Santorini!!

As my dad says, "There's no rest for the wicked, and the righteous don't need it."

At 6am the morning after the marathon, we got ourselves out of bed and to the airport to get to Santorini. Needless to say, I was moving very slowly that morning.

Just a short plane ride and a few hours later we were arriving at our hotel: Pantelia Suites in Fira.

This place was so unbelievable. I really couldn't recommend it enough.

And of course the weather was amazing, so we enjoyed the porch for a little while.

And this is what we saw when we looked out from our porch. The land form in the photo that resembles an island is actually a caldera, or a volcano. I'm pretty sure that there was an eruption in the 1950's, so it is still quite active.

And then wen went exploring around town. Please note the English signs - this place is a huge tourist trap, but one worth the visit.

And the views did not disappoint. I love how the town was built down the side of the cliff instead of where there is flat land. I guess that is the coolest thing about traveling; just learning that people around the world think differently than you do or your culture does.

We played a lot of cards at night in our hotel room, and watched the boys do silly things. For example, in the below photo, Aaron climbed up into this little cubby above Kristy and I's bed. The next day the guys jumped down onto the roof of someone's house and Brian almost fell through a wall. Good times.

We learned quickly that one of the best things about our hotel was the breakfast that was included in our room rate. We pretty much got to eat whatever we wanted - and as much of it as we wanted.

Us girls thought this photo was quite hilarious - Aaron looked like he was at the spa out on the porch eating his breakfast.

And Brooke was quite excited about our plate of fruit.

Our second full day in Santorini, we rented ATVs and rode all over the island. It was quite the adventure since I was the navigator and our map wasn't quite to scale. :) But we saw the entire island and below are the photos from the day.

A cathedral in Pyrgos.

Someone's Grandma.

Yours truly.

The beach in Perissa.

Group shot on the ATVs with the Aegean Sea in the background. It was super windy that day, so there was no way I was going out on the beach.

On our way to the beach we passed a bunch of windmills, so we went back to check them out.

And at the end of the road there was this awesome church overlooking the island.

Brooke had the guts to climb to the top of one of the windmills even though I'm pretty sure it is ready to crumble any second. But apparently Brooke was quite happy about making it to the top of the windmill in one piece. Please click on this photo to see it as large as possible. Brooke, you are welcome.

Oia is at the northern tip of the island and it took us about an hour to get there on our little ATVs.

We wanted to go up there to watch the sunset since it is on the western side of the island. My impression of Santorini was that most of it looked like the little towns on the cliff, but below is a good view of what it really looked like there. Terraced land with blue domed churches, everywhere. So beautiful.

And below is the town of Oia - pronounced "ee-ya."

We still weren't sure if this was the best place to watch the sunset, so we rode to some small beaches to see if we could get a better view. We came around the corner to find this opening in the side of a hill - and just before the boys decided to get off their ATVs and go inside, this donkey walked out and scared us all. We lovingly refer to this place as the "ass cave."

Oia turned out to be the perfect place to watch the sunset, so here is a photo I took trying to capture it. The next day we found out that Beyonce was in Oia that night. If you can spot her in this photo, I will give you lots of money. But I can guarantee that she is in one of the buildings pictured below. I wish I were kidding - the entire next day we were looking around for anyone who resembled Beyonce.

And it was quite windy. Luckily Uzi found someone to block the wind.

We scheduled a volcano and hot springs tour for the next morning and when we got down to the water, found out that the water was too choppy and the tour had been cancelled. And it was 6 euros to take the cable car back up the side of the mountain, or 5 euros to take a donkey. I thought that this was one of the funnest things we did on the entire trip.

If this didn't initiate me into the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, then I don't know what could. Uzi and I almost traded jeans right there on the side of the mountain.

It rained for a while that afternoon & evening, so we didn't do much after that except for play cards and watch the lightening for a while. Well, except for take a walk around our the staircases by our hotel.

This is when Brian almost fell through the wall. Please note the hole on the right by the pole - that is where the ceiling fell through.

Me & Uzi

Oh, Santorini, we loved you. Maybe one day we'll go back in the summer so we can lay out at the beach and avoid the wind.

Remember the time I ran the Athens Classic Marathon?

Let's talk about the race, shall we? I've been blocking it out for long enough and the suspense is over; I finished and I am still alive.

This is the email that I sent to some friends & family a few hours after the race was over:

When it was pouring down rain at 6am when we got in the bus to go to Marathon, I was slightly - read HIGHLY- discouraged. We had a two hours wait in the rain before the start and took refuge in a burned out apartment building. And the pouring rain didn't stop until at least mile 10. Starting a race like that isn't ideal for sure. True to form I made a few friends along the way - John from Canada who is a Team Diabetes coach ran about 5 or 6 miles with me when we were going up the worst part of the hill, and Melanie from France and I ran/walked the last 5 miles and even finished at the same time.

This lady was next to me at the start line - finding her photo on flickr made me happy.

I also found this video on youtube of a dvd that was made for one of the runners. Please watch before the race starts and notice the shell of an apartment building that they show. This is where Brian, Aaron, and I took refuge in the rain until the race started at 9am. And it gives you a good idea of what I went through that day. Granted, whoever this video was made for finished quite a bit sooner than I did, but it is worth the watch.

When I ran past my friends to go cross the finish line, they were not expecting me, so here's the only photo of me anywhere close to the finish line. ha!

This is a photo of me with Melanie, the girl I finished with. We definitely needed each other those last few miles. I will always remember her for sure and be grateful that she was there when I needed her.

And since the pace car followed me for about 10 miles of the race, Uzi thought it was only appropriate that I get a photo in front of it, showing everyone what 10 miles of the race looked like for me.

And did you doubt that I became friends with the guy? When he first started following me, I would yell back at him "Stop following me!" And he would yell things back like "Hurry up! What's your problem?!" And I would say "I'm trying to run a marathon here!" When I saw him at the finish line, I ran up to the car to tell him I finished and seemed very happy for me. I like to think that he was proud. :)

Aaron & Brian finished at around 4 hours. It was Brian's 3rd marathon and Aaron's 1st. Way to go, guys!

All in all, I'm glad that I ran it. I'm also glad that it is over.

Delph-eelings, nothing more than feelings.

On Saturday morning we left in our rented "mini bus" to go to Delphi. (You say that Del-phee just to be clear.) Delphi is a few hours west of Athens up in the mountains. If you want to read up on why we went to Delphi, click here to learn a little more. I would highly suggest it as it was one of the highlights of the entire trip for me.

The town just east of Delphi is called Arachova, but we called it "Greek Aspen" for the rest of the trip. First off, it was quite a bit cooler than anywhere else we went while in Greece and as a bonus, there were furry pillows at the cafe where we ate lunch.

And there were cute little staircases in town...

And then we were in Delphi, checking out the ruins.

Isn't it beautiful? This is a view of the Temple of Apollo with the valley down below. Pretty awesome thinking of all the famous people who went to the Temple of Apollo through the ages. For example, King Midas, Alexander the Great, Plutarch, and Socrates.

Since it is winter, most of the historical sites we went to closed fairly early in the day. So we went to the Bay of Corinth and the water was a little fierce.

On our way back to Athens, we stopped at the Ossios Loukas Monastery. Such a beautiful place. And again, closed just a few minutes after we got there, so we couldn't go inside the church.

So we just took fancy photos outside the church instead.

And then got back in the car and made our long trek back to Athens so that we could carb up before Sunday's race. While we were in the car, we played a fun game where you try to get everyone to name the movie you are thinking of by saying the exact opposite of the movie title. Some of my favorites were "Brotherhood of the Stationary Skirts' and "My Little Skinny Chinese Divorce" haha. We had some good times that day in the car.

And many thanks to our fearless driver, Uzi.

Miss Jill

My friend Jill in New York has a hilarious blog that you should read.

When we were neighbors in Provo, she left a mannequin head on my doorstep one night when I missed Enrichment, telling me that if I missed it again, that would be me. We laughed so hard that we hung it on a string from the balcony so that it was swinging in the wind when she opened her front door the next morning.

She writes about her daily life in New York City and sometimes if you're lucky, about her experience living in Honduras as a middle school teacher. Check it out. And then tell your friends.

http://missjillnewyork.blogspot.com/

Affected in Athens

Our next day in Athens started just like most of my days do. You know - just hanging out at the Parthenon.

I got separated from the rest of our group before we reached the top of the Acropolis, where the Parthenon sits. Friday was a hard day for me since Darrel was supposed to get there that night. (And obviously didn't come.) So, I sat a few feet away from the Parthenon, wrote in my journal, and listened to my ipod. When Uzi found me, ...well,....

So we did what we do best. We sang it out. If only I'd thought ahead to bring my blow-up microphones! Click here if you want to know what we were singing. Uzi, you're the best.

Our first group photo on the steps of the Parthenon.

And then we walked like little pioneer children walked and walked and walked up to Lykavittos Hill, the highest point in Athens. Once you walk a few blocks worth of stairs, you take a funicular up to the top or you can walk a few hundred more stairs. Of course we opted to take the funicular since three of us were running a marathon in less than 36 hours.

And at the top of the hill, we found some cool things:

The church of St. George.

Then we went to the marathon expo to pick up our race packets and check out the marathon finish line at the Panathenaic Stadium, which is also known as the Olympic Stadium. Here we are - three pre-race marathoners: Aaron, me, and Brian.

Next up on our adventure, Delphi.

Thought you should know...

I saw New Moon last night. This is how I feel about my life right now.

{to enlarge the image, click on it and then click on it again. the closer you can get, the more you will enjoy it.}

Many, many thanks to Uzi who created this. I will be framing it and putting this up in my room. Not even kidding.

POST-EDIT:

The reason that Kristy made this for me was because last night when I saw New Moon, I felt like I was watching a movie of my life. Edward's restraint, how he left without an explanation and no contact, and then how Bella had to find someone to distract her while Edward was gone. And you can't blame the girl for distracting herself with someone who is super hot. And the time that I laid on the floor of the woods and cried until the police found me. Wait. That wasn't me, but it should have been. I was put on suicide watch by a good friend while laying in my bed; close enough. I told my roommate today that if Darrel shows up on my doorstep in a few months, she will need to call the ambulance. Please note though that I will not be chasing him down in Italy to save his life.

Please discuss.

Greece's real name is Hellas. Yep.

So if we're going to talk about Greece, there are a few major things that we need to discuss immediately.

1. Gyros. Ate them every single day. We decided that every country has their own version of a taco. Some form of meat wrapped in bread with tomatoes inside - or something close. America has the hot dog. Mexico has the taco. India even has a version with naan bread and tikka misala. In Greece, it is the Gyro. We liked to refer to them as Gacos (you pronounce that, ya-ko in case you are curious). Also, the ones pictures below are all chicken or beef. We found that lamb gyros were hard to come by.

2. Baklava. It is better in Greece. The end.

3. The view from our hotel room balcony:


And a few more of my favorite images from my first day in Athens:

Nice bum!

This statue is a replica of the statue of Athena that once stood inside the Parthenon. While the original was around 40 feet tall, this one was only about 3 feet tall. Soooo awesome.


To give you a quick overview:
I went to Greece with Kristy, Brooke, Jayna, Aaron, and Brian. The boys did not arrive until us girls had been there for a day, which is why the menfolk are not in the above photos. This post is only the beginning of our adventure. Prepare yourselves.

Pensive

I love this photo of me, if I do say so myself. Captures my emotional state very well the entire time we were there. Photos from Greece will be up by the weekend. Still waiting for all of them to come in. If you are lucky enough to be on my gchat, you can check them out in the meantime.

Homecoming

I'm back from Greece with very minor regrets.

On Sunday night, my roommate picked me up and I ended the night sitting in my living room laughing with 4 of my closest friends in San Francisco. I couldn't seem to wipe the smile off my face.

I will be posting pictures of my trip soon. I was standing in the copy room today and I thought to myself "Was I really on a Greek Island this time last week?"

Yep, I was. I'm glad that I am just realizing that. Go me.

The Silver Lining

I don't have anything real thought-provoking to say right now. Just thought I'd say that for those of you who may not be friends with me on facebook or otherwise connected, I am still alive. I ran the Athens Classic Marathon last Sunday and even got myself a medal. I made friends along the way and the thought even crossed my mind earlier today that I would love to run another just to beat my time. haha. Don't get any funny ideas; not going to happen.

Still having a great time here in Greece. I've found a hottie among us to flirt with, so not all is lost. Photos to follow.

And as the locals say "bai bai!"

Thoughts from Athens

Today when I was sitting on a marble bench about 20 feet away from the Parthenon, I started thinking about my life over the last week. And then I was looking at the Parthenon and wondered what about it makes it so famous.

While here I have learned a lot more about the Parthenon than I previously knew; for example, that it was destoryed as a Pagan temple and made into a Christian church. Then made into a Mosque. Then it was bombed some more. A statue of Athena that was well over 50 feet tall disappeared. Thieves stole the artwork.

Oh yeah. That's why it is famous; because even after thousands of years and a lot of demolition, it is still standing to remind the Greek people of the victory they had in some war. There are other temples that are in better shape very close to the Parthenon, but you rarely hear about those. They still stand there in good condition and are even dedicated to 'better' Gods, but who cares about something that has survived with zero opposition?

And then that's when I realized that no matter what happens to me - no matter what people get me down, all that matters is how well I take it. I might be pillaged and bombed, but the fact that I'm still standing is what will matter in the end.

Thank you, Athena. I needed that.

see you in a few weeks.

all the emails, calls, texts, prayers, etc. were received today with much gratitude. just knowing that when i am in need, i have an abundance of people who are more than willing to succor me is overwhelming. it is no accident that i have such wonderful people in my life and i thank God so much for the blessing of my family and friends who love me so much.

just to make it clear, i am doing ok. love truly does hurt sometimes, but we learn our lessons and we move onward. as my great-great grandmother said, "Carry On, Carry On, Carry On!" I am doing just that. She would be proud.

and now for the good news. as if what i already said isn't good news. sheesh. i am going to be here in less than a week.

and running a marathon that finishes here in 6 days:

and by Wednesday morning in America, I will be in Athens looking at this beauty.

and now, it is time to pack. i have to be at the airport in 4.5 hours and all that is in my suitcase is underwear. if someone ever tells you that i am well prepared for things, they are lying. or that i am nice, but that is a different story.

emotional wreck

all i have to say is that the most awesome thing about dating someone halfway across the planet is that the only way that you know he's breaking up with you is when you see that he has changed his profile pic on facebook from the one of the two of you and subsequently removed you as a friend.

times are not good.

i leave for greece in about 24 hours. the good news in all of this is that i don't ever have to worry about him marrying my neighbor, running into him at parties, and all i really have to do to remove him from my life is take down the photos. the next time i think about falling in love, please talk me out of it.

happy monday.