First Guest in Greece

October of 2018 was a really special time. I had been living in Athens for one month, had started my master's program, and finally had my bearings and felt settled. A close friend of mine (who I grew up playing tennis with), Caroline, had just finished up her last tournament for the season, and called to see if I was open to having a visitor. I excitedly prepared for my first official guest in my new home.

When Caroline arrived, I was elated to introduce her to the beauty of Athens: the amazing food, stunning culture, exciting nightlife, and incredible history. On her second day in Athens, I took her walking into the beauty of Plaka, where we spoke with some of the more famous vendors, and then headed up to the Parthenon, and finally through the new Acropolis Museum. At the end of my tour, she smiled at me, saying "I can't believe how much you know about this city after just one month." As we laughed, I reminded her that I had visited twice before, in addition to taking on this beautiful culture as one of my undergraduate degrees.

The next days were spent shopping in Kolonaki, exploring the city, and overall having a wonderful time with my friend. That weekend, we decided to spontaneously go to Mykonos. That was the final weekend of the "season" in Mykonos, so we were able to find beaches, bars, and restaurants to go and enjoy. Of course, the end of the season is not as busy as the rest, but in hindsight that turned out to be to our advantage. We met many locals and learned a lot about the beautiful island of Mykonos.

Upon our return to Athens, we enjoyed our final day at a local soccer match (of course, "football" here), which took place at the Olympic Stadium of 2004. At night, we recapped our newest "inside jokes," sharing lots of laughs and joy.