I awoke today praying that Athens would grant me a much better experience than what I endured the previous day in the airport of Rome. As I walked through the museums, the various exhibits were quite interesting, but after suffering inside an airport and being cramped on a plane for a day and a half, I longed to venture outside under the warm, inviting sunlight. Finally, after a long but informative morning of museum browsing, my longing transformed into a reality. I enjoy the various popular tourist attractions such as the Acropolis and the museums, but sometimes you must do your own exploring. I think it is infinitely more rewarding to discover something on your own as opposed to following the crowd, and in my case this is exactly what happened.
It seemed that the more we walked and the more spontaneous we were, the more we discovered these new and interesting places. The sun’s rays were like a guide lighting the way to the top. We came upon some sort of dog pound half way up the hill which served as home to two enormous Doberman pinchers, the biggest I have ever seen. They showed sad, yet fierce eyes as they turned their heads to watch us walk by. We pushed onward, letting the path take us where it wished. Suddenly, through a small opening in the treetops I spotted the ruin I had seen before at the bluff by the Acropolis. We hurriedly made our way to the top to see yet another ancient structure, but once I reached the top, I immediately forgot about it as I saw the most spectacular scene I have ever laid eyes upon. This moment was almost too good to be true. Picture-books and postcards could not come close to capturing the beauty of the bright blue sky, the towering mountains in the background, and the sea of white buildings below. Not to mention the mighty Acropolis in the distance looking down on the city with a watchful eye. I could see a 360o view of the city from here, which showed just how enormous Athens really is. I realized at that moment that we had not even experienced a fraction of what this city has to offer, but I didn’t care. All that mattered at that moment was that I was experiencing something not many people in the world will ever the get the chance to experience, and I was so grateful for that. I glanced back at the observatory that had looked so far way only a little while before. The solar panels situated atop the buildings shined like stars in the solar system that was Athens, while the Agean Sea provided a beautiful blue background.
It felt so rewarding to look back and say “I just did that” as I pointed to the top of the mountain. What began as a simple walk around the block transformed into an adventure filled with new discoveries. We had no idea where we were going, yet everything seemed to fall into place. I looked back one final time at the mountain and snapped a picture knowing that it could not even begin to truly show how beautiful this place really was, and then headed toward our home away from home proud, satisfied, and ready for anything that came my way.
Chris D.
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