Greece Journal Entries Final Day 13

Thursday: February 2nd, 2017.

As promised I have posted all my entries of my Greece trip within one week, scroll below to catch up! I posted 3 a day, except for the last one to conclude my whole trip, thoughts, feeling, etc. If you'd like to hear more about it, or pictures, just let me know. Now for my final entry of my Greece diaries. 

Day 13: January 14th, 2017.

 My official last day of Greece before getting up at 3 am to get to the airport and catch a plane back home to America. Not ready for about 20 hours of traveling, jet lag and back to school sleep patterns. We'll be on the plane at about 7 am Greece time and back home will be 12am. And we will literally be on the 15th for two days straight since home is 7 hours behind. Leaving on the 15th and still the 15th when I get back. But today is my last minute packing, I gathered my stuff up, but I know I won't have enough room and am planning my how will I shove this all in my suitcase. Especially knowing i'm already going to be charged and overweight fee at this point of stuff, but oh well that is Greece shopping for you. I planned to make this my best day yet, well I thought so in my head, but then at the same time I am so won out and just want to relax. I needed a laid back sort of day. My last day for my double cappuccino sweet and cheese pie, grabbed that for my breakfast. And decided to head back to the market for last minute shopping. And Ponchos are in style again, so ended up with this thick beautiful poncho like something Blair Waldorf wore on Gossip Girl. Also purchased some more last minute gifts including these cute Athen tea mugs with the spoons and the good luck cats eye. After this we made it back for our farewell lunch with Jan. It was a communal type of feast. It included tyziki sauce which I was so obsessed with the way it was made here and kept eating it, using french fries, bread, everything int it. Also we had shared bread, greek salad, fries and then our official dinner plate. Which at that point I was too stuffed for. I got a spinach and rice dish but it ended up with way more spinach then expected. It was alright, so I just kept adding tyziki sauce to it. The whole sharing part of lunch was so good. So much good tasting food and we had cokes as well. Also after lunch we got to see our teachers amazing apartment, which was so retro cute with a great view, I wish we got treated with an apartment like this. After that we went to Bershka which was near our apartment. It is a store like H&M, cute clothes, reasonable quality, same style. Which is wear I shopped a little more, when I don't need to be shopping so much more. But it is the point of being like "I got this in Greece," when people ask. It was great deals though, after this we headed back home to relax and pack. I showered and packed and cleaned up. We thought about heading back to gallery cafe since they were doing a 80s theme music event going on, but that didn't happen, too exhausted. I cleaned down the bathroom and my stuff up from the room and got my whole situation settle. Managed to shut my super heavy suit cases and relax. It was my last day to soak up my last experiences from Greece and moments. It was just a nice easy way to calm down and end it before heading to the Airport as 3:30am.

3:00am

I planned on staying awake, but ended up taking a power nap before the airport and woke up with a crazy allergic reaction. I kept waking up with my arms in pain and throat in a painful closing up feeling. I was trying to sleep it off, thinking it was nothing, but 3:00 am hit. I woke up to my arms with giant welts swelling up all red all over as well as my hands. In complete pain and my throat closing up. I chugged a bottle of water and everyone had their medicine packed away. All I could think about was just getting back home and trying to figure out what this reaction was too and how to get it to away. I contacted my parents and all they said was just to get on the plane and come home. Then getting to the airport was forever away. My arms and hands were in too much pain trying to get my bags to the car to the airport, but I managed. As well as we are on our way there and a girl happened to get stuck in the elevator so we are sitting around waiting a while until she had gotten out. We were not gonna leave her stuck in an elevator in Greece. That was just bad luck, I felt bad since people were just trying to leave without her but no we're waiting. Our teacher finally made it to our car after the incident and we headed to the airport. We checked our bags in and of course I got charged for overweight, but I expected it. After I could not find anywhere selling allergy medicine in the airport, ended up with ibprofun and coffee, not doing too much. But I just wanted to get home at this point and finally made it on a plane to Germany with a lay over then America. After this long trip it was great to be back in the states, at home, in bed.

-Jackie Kensey

After thoughts:

  I personally had enjoyed Greece, you can just tell by my entries, I was so excited to put my thoughts down for everyone to hear. I took down notes and wrote entries in a pocket diary every day, every chance I had gotten in between shopping, eating, and sleeping. Which it was not what the trip was even just about. It was the idea of experiencing life as someone other then the life you already live. It was more down to earth, not modern. From the shower, to the electric, to the wifi, all different. It is not bad to be different. Living in a modern age of technology it was quite refreshing. I would just use my phone to take pictures, update people to let them know I was okay. But the fact being 7 hours ahead of them, I was getting up when my family and friends back home were going to sleep and vise versa. It left very little time for communication and more time to soak in the Greece air and enjoy the experience. I agree I am very lucky to have been able to travel to such a beautiful country, something most people can't do, especially at my age. It was such a privilege to experience it the way I did as well. Most people travel just doing touristy things on vacation not actually getting to appreciate the cultural and experience as we have. It was an amazing trip and I would love to be able to experience more things like this from the future. It creates a whole new thought process for you, broadening your mind. And I was only there for two weeks, and I know there was so much more to see and do. And it is a place I would go back and visit again, not just for the beach and sangrias, but for the learning experience. And I took back not only knowledge, but a life within myself. I am truly honored to have been able to have gone to a place so wonderful.

Signing off

-Jackie Kensey