Odyssey Journal
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The students studying abroad with the European Odyssey program will be sharing their thoughts in words, pictures and video as they learn more about foreign countries and cultures. Check back to see the trip through their eyes.
On Greece and Paris
While we were in Olympia I had a chance to learn more about the "free" education in Greece. What we consider to be high school level does not properly prepare one for college under their free education system. If families in Greece can afford it, they send their child to public school in the mornings then pay for the child to attend private school in the afternoon. This results in twice the work load but a much better prepartion for college. I found that to be extremely interesting and very informative.
We were were in Paris, we visited Pere Lachaise Cemetary, and Linda split the group into smaller sections, giving each one four or five letters from the alphabet. Then each person within the group had to find someone with one of those letters as their last name. "R" was one of our group's letters. I found the memorial site of composer Gioacchino Rossini. Then while we were in Florence I visited his actual burial site in San Croce. Yesterday we were in his birth city of Pesaro. I found the three connections to be really interesting because it was by pure chance that I choose Rossini in the first place way back in Paris.
Leaving Greece
We just left Greece and I had an amazing time there. The countryside is incredibly beautiful and the people were so nice! First we went to Meteroa, a small town surrounded by giant rocks. Then we went to Athens, where we saw the sight of the first Olympic games! We made stops in Olympia and Monemvasia, before ending our stay in Nafpaktos on the Greek Independence Day. Greece is an incredible country and I hope that future Odysseans get the chance to go there as well.
Celebrating in Beautiful Nafpaktos
We are celebrating Greek Independence Day here in beautiful Nafpaktos, a small town at the edge of the Gulf of Corinth. There is a huge, new suspension bridge that spans the Gulf connecting the Peloponnesian Peninsula with northern Greece. Tomorrow on our way to the ferry back to Italy, we will stop at Dodona, the location of an ancient oracle described in earliest recorded history. Here are some fun facts about the place:
The shrine of Dodona was the oldest Hellenic oracle, according to the fifth-century historian Herodotus and in fact dates to pre-Hellenic times, perhaps as early as the second millennium BCE. Priests and priestesses in the sacred grove interpreted the rustling of the oak or beech leaves to determine the correct actions to be taken. When Homer wrote the Iliad (circa 750 BCE), no buildings were present, and the priests slept on the ground with ritually unwashed feet. Not until the fourth century BCE was a small stone temple to Zeus added to the site. By the time Euripides mentioned and Herodotus wrote about the oracle, priestesses had been restored. Dodona gained a reputation far beyond Greece. In Apollonius of Rhodes' retelling of the older story of Jason and the Argonauts, Jason's ship, the "Argo," had the gift of prophecy because it contained an oak timber taken from Dodona.
In the third century BCE, King Pyrrhus rebuilt the Temple of Zeus and added many other buildings and a festival featuring athletic games, musical contests, and drama enacted in a theater. At this time a wall was built around the oracle itself and its holy tree. In 219 BCE, the Aetolians invaded and burned the temple to the ground. Though King Philip V of Macedon rebuilt all the buildings bigger and better than before and added a stadium for annual games, the oracle at Dodona never fully recovered. In 167 BCE, Dodona was once again destroyed and later rebuilt 31 BCE by Emperor Augustus. By the time the traveller Pausanias visited Dodona in the second century AD, the sacred grove had been reduced to a single oak. Pilgrims still consulted the oracle until CE 391, when Christians cut down the holy tree. Though the surviving town was insignificant, the long-hallowed pagan site must have retained significance, for a Christian Bishop of Dodona attended the Council of Ephesus in CE 431. Archaeological excavations over more than a century have recovered artifacts, many of which are now at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
In Monemvasio
I was on the island town of Monemvasio, Greece with Steve, Katlyn, and Amanda this morning. We were aimlessly walking around and found the Aegean Sea on the edge of the island. The water was clear enough for me to see every rock and plant in the water. I peacefully sat on a rock just watching the water.
The Odyssey has been a whirlwind trip of big cities storming with tourists to small little towns where sitting watching the sea seems like the ideal choice. Sometimes I am so afraid of the end of this experiential learning adventure, but then I realize that I have seven more weeks. Each day is a new experience for which I am grateful.
Mind-blowing
Visiting Europe has always been a dream for me and to visit the continent the way the Odyssey allows you to is amazing. You really get a feel for each metropolis, small town, and everything in between. Visiting the places that I have learned about in school and from books since I was a child and to actually see the Acropolis in Athens, the Pantheon in Rome, and the Louvre in Paris has been mind blowing. I will never forget this unique experience.
A New Style of Learning
It is only week three, and I have learned more about Europe and the European Union especially, than I have my whole college career. The experiential technique and personal interview-style of learning are such a great way to access knowledge about current issues from the people who are actually dealing with them. Sitting in a classroom reading out of a textbook is one way to learn about Europe, but it’s hard to actually appreciate the history until you actually see the sites and have dialogue with the citizens that are living here during this historic time.
Unbelievable View
In Meteora, we visited the holy monastery of the great Meteoron, on the top of a huge rock formation. Some of us hiked all the way from town. That was by far the most unforgettable and rewarding experience I've had yet. It took three hours to get there. The view was unbelievable ... it made me feel so small. I would never have imagined that I'd be in such a beautiful and peaceful holy place.
Kali Spera
Kali Spera [Good Evening] from Meteora, Greece!
In this amazing place full of geological and historical uniqueness, I am reflecting on the process of community building as we wind up week three of the European Odyssey. I have spent much of my academic life focused on the meaning of community and the process of caring that is at its core, and I am continually impressed by the depth and quality of learning that this type of community on the road fosters. The inevitable conflicts and problems provide rich learning opportunities for growth and development. These are teachable moments in which we all can observe our strengths and weaknesses facilitating genuine personal transformation. Although this is my third Odyssey experience, I see things I've seen before in new ways and always delight in also seeing things through students' eyes.
An Experience
This trip has been an intense exercise in stress management. I have experienced and seen more than I have in any of my 21 other years. I realized today that since leaving New York, I have driven the length of France and Italy, and now I am sitting in a hotel in Greece. To this point alone, our journey is something that most people in the United States will never undertake. That is an astonishing fact considering the majority of our time traveling still lays ahead.
Having grown up in the isolated state of Utah, my idea of heavy travel was a six hour drive to Vegas. By the end of this trip, I will have been to 12 countries and eaten countless dinners picked simply by pointing at a menu. I owe a debt to our teachers for facilitating this beast of a program that will undoubtedly change my life forever.
Arriving in Greece
Yesterday we arrived in Greece. Docking the ferry at Igoumenitsa was so beautiful and the scenery was totally different from Italy. We drove up the mountains on twisty little roads, passing snow capped mountains and finally arriving at Kalembaki. From our hostel we are surrounded by huge rock formations. Today we hiked about three hours to Meteora. It was absolutely breathtaking. Tomorrow we head for Athens. Greece is wonderful!
Life-changing
This trip has already been life-changing, and it's only week two. I can't imagine the transformation that we will experience over the weeks to come. The group has come together and I feel like I have known everyone for years. I already consider some members family. We are soaking in so much beauty and history. At times it's overwhelming, but that's why we have one another - so we can go through this together.
I can't help but dwell on the fact that this trip will indeed be over at some point, and we will have to say goodbye to one another and to Europe. But for these next weeks I will try to make the most of every minute we have.
Florence is absolutely amazing. Walking the streets is like walking through an huge museum. Our hotel is amazing. It's comfortable but maintains the age, and integrity of the building, and all the furniture is antique. Dantés' wife was born on the first floor. It's about a two-minute walk from the Duomo (dome of the cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore), so the location is ridiculous.
There are so many great restaurants and shops nearby. I love it here, but I can't wait for Rome!
Change is Inevitable
When you participate in the Odyssey program, change is inevitable. Whether you feel the changes as they are happening or become aware of trip’s impact years later, you experience a transformation and forever become a different person.
In 2003 I took my own leap of faith on the Odyssey and traveled with 14 strangers who became my “on the road family.” As I stepped out of my comfort zone, I learned about faith, patience, individuality, who I wanted to be and what I wanted to become.
I experienced moments when I shined and times when I was in a darker place. And at the end of that Odyssey I realized that although the trip was ending, the quest to find myself and experience life had just begun.
Since I returned from the European Odyssey in May 2003, there hasn’t been a day that I don’t reflect on that incredible experience and use the skills I learned from it.
Retracing my steps these past 10 days on this new Odyssey has been another life-changing experience. While I saw many of the same sites, I embraced the moments differently. I saw Europe, France and myself again in a new light.
I watched a new group of 14 college students begin their personal transformation.
My favorite way to live life is on the road, but for now my life is in New York. Although I am sad to be leaving France and my new “on the road family,” I leave with faith and hope that as they watch the sun rise and set, they too will be forever changed, always carrying the values and experiences they are learning close to their hearts.
A Nice Carnival
Last night the entire group went down into the main area of Nice for a Carnival. It was pretty amazing. We watched fireworks over the Mediterranean. Right before we watched the fireworks we came across a Calypso band playing; they were extremely talented and entertaining. Some of them were dressed up and dancing around; that was pretty neat to see. There was confetti everywhere you looked. There were also people going around spraying silly string on unsuspecting people; they caught a couple of people in our group. All in all Nice is a pretty amazing city but it kind of reminds me of Los Angeles with all the palms trees; so it's like Europe's LA.
We move on to Florence tomorrow; Italy here we come!
Looks like Italy
So we arrived in Nice, which is incredibly beautiful and looks like Italy. Technically it's in France, but it used to be in Italy before World War II. The whole city is built on and around a mountain range and the valley in the middle. All the houses are made of white stucco, and the roofs are brick colored slate. The weather is amazing; it hasn't rained once and the temperature hovers around 70°. There are even some palm trees, which I never expected to see in France of all places.
I'm actually writing from this great youth hostel; it used to be a rich family's villa and is built on the outskirts of town near the top of a mountain.
We also have free Internet and in-house meals (I'll be going for dessert as soon as this journal entry is done). Nice is also on the Mediteranean Sea, which is calm and exceptionally blue. The beaches are short and have no sand, but instead are covered with smooth rocks. Last night we went to the last day of Carnival, which is a big deal here. There were people spraying each other with silly string, a calypso band, and fireworks over the water. It was pretty incredible.
But enough about the awesome past - dessert pancakes await.
Warm, Sunny, Sultry Nice
We have just arrived in warm, sunny, sultry Nice and are enjoying the heat and light. Week One has been eventful but full of teachable, learnable moments!
The Bronze Ballerina
The Bronze Ballerina was made by Degas, and I have been wishing to see it for many years. Next to the Sistine Chaple, this is my other favorite work of art. The fact that I am seeing both up close and in person on this trip makes me extremely happy.
Going Wonderfully
Things are going wonderfully; however, we may have hit a snag. We heard that one of the vans was towed this morning. So far that’s the biggest snag we’ve hit. As unfortunate as the van being towed is, it was fortunate that we don’t need it until 6 p.m. anyway, so we have plenty of time to try and work things out before we have to leave for Mont St. Michel.
Already we’ve done so much that this day of having no coordinated activities feels nice.
Bonjour from Paris!
After a smooth, easy flight, the European Odyssey 2007 arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport where we picked up our brand new silver Renault mini-vans and found our way to Hotel Voltaire near the Republique Square. After flying all night it took the beauty of Paris to override our fatigue. But we wanted to stay awake in order to get our biorhythms adjusted to the six hour time difference. So after settling into our cozy hotel we took an initial, rather dreamlike spin around Paris stopping at the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees, the Place de Concord and other Parisian landmarks. It's always a thrill to share the first moments of witnessing these historic symbols that students have imagined for years.
After a deep sleep we are out exploring Paris on a drizzly Sunday. Because the rain made an excursion to the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery a damp and chilly choice, we decided to see the gargantuan D'Orsay Museum today and postpone the earlier plan for the day. Tomorrow we'll visit the great Louvre Museum, one of the sites of cultural pilgrimage on our long journey through western civilization. People are sometimes worried about the "attitude" that the French can have, particularly towards Americans. But after seeing Paris our hope is that students come to appreciate the amazing reality of French history and culture that lies behind this stereotype. After seeing Paris we can better understand the pride of this extraordinary society whose beauty we feel fortunate to share.
Back Home
I'm going to miss my family and friends the most. Things will go on as usual even though we won't be here.
Fear and Excitement
What I'm most nervous about is not knowing what to expect on the trip; but that's also what I'm most excited about.
Anticipation
I can't wait until the anticipation is all over and the group is standing at the base of the Eiffel Tower having our first picture taken in Europe!