As I write this, I am sitting in the Athens airport with my mom (who is desperately trying to figure out how to send a text to Carter on her new international cell phone she got for this trip).  It has been one hectic weekend full of lots of taverna dining, awesome chocolate goodies and other delicious Greek desserts as well as much walking all over the city.  We hiked Lycavettos Hill, went up to the Acropolis and visited various neighborhoods around the area.  My mom got to meet pretty much all of my best friends here, saw my old and decrepit apartment and even went inside the infamous and rather snazzy Eftichidou 16 (and got to see the awesome balcony view!).

In half an hour we board our teeny tiny Aegean Airlines plane for Rhodes.  I have high hopes for this trip… I want my mom to experience the Greek island atmosphere plus I really want to check out all the monuments and sites I have been learning about in my Byzantine history class.  I am trying not to think about how close I will be to Turkey and instead will have to continue dreaming about Istanbul.  Another trip, perhaps.

I have discovered over the past couple of weeks just how interested I am in the Middle East.  When I think of the places in the world I want to visit – well, of course I want to see Western Europe.  I want to see France and Italy and England and such, but I really want to visit more Eastern countries first.  Turkey, Egypt, Israel… those are my priorities right now, which seems a little strange to me.  I guess I’ve always been interested in the kinds of political and social issues (and especially the history!) of the more Eastern parts of Europe, but it hasn’t really hit me until now when I think about some friends here at Arcadia who can boast of visiting both Egypt and Turkey by the time they leave.

First, though, I need to come back to Greece. Thessaloniki and the whole Northwest part of the country (Slavic towns and communities, Lake Ionnina).  I need to visit more islands… Naxos, Mykanos, Santorini, and I’d love to go back to Syros (one day wasn’t enough).  I need to see Mount Olympus.  I need to go back to Crete and hike the Samarian Gorge.  I want to see Corfu!

After returning from Rhodes I will have two weekends left.  One of those weekends will be Hydra.  I feel like the last weekend needs to be spent in Athens, but maybe I’ll go somewhere else… maybe…

Happy Thanksgiving!