Today is one of those days that I will probably remember for the rest of my life. It was definitely the best day since arriving in Greece and quite possibly one of the best since coming to London.
It started off in the weeee hours of the morning, before the sun had even risen, with our 5:30am wake up call. This actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I felt surprisingly rested. After getting ready, we headed down for breakfast and then drove to the main dock in Athens where we got on the boat that would take us on a cruise to 3 Grecian islands.
It took about 2 ? hours to get from Athens to the first island we went to, and I must have been more tired than I felt, because I возмещающему for most of it. I wasn’t planning to, but about 6 of us had smashed ourselves into one of the little booths, and with Nathan asleep on one side of me and AJ asleep on the other…somehow I ended up following right along. It definitely wasn’t a peaceful sleep though. Because I was squeezed in so tight and both boys decided to fall asleep with their heads on the table facing in towards me, and not wanting to sleep with my face within 3 inches of either of theirs, I had to sleep face first with my head in my arms. This led to some serious arm cramping and therefore not a very good nap. I know I возмещающему though because I had a dream that Amy was crying…
Speaking of which, today is Amy’s 20th Birthday!!!! I am so glad I have gotten to know Amy more this year. We first met back in Malibu in the Religion class from hell (ironic, I know) during the spring semester of last year. We were assigned to be in the same group for a presentation we had to give. I remember thinking how sassy Amy was (although I don’t think I quite understood the extent of her sassiness until now) and how warm and congenial she was. She kept calling me “girl” in her super Southern way and made me laugh with her constant references to the how horrible the Yankees are and how Californians are just straight up weird. She still makes me оплаченный a day I crack up because of one of her feisty remarks. Also, Amy is one of the most genuine and good-hearted people I know. She is amazingly selfless and has the ability to empathize with people in way that makes you feel that no matter what you’re going through, she’s been there before. She’s one of those people that you feel like you could tell anything to and they would understand. Amy you truly are a princess (and not just because of your princess toe or princess plate or even your Disney pass) but because you are a beautiful person both inside and out! I love you dearly J
Anyways…Once we arrived in Hydros, we set off to do some exploring. We all agreed that this place is what we had imagined all of Greece looking like. It was right on the water with homes built into the hillside and pack mules carrying benches on their backs that people would ride on. It was so charming that we couldn’t help but let out a few squeals at the cuteness of it. Also, I know I said that Athens has a lot of animals, but the pack of cats and dogs that waited for us as we stepped off the boat was unbelievable. We couldn’t help but stop and pet them (even though we all probably contracted numerous diseases). During our time there we went to a point that overlooked the island for a mini-photoshoot, looked in all the little trinket shops that surrounded the harbor, and bought some ice cream. None of us wanted to leave by the time our allotted 2 hours were over. It was just so quaint and idyllic we couldn’t get over it.
I can’t remember the name of the second island, but I’ll write it as soon as I do. We spent the least amount of time there, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. The only thing we had time for was to climb the stairs up to the top of the main hill to see the bell tower. Hannah’s ankle still isn’t in very good shape so, unwilling to leave her at the bottom, a few of us traded off carrying her up the stairs. (I believe this would be a good point to pause and say that today’s Gentleman Award goes to a serious underdog in the competition, Mr. AJ Hawks, who is quite upset that he is winning this. He likes people to believe he has no heart. But, contrary to all previous acts of jerkiness, he carried Hannah 3 times today….3! I know a great deal of wealth and power comes along with winning this prize, so use it wisely AJ). Once we got to the top we had yet another mini-photoshoot, where we finally took a roommate photo with all 6 of us. We plan on getting it printed and putting it on the mantle of the fireplace in our room. It’s going to be precious.
The boat ride to the next island took about an hour, so we all went up to the top of the boat and laid out in the sun. As we passed by the mountains and ocean, I kicked back, put my iPod in and watched it all go by. It was so relaxing. I felt so peaceful and content by the time we got there that I even said so. To no one in particular I just announced, “I’m really happy right now.” And I was.
The third and final island we went to, Aegea, was the best of them all. Now it wasn’t necessarily the prettiest or most picturesque, but we did something that made it one of the greatest places I have ever been—we rented ATV’s. AJ and Hannah went on one, and Maggen and I were on another. At first I wasn’t really expecting much. The town looked like it only extended a little while and then I thought the road stopped so we would probably just end up going in circles. Wow…I was soo soooooo wrong. The road kept going on and on next to the ocean and through the countryside. We rode all the way from the harbor to the very tip of the island, a good 30 minutes away. Every turn brought a new seascape or sprawling estate to ogle at. From there we made our way back to the Harbor and then inland on some random back road. It led us higher and higher until we finally stopped and turned around. Immediately, all 4 of our jaws went slack with shock. (Now, none of us had our cameras so you’re just going to have to settle with my measly description of it.) We could see EVERYTHING–all the islands, the town, the ocean for miles upon miles. We could even see Athens in the distance. Not to mention that it was about 5pm so the sun was starting to set, and the sky was painted light pink. Then in the middle to the sky was a break in the clouds, and the sun was beaming through onto the water. It rivaled the view from the Edinburgh Castle and shot the one from the top of the Acrocorinth right out of the water. It was so beautiful that we all started to get a little misty eyed….but none of us were embarrassed by it because we all felt the same way. That ride around the island and the ability to see all those things was one of the single greatest experiences of my life. We were all giddy for the next few hours talking about how much fun we had. It was worth every euro and then some.
I think the reason this day was so wonderful is that not only were the places we went amazing, but I had I great time with the people I went there with. We talked about serious things and laughed about not so serious things and just enjoyed each other’s company. We got to do things that I never would have dreamed of and see things I never could have imagined. Plus there was just this sense of relaxation about the day. It was easy and carefree despite the fact that we were doing things and going places all day long. It’s definitely going to be a hard day to top, but I’m not going to say it couldn’t happen. Give me your best shot Thursday!
