One thing I have greatly appreciated about this program is the opportunity it provides to see other countries and cultures. This past weekend, friends and I took advantage of this and headed over to beautiful Greece.
We spent our first two days in Aegina Island, which I had never heard of before this trip. This tiny but beautiful island was filled with hospitable locals that made our experience all the better. We stumbled upon a family birthday party and were heavily persuaded to sit and feast with them. After enjoying birthday cake, we were swept away in traditional Greek dancing which even included jingly skirts and finger tambourines. We all had a blast and were blown away with our luck of getting to have such an authentic experience.
Besides the friendly welcome, the food was beyond amazing. We tried gyros, octopus, stuffed peppers, chocolate cake, Greek salad, spinach pie, and of course buckets of Tzatziki. It was all so flavorful and fresh. As a Dietetics major, the time, energy, and joy that is spent on and taken from food hits home with me. I savor Europe’s pleasure in food, and I pleasure in savoring their food. I cannot wait to take back to the states what I have learned here about eating slowly and enjoying food with family and friends.
These few words don’t even begin to scratch the surface of a wonderful summer. I have learned that there are some moments in life that simply cannot be described or explained, but must be experienced. I am so thankful for the memories I have made so far and know the best is yet to come.
Ciao bella!
-Hannah Parrish