Reflections on Santorini

Thursday was our last day in Santorini, and we spent the early afternoon there before a long 8 hour boat trip back to Athens. But rather than my traditional play by play post, I want to try and sum up what the experience was like for me. We were busy most every day, but even the busiest of days felt like they lasted a lifetime. This trip did exactly what it was supposed to do: give us a vacation before classes and bond the group together. We all communicated our experiences with each other and shared the bits of Greek that we learned from the locals. On the subject of the locals, they all spoke at least some English because Santorini is a tourist hot spot. The town we stayed in, Fera, and the other city we visited, Oia, were both packed with people from other countries for the duration of our stay. But even with all the bustle, the locals were usually incredibly hospitable. Shopkeepers gave out samples of wine, nuts, and oil and even little trinkets. They treated us kindly, with one going so far as to invite us out to her family's restaurant with her on our last night. By the end of our stay there, we all felt at home. Our group felt like a family. And none of us wanted to leave. The island was beautiful and the food was delicious. Everything seemed more vibrant and alive there. WE felt more alive. It was the vacation of a lifetime. I will always treasure the time I spent there.