June 12, 2019

So far, this has been a much needed break. In the morning, we went down to the beach -- a mere 10 steps from our front door. I laid out in the sun and read Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut while I sipped on some lemonade and listened to the sea. I was in heaven. I took one final swim out to where my feet could no longer touch the sea floor. It was a very liberating feeling, and the sea was refreshing. We all took the boat back to Thessaloniki, grabbed some lunch, and checked in at the bus station. After getting back into Serres, I took some time to be by myself so that my mind could feel as re-energized as my body. I washed off the day, thought a bit about the book I had recently finished, and painted. It all felt very meditative.

White Tower in Thessaloniki

Agria Triada Beach

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

June 9th 2019

Image
Today consisted of some service work with Lifting Hands International (LHI), an NGO that works closely with the Yazidi camp here in Serres. Outside of the camp, in a small field a couple minutes away, LHI holds various activities in their Child Friendly Space and Female Friendly Space, as well as in the sports field parallel to them. These serve as ways for the residents of the camp to engage in some programs that add a much needed "normal" component of their day and life, which can become stagnant when placed in a camp for years on end. Some of these activities include sports, arts and crafts, spa days, dance, and several others. Today, I helped out in the dance class, which held about 10 kids ranging in age from about 5 to 13. In here, the kids themselves taught us many of the Zumba dances they had been learning-- and their moves weren't easy either. It was a ton of fun, and I even had a chance to teach of them one of the Zumba dances I had committed to memory from one
Read more

June 11th, 2019

Image
About a week and a half into the program, a small group of us took a trip to Thessaloniki and stayed right by the beach in Agria Triada. With all of the new information we've gained thus far into our program, this will be a nice break to revitalize our minds. This morning, my friend Audrey and I took a walk out to the dock, and sat down at the edge. Shortly after, a small cruise ship pulled into the exact same spot. As it turns out, it was headed to Thessaloniki. We were originally planning on taking a taxi into town, but seized upon this 3 euro opportunity instead. Along the way, we enjoyed the sea breeze and saw dolphins. After we disembarked the boat, we got some delicious brunch at a restaurant. Later in the date, we also met with Myrto, a woman who works for the Refugee Trauma Initiative. We learned a lot about the activities they are doing that provides women and children with psychosocial support. This was a nice visit because since it was just the two of us, Audrey and
Read more

June 25, 2019

Image
Today felt especially hot during work. Audrey and I made up for it at the Votsala hotel by taking the kayaks out on the water. The sea was rough today with formidable waves. We continued to seek out the most chaotic spots, letting the waves crash into us and flood our kayak. At one point, we got stuck near the shore because the waves kept pushing us back, but it was so much fun and the only thing keeping us from staying out there all evening was the time limit. I'm very thankful to have a place like this hotel to retire to at the end of a long and difficult day. This has been one of my favorite activities while being abroad, because this is definitely not something I would have had the opportunity to do in Arizona. View of the "Vostala Boat" (photo taken by Hannah Parrish)
Read more