The Bond Stays

On this trip, I have formed, strengthened and tested friendships in an unprecedented way. Traveling with companions is like anything else as it has both good and bad elements. There is no such thing as a perfect trip, even with the closest of friends. You see them at their best and their worst, argue about decisions, converse about life, hold each other accountable, annoy each other and keep each other safe. On an independent two-day getaway to Skiathos island, the concentration of time together without professorial supervision brings out the strengths and weaknesses of each person, exposing their life experiences and stories to the situations they encounter. Before traveling with a large group of people, it is important to remember that strain on friendships will occur, but if optimistically considered, they can strengthen the bond during memorable times.
A wide variety of passengers surround us on the ferry to Skiathos from the portly old Greek man with chest hair peeking over the top of an overly tight shirt to the young British couple on their way to an island getaway to the young Greek mother struggling to calm her child. Each person makes me wonder what stories lie behind his or her appearance and reminds me that I can only observe these individuals but am not gifted with the chance to learn or share experiences and exchange stories. As I observe my fellow study abroad members who are already asleep on the ferry, I am thankful to have the opportunity to learn what experiences and stories lie within them.
One of the group members leads us in a direction up the cobblestone street towards our hotel, the Bourtzi, in the drizzly mist of rain. Both sides of the street are lined with souvenir shops, outdoor café/bars, dessert shops, reminding me a lot of Volos. I drag my suitcase along the steep incline, because the marble cobblestone street is slippery from the rain. The entrance to our hotel is a modern gem among antiquated buildings with its sheek metallic and wooden doorways, mirrors, and black marble counters.
Because I am the “responsible” one of the group, I have been “gifted” with the important paperwork for our hotel reservations, which someone else presents to the crabby elderly Greek woman behind the counter. She tells us none of our rooms are ready, but curtly points and says to leave our luggage in the lobby. I can feel the tension of my travel companions intensifying beyond the stress of the weather, because this presents a precarious situation: entrusting our luggage to an irritable Greek woman who seems annoyed with the presence of eight college students. Not having a choice, we leave the bags and continue our day.
The rain intensifies for a short while, but once the storm passes, we head to the beach. We walk toward a nearby beach to the tune of whining, “This sucks – where is the frickin’ sun?” or “Man, this weekend will blow if the sun doesn’t’ come out and I’ve spent too many Euros for that to happen!”. Luckily, we are all happy to reach the sea. It is a bittersweet feeling as it is not the picturesque blue and aqua colored sea fade beneath the dully-colored clouds overhead. Each of us takes turns either diving or inching our way into the shockingly cool, salty sea. The best part occurs when we all lie down on beach-worn blue and white lounge chairs and soak in the Zen of the sea’s waves crashing onto the shoreline. Moments such as this where we are all enjoying ourselves make the stressful moments disappear and it seems the calm of the sea has thankfully influenced our attitudes.
The happenings of a weekend on the Greek Island of Skiathos present diverse shared stories and experiences very similar to a ferry ride. The journey on the sea and the journey on the island share commonplace, unfamiliar, exotic and strenuous elements that cannot be fully appreciated without companionship. Learning more about people is not exclusive to desirable and exciting common factors, but it is through dealing with the undesirable that bonds are strengthened. There are always occasional wakes or rough spots that can interrupt serene moments, but the overall ride has been smooth sailing for me and my closest travel companions. And the opportunity to share this once in a lifetime trip with exceptional people makes me thankful for my friends.

Valerie A.