BACK FROM VACATION!!

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!



The infamous evil eye!  It's everywhere!!

Strolling through Plaka...

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.

Walking my way up to Acropolis...

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...

Odeum of Herodes Atticus Theatre

Temple of Athena Nike

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. 

My first of many cat sightings!

Heading back down...

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!



Din din



Feeling magical after dinner!  lol

Athens booked!! Happy birthday to me

I just booked my trip to Greece earlier this week.  I'm excited because it was a decision I made to myself a few months ago.  I knew I wanted to visit my friend in Italy.  The question was what other country could I visit as well.  When she was in town, we discussed our plans for the summer.  I mentioned how Greece was on my mind, and she agreed to meet me there.  I can't wait!!
I feel I'm a little late on the travel game.  Some of my friends have been to wonderful places all over the world, and it always sparked my curiosity.  But as the saying goes- Life just happens.  The truth is, when I was younger, it was never the right time to travel overseas.  It takes time and money to plan accordingly, and I didn't have the discipline to budget myself for such a trip.  Now that I'm older and have paid off some debt, it's gotten financially easier for me to go away.  I have made numerous weekend getaways to Miami, New York and Vegas in my 30s.  Traveling overseas, on the other hand, is a bit more tricky...
One of the things I remembered from listening to my friends discuss a recent trip to South America, is how they didn't "expect" it to be the way the way it turned out.  I remember discussing that conversation with my uncle who has traveled all over the world.  He asked me, "Well what did they expect?"  I replied that I didn't know.  He then followed with another question.  "Well what do they like?"  I was thrown off.  He continued, "If they are into beaches and laying out, then they should have went somewhere else.  Didn't they know ___________ is not known for that?"  I told him apparently not.  "The thing about traveling--you should ask yourself what do you like." 
Traveling to unknown places and locations, no matter where it is, depends on your taste.  Some people enjoy the outdoors, nature hikes, canoeing or camping, so they obviously book their trips to national parks, Alaska, the Grand Canyon or other out door locales.  If you go on vacation specifically to lay out and catch some rays, a majority of people book places in the Caribbean, or Mexico's Playa del Carmen, etc.  If you are a city girl, then cities from around the world would excite you.
That's the category I fit in.  I am a city girl who loves skylines, the nightlife, museums and fashion.  I enjoy people watching instead of bird watching.  I know what excites me and it sometimes doesn't fit in with what other people like.  That's the beauty of traveling.  You customize your trip to whatever interests you!  Since my friend in Italy has the same interests as me, I enjoy our adventures together because we feed off one another.  We have a good time and I know she's not bored with what's going on.  The only downfall with her is that she's not into museums like I am, so I know for Athens we might have to arrange for her to come meet me at a later date.  I am particularly interested in visiting the Acropolis in general, and do not want to miss my opportunity to visit such a historic site. 
The other factors I am considering is how long will I stay in Athens in general; if I have enough time to visit a nearby city, and trying to make my way out to the islands.  I chose Santorini and Mykonos as my 2 top choices because they have more of a party atmosphere.  There are over 200 islands in Greece, all which have distinctive personalities to choose from.  If I wanted something low key to relax, I would have picked another island.
I am relying on sites such as Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor, as well as top travel bloggers such as The Blonde Abroad, and The Sweetest Way for information on planning my vacation.  This trip will be a little different to plan because it will depend a lot on the weather conditions to reach out to the islands.  I have seen low flights one way to reach either Santorini or Mykonos, but the majority do travel out there on a ferry boat.  There's a lot to consider!
Regardless, I'm glad I got a chance to share my traveling news and be on the lookout for more tips I'll be encountering as I continue to plan my Greek adventure!