So, as I come out of the metro station in downtown Athens, what is the first thing I see.
Well, in front of me is the New Acropolis Museum, so next to it is…….
the ACROPOLIS!
That’s right, the first landmark I see if the Acropolis. Great first image of Athens 🙂
eco-friendly, bio-degradable glitter,
but glitter, non-the-less
I was so afraid that I wouldn’t be able to go.
I have only 16 more hours till I leave on my Air France flight for Athens, Greece. I am so excited to be back after waiting five years. I have chosen my classes, figured out my capstone research, found out who my room-mates will be, and google-mapped my apartment building in the Pangrati area of Athens. I have packed and unpacked, shopped till I dropped, and ran around town completing all the paperwork that I need.
The hardest part (so far) was getting all the paperwork completed. Starting in December, I frequently called the FBI trying to find out the status of my fingerprints. I would call every week in December, and daily in January. Finally, I was notified that my prints would come in on the 21st of January, the day I leave. After getting of the phone with the representative, I lay on the couch, depressed. I had no idea what I was going to do. I needed the paperwork to give to the consulate for my Visa, and I wasn’t going to get it. Would this be my pitfall? I have waited five!!!! FIVE YEARS!!! to go back in study abroad in Greece. So, that day i watched way to many episodes of Parks and Rec, wallowing in pity, and depressed that I wouldn’t be able to go.
The next day I learned about the chandlers and made an appointment for the next day. The company I went though said the results would get back to me in 3 – 5 days. However, it took five hours. I then called the Houston consulate and they said my Visa would take a day to process. THIS WAS THE BEST NEWS! I was able to go!!!!
So now, I have less than 16 hours till my Air France flight to Athens, and I an totally STOKED!!!
To Do:
1. Dye hair teal — CHECK
2. Eat all the guacamole, TexMex, Bar-B-Que, Dr, Pepper and Texas sweet tea — CHECK
3. Visit Agora with the besties one last time — CHECK
4. Visit my peeps at SU — CHECK
I have completed my fun TO DO list before leaving for Athens in 16 hours.
After being accepted into the CYA program, it has been difficult for me to study, write papers, and do my homework. All I have been doing lately is reading websites, book, and blogs about Greece;
and of course, I knew this would happen.
I can’t wait for Winter break to come along so I can study up on modern Greek, read about the culture, find fun spots to hang in during my stay Athens, and go SHOPPING for winter clothes and new school supplies.
Aside from reading websites, I wonder about my academic life will be like. I wonder who my roommates will be, will we get along, what my classes will be like, if they will be hard, easy, what places I will travel too, and what new adventures I will go on.
Well, I better go back to not working on my homework, and starting it at 2am.
I knew this would happen, MLe
For five years I have been waiting to go back to Greece.
As of yesterday, I was accepted into the study abroad program CYA in Athens, Greece. Since I was a junior in high school, I have been wanting to participate in this program and I have worked extremely hard to get into it. I am really exited to have been accepted and work with such a prestigious program. I look forward to expanding my knowledge of both ancient and modern Greece, living like an Athenian, and meeting new and exciting people. I feel honored to have been invited to be a CYA student for the Spring 2012 school year.
There will be many more posts to come, discussing my joy, fears, anxiety, and overall love of what I will be experiencing pre-and-post adventures in Greece and in Europe.
A new and exciting adventure awaits – MLe
The Glitter Goddess 