Greece was a dream destination for me. One way, somehow, I was determined to visit Greece during my semester abroad. And that I did. It was last minute and a little pricey, but it was so worth it. A week prior, I had taken my first solo trip to England and that was amazing and I knew I wanted to travel more before I had to bunker down in Rome for the next few weeks, so I put together a master plan of getting a group of girls to go with me. My one friend and I always travel together, so we had that on lock. These other two girls that were roommates that I was starting to get to know more I reached out to and asked if they wanted to go the first weekend of October. Funny enough, they had already booked a trip to Greece that very weekend and invited us to tag along – so we did! Luckily, one of the girls already made a planned-out itinerary (which I should be doing right now for my next trip), so all we had to do was buy our tickets to different things, find a place to stay and follow along. This was literally a trip from heaven, the way it worked out so perfectly.
This trip also changed my perspective on a lot of things in life. This trip was full of gratitude in many ways. I think visiting somewhere I have wanted to go to for a very long time and truly fell in love with from afar, every issue in my life seemed so small because I was in such an amazing time of my life here. It truly made me switch my mindset and truly be grateful for what I have in life instead of what I didn’t. Unfortunately, there were events outside of this trip during this time that had the ability to really bring me down and ruin my time. And unfortunately, as much as I loved England, these same events did bring me down during that trip. So, I was determined to not let that get in the way of another trip and embrace the opportunity. And that worked, so much more than expected but thankfully so. It really hit me on one of the days that I got to be on a boat in Greece, seeing Greek islands; I got to eat Greek food, I got to do so many things that I will never forget. When will I be able to be 20 again, taking a nap on a beach in Greece again? I won’t! It’s so beautiful to look at life this way and really soak in the moment, like I did the entire weekend in Greece. It truly turned my whole perspective on life completely around and made me so much more grateful for my time there, but also being abroad in general. This trip was not only a time for gratitude, but also a realization that this was a God did trip. I felt so connected with my faith in being so blessed that I was able to go on this important trip for me with 3 amazing girls who I felt so comfortable and happy with, that I was able to go to one of my dream countries, and for aligning everything the way he intended for me to experience. I got to do so many things during my time here, but it also truly solidified not only the deep love I now have for Greece, but the strong urge to return. I don’t know when it will happen, but I know it will.Â
What Was The Plan? So about the trip itself, we did a lot. It was a jam-packed 3 days to say the least. For starters, on the first day, we got brunch, which was so good and filling. One thing about Greece is they do not mess around about the portion sizes and you WILL be fed! After brunch, we went “thrifting”, or attempted to, because the stores were outrageously priced. I mean, $300 for a hoodie. You’ve got to be kidding me. Out of all the stores we visited, I was able to snag a pair of sunglasses which have become my entire personality since. Then, we went souvenir shopping before trekking off to the Acropolis. One thing about the Acropolis is they run a strict program there. No bags or no video filming were allowed, which sucked for a little bit but then when the guards weren’t looking, I totally snuck in doing a TikTok, because I paid $30 to get in; I am going to get my shot! After that, we went back to our places to chill and dry off as it started to pour rain while we were at the top of the Acropolis, which left us soaked. We ended the night with the most delicious gyros known to man with amazing tzatziki on the side. Truly a phenomenal, 10/10 meal that I would totally recommend and go back for. Day 2 consisted of a boat cruise to 3 different islands: Paros, Aegina and Hydra (the one I was looking forward to the most). Unfortunately, due to the weather, our stop to Hydra was cancelled; however, they gave us more time at the other two islands in exchange. At first, I was upset we were missing out on the island I really wanted to see, but looking back, this was better because instead of feeling too rushed or not getting in enough of the islands, we had just enough time to see different parts of each island. It was very beautiful and very relaxing not only on the cruise, but on each island as well. Greece is known for how many islands they got, so this day’s excursion truly solidified the urge to want to come back and see more of the islands because it was truly a phenomenal experience. After we got back, I unfortunately got scammed by a taxi driver, which left me losing $100, which I am still, a month later, actively disputing with my bank. However, the food we got to follow was good. One thing that we got every day during this trip was frozen Greek yogurt. It was the best dessert I’ve ever had and something that we adored while there, so of course we had to get it. It was the perfect thing to close out with because the other two girls were leaving very early in the morning, so we all ended our trip together the same way we started it– which was very sweet! Going into the last day, it was just me and my friend. We tried to make the most of the extra hours we had left here, but between sleeping in for once and getting food, all we really had time for was a little bit more shopping. However, who am I to complain about shopping? I obviously had a great time since shopping is one of my favorite pastimes. Then, after a few hours, we finally headed back to Rome.
Where Did I Stay? We stayed in a 4-bed female room at the Athens Hawks Hostel. It came with a nice ensuite bathroom and a decent-sized room. This was the biggest room I’ve stayed in at a hostel, so I was pleasantly surprised. We paid about $50 a night for two beds, which was not a bad deal. All the roommates we had throughout the weekend were nice and we didn’t have any issues with them or any noise issues, really. Other than the fact that the rooms were refreshed each day and how noisy the beds were, I didn’t have any issues with this hostel. It was close to the metro station, making it accessible to get to, and was overall a good experience. I think I’d stay again if I returned.
What Stops Would I Highly Recommend? Obviously, the Acropolis is a must when in Greece. It’s one of the most historic sites in the world and just somewhere you have to say you’ve been to. Other than that, any island really. There’s ferries, tours, cruises and more to access the islands and to just go to at least one is so worth it. As far as food, Picky Brunch was so good we had it twice, alongside the best gyros I’ve had in my life at Souvlaki Athinaiko, and finally for the most delicious frozen Greek yogurt at Yogu Lab – all must visits for me!
Best Advice For Visiting?
- Try their food! Whether that is gyros, tzatziki or tzatziki-flavored chips, try it! I promise you will find something you like.
- Visit an island, any island! See more of Greece than just Athens. The different islands are all so different and worth visiting.
- Go to Mount Lycabettus and recreate the Giannis Meme. And don’t be like us, where we didn’t go all the way up; we still had a great view but make the hike worth it and go all the way. Recreate the picture, soak it all in and enjoy the view!
Overall, Greece taught me to live in the moment and love and be grateful for the life that I have. I saw amazing views, ones I will never forget and relaxed and enjoyed myself so much. This trip is one I will always stick with me.