Written by Italy & Greece Student, Macey T.
This past week our group got to spend time on the beautiful island of Aegina!🌴Our wonderful group leaders on Crete, Elizabeth and Liam, booked a picturesque 3 story house, right on the ocean. The weather was on our side as well, allowing us to swim almost everyday! It truly was a little patch of paradise. Aegina is very famous for pistachios, and we did not take it for granted! I personally stopped by a quaint pistachio shop 3 times, finding something new and even more delicious each time😋 As well as a group pistachio tasting in our living room! It was a perfect place to relax and enjoy nature!
Our Highlights of the Week:
Choosing just 3 highlights is tough, the whole week was a dream! Although I know I speak for everyone when I say the day we got to spend on a boat and sail from island to island exceeded expectations! We swam in turquoise waters 🌊 into a cave, got to see Peacocks and Deer up close, and had a DELICIOUS meal provided by the captain on a tiny little island 🏝️ . The sun was shining and it was the recharge everyone needed!
This week we got to celebrate the 18th birthday of Sydney! 🥳 Per her request, roasted garlic red pepper olive oil noodles were made, with sautéed broccoli and a beautiful chocolate cake! Sydney is such a bright light in our group and we felt honored to get to celebrate a milestone birthday with her!
This may sound crazy, but having a kitchen to prepare food in was a huge highlight. Don’t get me wrong, the food in Greece is AMAZING, but sometimes a home cooked meal of french fries and pizza rolls hits different. 😉
But growth always comes with challenge … what challenges did you overcome this week?
Because it is the off season in Greece, many forms of transportation were limited. Finding accurate bus times and rides to places was challenging at first, but in the end it was a good growing experience in problem solving and planning ahead! Also thanks to our OE’s, we were able to see places we otherwise couldn’t access by bus. 😘
What are you grateful for this week?
There is so much to be grateful for, but the sunshine, and chance to enjoy these beautiful Greek waters as much as we have been is such a blessing. The beautiful weather has allowed us to fully take advantage of all Greece, and Aegina has to offer. Heading into the mountains and Re-Green for our final week will be a chilly challenge, but these last weeks basking in the sunshine will stay in our minds☀️
