“I will continue my path, but I will keep a memory always.”

I will certainly keep many memories from Greece.

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to explore Mt. Parnassus. This blog post is not about that specifically, although I will be posting something about that in the future. . .

My point is, Something about going there made me think of a lot of things. There was a small group of us, in the mountains, climbing and exploring the past.

And alls I could think of was how I really wanted to proceed with my future.

More specifically, how did I want to proceed with my future in study abroad. 

I've talked about my mishap with my plans to go to Italy in the fall of my sophomore year.

When that all happened, it felt as though I would never get the opportunity to see and study a completely new place.

To actually BE here has been just the unique experience I'd been searching for.

Greece does many things much differently than we're used to in America.

For one, everything has to be made from scratch. This is partly to do with availability of materials and partly to do with the fact that we can't read the directions on the products that look like "instant."

So, my recent culinary successes have been genuinely achieved.

Greece's education system is totally different. They also have a more proactive role in making itself a "green" place. There are customary differences, of course. All things that contribute to this experience.

I think that it goes without saying, however, that with this two month mark, half way through the program, there are definitely some homesick feelings.

Greece is lacking hot sauce. And if you know me, you know that this is a serious problem. Peanut butter is more expensive here than nutella is in the states. Its frustrating to not know exactly where to go when you're looking for something specific. The language barrier starts to weigh on you. Even students in Modern Greek classes aren't finding much success in bridging this gap. These things are things that one could expect when living some place else- Things take time to adjust.

We've just finished our midterms this past week, and we're headed to the Peloponnese and Delphi tomorrow for the week.

This is our last official program trip.

We are under our 60 day mark, and thats crazy.

Ideally, I would leave from Greece and head to Italy. I would spend a week with my boyfriend in Rome, enjoying the sights and spending some quality time with a familiar face.

From there, we would go our separate ways. Me to Ireland and him back to NY. 

And so, my second semester in Ireland- Another four months away, would begin.

Since I've returned to Mt. Parnassus, I have entertained the idea of simply not going.

And so, in thinking of this possibility, I have thought of all the things I am missing at home.

There is a certain sense of disconnectedness thats unavoidable with being so far away, and I've been desperate to bridge that gap.

Additionally, there are so many things I have been missing on Campus that I would normally be proactive with.

In Greece, we don't have clubs and things to help occupy our time. The rigorous schedule I've grown so accustomed to, and comfortable with, is just none existent. I truly miss those forms of expression in my life. 

And as I explored this list of pros and cons, I began  to realize what the most ideal decision was.

As much as I would love to see Ireland and spend time there getting to know it intimately, I crave the familiarity of my Rochestarian streets. I crave the hustle and bustle of my city life and the company of my wonderful band of misfits. 

So this is how my path has changed.

Ireland would be a wonderful experience. But now that I am actually here, in Greece, I feel confident in believing that I will travel more in the future- Just not in the 2013 future.

I want to be a citizen of the world, and someday I will be wise enough to call myself that.

But for now, I think I will look forward to coming home.