Athens, Greece

Growing up, I'd heard many stories of the Iliad and The Odyssey. I was familiar with Helen of Troy and how she started a war. I knew the Greeks were skilled mathematicians and philosophers. The list could go on and on about all the stuff I knew about this ancient place. But it had always felt vague in my mind and unrelatable to my life. I mean, all this stuff was great and all, but it happened so long ago. 

Going to Greece made all of that vague book knowledge into something concrete, something real, something worth holding on to. 

I loved Greece for multiple reasons. I loved the culture, the people, the lifestyle, the location, the views, the vast history, the food, the language, and the Greek letters that I couldn't read but still attempted to decipher. The Romans conquered Greece and took so much of their culture and incorporated it into Roman life. I love Rome, but Greece definitely had some smart and cultured people in their society before other empires came and discovered what they had. 

To be honest, Greece wasn't on my radar before I came to study abroad in Rome. I wanted to visit all the popular spots in Europe: London, Amsterdam, Switzerland, and maybe Paris. People don't usually think of going to Greece. But I'm glad I ended up coming. 

Here are some highlights of Athens: