into one small suitcase and a carry-on. Ideas? Supposedly we'll have pretty regular access to an internet cafe across the street from our hotel so I'll try to post on this as often as I can to keep everyone updated on my adventures. Hopefully I will meet Kostas from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants... I'll let you know.