We received an email about our exit meeting Thursday at noon, that’s tomorrow. I cannot believe this experience is almost over. I went to the rooftop early morning yesterday and finished Zorba the Greek. I love it up there in the mornings. The sun shines brightly with a cool breeze and it’s peaceful and quiet. I consider it a gift to have read that book under the Greek sun with the view of the Acropolis in the distance.

In class yesterday, we talked about Nietzsche and Existentialism and how it relates to our book. The biggest thing I’ve learned here is that I know nothing. Absolutely nothing. I want to start all over and study all of the Literary “isms” and history and the ancient Greek society and geography and everything. And I want to come back here to study. I know I’ll be back; I just have to figure out when and how.

I have many new friends here. Because I’ve roomed with Mary, I have had the opportunity to spend time with many of the Athens Campus professors: wonderful, hard working people who have been kind and welcoming to me. Last night, I went to dinner with Maria, one of the three professors in my class. We had a wonderful time and she chose a quaint restaurant tucked away in a side street that served amazing Greek food. She knew just what to order. We feasted on chopped tomato and cucumber salad served in a bread bowl that had been soaked in olive oil and toasted, eggplant salad, zuchinni balls, and lamb stew with potatoes and red peppers. We chatted and sipped a small caraffe of the house red wine, which was quite good. After dinner, we strolled down a pedestrian walkway passing, mansions, an embassy or two, the Acropolis museum and the ancient theater where I attended the symphony. We stopped for coffee and desert at a nice, contemporary place with a great view of the Acropolis.

Maria pointed me in the right direction and I walked home and didn’t get lost. There were tons of people out and street performers and a huge parade of flag waving, singing protestors. Walking about after sunset is the best. There is much to see and families are out having late dinners and the spirit is light and happy. The cool thing was that I ran into four people I knew as I walked and stopped and chatted. I felt at home and loved it!

The peaceful protests, which are staged mostly in Syngtagma Square, two blocks from me, became a little heated yesterday. The people are desperate to send a message to their government. I heard that some folks got out of hand and were smashing out chunks of marble and throwing them. Sad. I am choosing to stay away from there for now.

BF wrote in an email that he will sleep one more night at home and then be off to join me. I’m so excited to see him. I am excited to share all of this with him. The adventure continues.