Just when I thought...

Tallinn, Estonia to Riga, Latvia

Just when I thought I was immune to the overpriced cabs that Tallinn is known for...I got turned around on my way to the bus station this morning. The trolley stop wasn't where I left it and, feeling a bit pressed for time, I panicked. So I grabbed a cab. 10 Euros later for what would have been a 1.60 Euro trolley ride, I was at the bus station. But the cab driver was so nice, telling me about his daughter who's in university studying business, pointing out his church when we drive by ("600 years old!," he tells me.), and telling me how, since his divorce, he just lives with his cat. So how can I be mad? Besides, I did grab a cab at the taxi stand outside of Old Town so, really, what did I expect?

My bus ride to Riga was uneventful, the way good bus rides ought to be. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my hostel was a hop, skip, and a jump from the bus station. In fact, I found it quite by accident. That's how close it was. I like to think this made up for the 10 Euro cab ride from earlier.

Now I'd like to preface to say that, had I been fresh off the plane from the States, anxious to start a new adventure, that I'd probably give these places a more fair shake. But at the moment, I feel like I'm simply catching up on all of the things I missed over the course of the last 3 months in Greece. So after wandering around the art nouveau district, checking out the opera house, and taking a stroll through the park to check out all of the Christmas trees up for display, I ate chain restaurant Chinese food and saw a movie. No, not some Latvian film, a good old fashion American (well, probably British) movie. And it was glorious. This, only 24 hours after enjoying one of my first meals in the Baltics at McDonalds. But that's the joys of travelling by yourself, you can eat as many McRoyals with cheese as you want to and no one is there to judge you.

"Now it's really Christmas!"

Tallinn, Estonia

I was getting some information from the guy who worked the front desk at the hostel I was staying at when I look out the window and see snow falling like there's no tomorrow. The guy commented "Now it's really Christmas!" And he was right. Every place, even countries that were cold, dark, and Communist not too many decades before look Christmasy covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow.

Tallinn itself is really a nice city. The Old Town takes you back in time to medieval times. I half expected a knight in shining armor to ride by on a horse, but no such luck. It's a city where parents bundle their kids up in snowsuits and pull them around the town square in sleds and where they duck behind corners of historical buildings avoiding what I presume to be the perpetual snowball fight with their young children. The whole scenario was really quite adorable.

I spent hours just wandering around the Old Town. I got lost looking for a couple of specific things and finally gave up on them because I kept running into the same church even though I could have sworn I was going in opposite directions each time. But that's the joy of getting lost. You find other really great stuff in the process.

The Christmas market was in full swing in the town hall square. There was a giant Christmas tree set up in the middle of the square and vendors were selling everything from hot wine to wooly mittens. And what I thought was a loud speaker blasting American Christmas music, turned out to be a van with a PA system driving all over town spreading Christmas cheer loud enough for all to hear. There are lots of things that other countries do better than the US, but I'd like to argue that Christmas music isn't one of them.

I walked atop the old city walls, finally found Saint Catherine's passage-this really cool part of the old town with arches towering over the walk ways, ate marzipan from the oldest cafe in Tallinn, make the trek up to the Seaplane Harbor Museum to see the Titanic exhibit (I highly recommend this by the way!), and enjoyed one last stroll through the Christmas market complete with a "Christmas Dinner" comprised of sausage and sauerkraut.

Some fun facts about Tallinn:
-It's the first city in Europe to offer free public transportation to its residents.
-They charge for ketchup at McDonalds.

Tour De Balkans Take 1

Thessaloniki, Greece to Tallinn, Estonia

My flight out of Thessaloniki was indicative of my time in Greece. 100 things drive me completely up a wall and then one nice little thing happens for me to think, "Ok, maybe this isn't so bad." For the first time since September, I wasn't flying Ryan Air and I actually got to choose my seat. I was all ready to settle into the window seat and crash, but there was an older couple occupying the middle and my beloved window seat. They gave me a bit of grief about me asking them to move (Ok so maybe me saying, " 'A' means WINDOW!" in that loud, you don't speak fluent English so I'll treat you like you're dumb kind of way wasn't the best way to win them over, but it had been a long 24 hours. More on that later.), but eventually we came to some sort of unspoken understanding.  I was fast asleep when the old lady pokes me in the arm to wake me up so I wouldn't miss dinner. (Airplane moussaka! Yum!) And then after her club soda exploded all over the front of her, I gave her my napkin. Damn it, Greece, just when I was done with you there you go redeeming yourself.

When I arrived, based on the travel guide, I was already anticipating being overcharged for a cab. I had mentally prepared myself for just such an occasion. At the airport, I got into a cab with a guy that, in another scenario, looked like he might have been a hit man. But the Phil Collins blasting from the radio put my mind at ease. We initially stopped at the wrong address and just when I thought he might leave me for dead in a dark alley at the wrong address, he realizes his error, makes me get back in the car and drives me the extra 50 feet down the street to the correct address. All for the bargain price of 10 Euros. Which is exactly how much Lonely Planet said it should cost sans rip off. So far things in Estonia are on the up and up. 

For the record, buying a one way ticket to Estonia may be one of the crazier things that I've ever done. Just wanted to put that out there. But the adventure continues...

Wait for it...

Greece...where do I begin? I have at least 5 posts started that I never finished.

Some day I might finish them. Until then, let's catch up on my trip to the Balkans shall we?

Give me a word, any word, and I will show you how the root of that word is Greek.

Thessaloniki, Greece

Greece, like any place else, has it's fair share of idiosyncrasies. I read a quote some place that, of course, now I can't find that says something along the lines of  "There is far more to write about a place having only visited there an hour than if living there 10 years." That was not at all eloquently written and should not be quoted, but you get the idea. Basically, as a new comer, you notice things that people who live in a place take for granted, don't notice any more, or don't know any other way. Greeks haven't know it any other way since the advent of their civilization almost 4,000 years ago. My guess is that, in some respects, not much has changed while in other respects, the times certainly are a-changing.

Economy: So let's talk about the elephant of a financial crisis in the room. Greece, as you know, has been in a dire economic state for the past several years. The last time I was here was in 2010 with Semester at Sea and at first glance, things don't look that different. The ruins are still ancient, the pastries are still delicious, and dinner still takes four hours. To an outsider, things don't look so bad. But talk to the people and you will understand. Honestly, cab drivers are the best resource. They'll tell you anything you want (or don't want) to know. One cabbie told us the story of the mayor of Thessaloniki who embezzled millions of Euros from the city. He has spent the last year or two in jail, but the general consensus is that he may not stay there as long as he should. One cabbie also told us how the Greek economy is going down like the Titanic. It's guaranteed to be an interesting case study for all of the econ majors out there.

Old Greek Men: Old Greek men have mastered the art of retirement quite nicely. I love how they sit for hours upon end at a cafe, sipping frappes, with no place else to be. I also love how they stroll arm in arm down the street. Here is is completely normal for two men to walk with their arms around each other's shoulders. (Many men in the States wouldn't be caught dead doing this for fear that people might question their sexuality. Get over yourselves, guys.) But my absolute favorite thing about old Greek men is their use of komboli, or Greek worry beads. They look like a beaded bracelet with a long tail. They look similar to prayer beads but actually have no religious significance. Old men walk around fidgeting with these beads, be it out of worry or out of habit. Each have their own way of handling the beads, creating their own unique rhythm. Even in the hustle and bustle of the streets of downtown, if you listen carefully, you can hear the subtle click clack of worry beads.

Old Greek Women: Old Greek women always some place to be, always have someone to feed, and always have something to do, probably because all of the old Greek men are too busy sipping frappes at the cafe. And they cross themselves every time they pass a church, which is a lot. It almost looks like some type of upper body aerobics class on some of the public bus routes.

Coffee: The Greeks are serious about their coffee. On cafe menus you can even order a Greek coffee, which I've heard has a rather sledgey texture to it. Yum! Fun fact: Greece is also the birthplace of the frappe. At first I thought this would be similar to a Starbucks-style frappucino, but alas it is Nes Cafe instant coffee mixed with milk, sugar, and water and then whipped to create a froth on top. Nes Cafe is frowned upon in the US, but it's perfectly acceptable in Europe, especially in Greece. I've heard that Greece makes their own Nes Cafe in house to ensure that it's up to snuff. While I did try to love the frappe, I prefer the freddo cappucino, the frappe's better tasting, more expensive Italian cousin.

A Letter to Parents Everywhere

Today we dropped my little sister off for her freshman year of college. It was a whirlwind of emotion for everyone involved. Even my sister, a self proclaimed sociopath with no emotion (I recommended that she not open with that when introducing herself to people on campus), broke down a couple of times at the thought of being separated from all of her high school friends, of moving away from home for the first time, and the overwhelming possibilities that lie ahead.  All in all, she is a well-adjusted kid, smart and sociable, with a heart of gold. I have absolutely no worries about her ability to be successful both in college and in life. (We always make jokes that my younger brother, on the other hand, is a different story.  I'm about 93% sure that he's going to be fine.) And she's only attending college two hours away from home so it will be easy for her to get home whenever she wants. This reminded me of the 150 freshmen that, in three short weeks, will be boarding a plane headed for Greece, their first semester of college, and the great unknown and the parents that would be dropping them off not on campus, but at an airport in the States. (The fact that I am largely responsible for these 150 17 and 18 year olds embarking on their first semester of college in a foreign country hasn't escaped me .)

Watching all of these parents and first time college kids interact, got me thinking about what I'd like to have said to my own parents in that situation and to all of the parents entrusting me (and 8 other staff members) with their babies this fall.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Congratulations! The day has arrived! You did it! I'm off to college!

At graduation,  I received all of these words of congratulations, but I'd like to congratulate you. You made it! Yes, I'm the one who earned the grades, spent hours at after school activities, and submitted the college applications, but I couldn't have done it without your help. You taught me the value of hard work, the difference between right and wrong, and the power of kindness. And for that I am grateful.

But now comes the hard part... moving out for the first time, trusting me to make the right choices, and helping me learn from those choices even when I don't always make the right ones.  

Now I'll always be your kid, but the thing is, I'm not a kid. I'm an adult. Or at least I'm trying to figure out how to be one. And while it will be difficult for both of us, you have to let me figure things out even if that means I stumble a bit. When you say, "Don't forget to pack your jacket," I hear, "I don't trust you to pack for yourself." What you're actually saying is, "I checked the weather and I don't want you to be cold." When you say, "Be careful" every time I leave the house, I hear, "I have irrational fears about your safety." What you're actually saying is, "I'm your mom and I worry about you. And that doesn't stop just because you're 18." When you do things for me that I need to figure out how to do for myself, I hear, "I don't trust you to do this yourself." What you're actually saying is, "I'm just trying to help." Even though it's not always easy, I guess we both could do better at saying we mean and really listening to each other.

So the time has come. You taught me to fly and I'm ready to leave the nest. But remember, even though I'm moving to my own nest soon, your nest will always be home.

Love,

Your College Freshman

Revelations from the Road

As many of you may (or may not) know, I recently accepted a position working for yet another study abroad program. This time, I'll be living and working in Greece with 150 first semester freshmen. I'll be a renaissance woman of sorts, serving as an instructor for a global experience class, a residence hall director, and student activities coordinator. Students in the program study abroad their first semester, then begin classes on their home campus in January. All in all, it's a pretty crazy adventure for anyone to sign up for, let alone an 18 year old in their first semester of college. So of course, the job would be right up my alley.

After I finished training for said job, I hit the open road, on a quest to explore more of the north east. I drove almost 1500 miles through 8 states over the course of 7 days. It was actually quite lovely. I drove through the New England countryside, stopping for a hike or ice cream at my leisure, staying with a few friends along the way. In college, I used to be able to drive 1500 miles in one sitting. 10 years later, however, is a different story. Since I forgot the aux cord for my ipod and was at the mercy of rural radio stations, I had a lot of time to think.

1. Adventure is guaranteed. I accepted the job in Greece only a few short weeks before I was set to move to New Orleans and start teaching. I had taken all of my tests, paid all of my fees, read all of the required pre-reading (well most of it), and was set to start on my grand adventure of molding young minds. Several weeks before, I requested to change my primary certification to special education. When I got word that my request had been granted, I felt a certain sense of calm. It felt like the right thing to do at the right time in my life. (A few weeks later, seeing my cousin with Cerebral Palsy with all of his amazing friends, classmates, and teachers at his high school graduation party affirmed that this was, in fact, where I should be. This revelation would not have occurred had I actually went to New Orleans when I was supposed to, as the graduation party took place after I was scheduled to head south.)

I definitely have feelings of loss and regret over not teaching this fall. I feel like I am cheating on kids I've never met in a school I've never been to. But I think there are lesson to be learned no matter which classroom I'm in this fall, be it in the Big Easy or in the Mediterranean.

2. New York is not the be all, end all. After grad school, I wanted to move back to New York so much it almost hurt. While those feelings have eased up a bit over the last couple of years, I still had it in my head that New York was where I would eventually end up. During my tour d'north east, I was excited to get back to the Big Apple. Stepping off the bus at the Port Authority, instead of feeling like home, New York felt like stress. Schlepping all of my worldly possessions all over the city on public transportation in 90 degree heat with a millions people doing whatever they could to push past me on the sidewalk was not my idea of a good time. Talking with a friend from grad school who now works full time in the city summed it up nicely, "As you get older, you get tired of putting up with the bullshit." And he's exactly right. While New York was a great place to live and go to grad school in my mid-20's, several years later, it definitely lost some of its appeal. So I've amended my "Must move back to New York" rule to include, "If I do end up back in New York, that's great, but I can't live below 72nd Street because people are crazy. And if I don't end up back in New York, that's okay too."