Your trip to Greece
My journey to Greece was a rather long one. It all started off with a two-hour ride to Newark airport. I got there three hours before my flight and my dad was there to help me check in. I made it through security relatively fast and this was a little bit of worry set in. I kept thinking that I forgot something, and I realized I forgot my watch. this was my first time flying internationally alone, so I was more nervous in general. I grabbed a quick bite before heading to my gate. Next, I boarded the plane and was taking off before I knew it. I had downloaded some movies for the flight, which was very helpful. I got excited a little too soon because I thought I had the row to myself, but then a girl came up to me and asked if she could sit next to me. There were two boys our age who didn’t stop talking the whole flight, which was pretty annoying. Luckily, I had my headphones and movie to keep me occupied. I had a layover in Oslo for quite a bit, so I decided to go to the lounge to grab a bite and do some work. I then got ready to board my next flight when I saw the same girl who I flew with from Newark waiting as well. I introduced myself and turns out that she was from Athens. We didn’t have seats together, but she ended up having an open one in her row so I took that seat. It was really nice, and we ended up talking the whole flight. It was great because she gave me some recommendations on what to do and where to go. We said our goodbyes at the baggage check off I went.
I had two days in Athens to myself. The first night I was really tired, so I just grabbed dinner from the kebab shop near the hotel the next day I had a food tour planned which I was really excited for. I knew it was going to be hot, but I didn’t anticipate just how hot it would be. My food tour guide was lovely and very informative. It was a street food tour so I got to see a lot of local joints that not everyone knows about. By the third hour, I was starting to not feel very good, so I decided to head back to the hotel for a nice nap. I then spent the evening wandering around and walking to Monastiraki Square to explore a little bit. The next day I visited Plaka, a neighborhood in Athens, to do some shopping. I spent my night checking out a local bar that the hotel recommended. before I knew it was time to check out the next day. I decided to wait in the hotel lobby and do some work until everyone came. I then grabbed a quick bite at the kebab shop again. The hotel offered early check in, so I decided to head up and freshen up. Then it was time for everyone to arrive from the airport. I headed downstairs to meet the group.
Reflect on your predeparture blog, what did you forget?
I didn’t really forget anything major which I was pleasantly surprised by. The only problem I encountered was one of my converters not working. I still had one functioning one though so I wasn’t too worried. other than that, I think my packing list really helped me not forget anything.
What have you seen so far in Athens that you are excited about?
The food tour got me really excited about exploring Athens. I hope to revisit some of these places during the rest of my trip.
How was dinner?
I had a really great time at dinner the first night. I got to know some people from FIU which was very nice. The place was called L’Amiral and was a Greek fusion restaurant. We started off with thick slices of toasted bread served with three different styles of dips. The entrée was grilled chicken with a citrusy orange sauce served with potatoes, broccolini, and a white sauce. The dessert was something new for me. It was a frozen yogurt on top of a cake of sorts with phyllo pastry. After dinner, I headed up to the rooftop bar at the hotel to have a drink with some new friends. We then called it a night and got some rest.