Man, Was I Wrong About Athens

As the days came closer to my departure for Athens, I really started to think about what I was going to get myself into. What kind of a city/country am I going to be living in for 3 months? I have only heard so much from relatives and friends who have experienced the Greek life but I myself had done little research on the city. Pretty much all I knew was the economic crisis in Greece and the protests. My first reaction as I was in my cab heading into the city from the airport was how close all of the buildings were to each other as well as how many people flooded the streets. Athens is a crazy, fast paced city. I can not stress it enough, you really need to look both ways before crossing the street! I also have noticed the obscene amount of graffiti filling the buildings of the city. Although my Greek is not so good, I can look at it with the assumption that a lot of these spray painted words could be a form of non-violent protest. With that said I have met a lot of passionate and interesting people since I have been here. I have met not just Greeks but people all over the world, all of which are very friendly and free spirited. It leaves me with a great welcoming feeling. It is crazy knowing that I have been living in Athens for already a month keeping in mind all of the museums/areas of Greece we have been to and experienced. We have been so busy but it has been a "good busy". With that said I feel very privileged and it has been an absolute joy studying abroad here in Athens. Until next time!

- Sam "The Man"