I'm back from vacation!! And boy did I make some memories! Looking back I realized I jumped on 7 flights, two 3 hour bus rides, one 6 hour ferry ride, and one 6 hour train ride, all in a matter of 2 weeks! Needless to say, this trip was the most challenging for me and my anxiety, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. I'm still getting my feet wet on traveling in general, and sometimes you learn along the way what works for you and what doesn't. For the most part, I knew going in that I was going to be planning along as I go and that was a first for me. I like to have a set schedule on my vacations so I don't miss out on valuable time. But traveling in Europe can have its drawbacks. We get accustomed to how things work here in the States, especially with technology being available at our fingertips. We "assume" everywhere else in the world does it the same way, and that's just not the case. Traveling to unknown territories gets you out of your comfort zone. Sometimes the experiences can be rewarding, and sometimes it can be out right horrible. But it does give you a glimpse of yourself that you may never have seen before, and that could be benefiting to you. Maybe there's some truth to what you've heard about traveling without your essentials. It ties us down where we might miss out on new opportunities. I've had people tell me how they would never be able to travel somewhere where they couldn't speak the language. Challenging yourself is the key to feeling confident about yourself. If you stick to your routine, how would you be able to grow? Traveling can also help you educate your knowledge on how the world works, plain and simple. Learning to live within the basics of life, such as being kind to strangers, or respecting new customs can make you become consciously aware of your surroundings. Living in a peaceful environment is something I think we all agree we would like for ourselves, and in order to do that, we must understand one another.
Day One:
I was SUPER TIRED. My flight to Montreal was at 12:15pm, and because of the issues concerning the lines at TSA being super long, I decided to be at the airport 3 hours before takeoff. I woke up around 6am as I normally would if I was heading off to work. I knew my main goal was to sleep as much as I could on the plane heading to Athens. My layover had me land in Montreal around 3pm and take off again at 6:20pm. This is the point where I needed to rest the most. Since I'll be flying "into the future", I would land in Athens at 10:30am. A 9 hour duration on flight plus the 8 hour time difference would have me starting my day in a brand new city. I didn't want to run the mistake of sleeping half the day away in a hotel room like I did last year in Paris. I had a plan! And this time it would be flawless, (or so I thought). Sleeping on planes are not necessarily the most comfortable setting you could be. First of all, I had on my layers since the ac is usually on during flights: leopard scarf, skinny jeans, converse sneakers to keep my warm as well as my thick cotton cardigan. I was ready for takeoff! Except my nerves had me on full blast. I did my best to have my airline food and get more cozy for my deep sleep. Luckily I did manage to doze off, but only to wake up to an older woman lifting the window shade to watch the sunrise. Remember, we're flying towards daylight and this woman just blinded everyone on that flight because she wanted to capture this moment. People were sleeping at the time. I could see the sun rays through my blindfolds!! What can you do right? It is what it is...
Once I landed the train ride from the airport was smooth sailing. Of course, getting off the train and looking for my hotel was another question. I got lost looking for my hotel in 93 degree weather. I was getting desperate because I knew it was nearby the train station. I ended up finding another hotel and had to ask for directions. Who knew the signs of the streets were on buildings and not on posts? Regardless, I found my hotel and once I checked in, was determined to stay awake. I went for a latte at Starbucks for a pick me up. At that point, since I was staying in the Plaka neighborhood, I knew I wanted to checkout my surroundings. It was unbearably hot in Athens, and once I finished my latte, off I went for my walk!
I immediately went straight for the souvenir shops in Plaka. I wanted to see what I was in for. With so many tourists doing the same, in the beginning I was just looking around. But once I got comfortable, I decided to start making some purchases. So many cute jewelry. So many cute leather sandal shops. So many postcards to decide from. I was in heaven!
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| The infamous evil eye! It's everywhere!! |
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| Strolling through Plaka... |
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| Yes I bought this top! Made in Greece and perfect for hot summer days! |
After a while, the sun wasn't so intense. It was nearing 5pm in Athens and I started to get the itch to go hike up to Acropolis. I grew curious to head up there since I was so close. The view is very tempting indeed! I decided to go for it and up I went. I walked up streets, climbed many stairs, and used my glutes as much as I could. It was tiring and the heat didn't help either. I found a family along the way and asked which way to head up. They had a hunch we head up going right, and I followed them. They were from Paris and had one day in Athens to do this.
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| Walking my way up to Acropolis... |
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| Almost there! |
We made it to the entrance. Luckily, the line to get inside was not long. 20€ entry and here we go. My bucket list was waiting for me!
To my surprise it was super gusty up there. So many people were taking their seflie shots. I was giddy that I was doing the same. I enjoyed my time up there overlooking the city. I enjoyed listening to other people's conversations and trying to figure out what languages they were speaking. I understood some Italian phrases. I was pretty proud of myself and it finally dawned on me that I was up for a big treat in Greece. I like what I see so far...
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| Odeum of Herodes Atticus Theatre |
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| Temple of Athena Nike |
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| Whoever invented the selfie stick is a genius! |
The hiked down was obviously much easier. lol. I did some more shopping for souvenirs. What I liked about Athens is the free wifi that was available throughout Plaka. I was messaging my friend in Italy to see if she wanted anything. My hotel had a rooftop that I wanted to checkout as well. I went up for a glass of white wine while I watched the view of Acropolis from afar. At this point I grew incredibly tired so I went for a nap back in my room.
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| My first of many cat sightings! |
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| Heading back down... |
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| The view of my rooftop... |
I woke up an hour later and got ready for more shopping but the shops were closing at 10pm. I decided to walk around the central again and look for a quick bite to eat. Yeah right! I sat outside at Karyatis restaurant and ordered a hot plate of eggplant, onions, roasted tomatoes topped with feta cheese. That's when I knew I was in trouble! The cheese was amazing!! But since I am lactose intolerant I had to watch myself. The host was incredibly sweet and brought over a Masticha shot. It was a sweet liquor which is usually taken after dinner. He claims it helps with indigestion. Hmmm. At that point, I knew it was time to head back to hotel since the food was pretty heavy and it made me sleepy again. Day One accomplished!
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| Din din |
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| Feeling magical after dinner! lol |
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