Sharon’s Post-Trip Reflection

It has been a week since we landed and said our goodbyes in JFK airport. I had a few days to myself to catch up with friends and family, unpack, and organize my photos. Then, on Monday, I started work and got right back in to the swing of things. Home is becoming more routine and normal. I am midway through the transition of thinking about the future now and not reflecting on my past (the trip). In two days my family flies out to Yellowstone so I am in this weird limbo week where I am working but its like a little break between two long vacations. Not till July will I have to accept working full time for the next 2 months before my senior year of college begins. What fun.

At home, I have felt myself being more conservative of resources like water. During the preparation for Greece I remember reading in the travel book that Greece has some problems centered around a depleting water source. As a result I tried to be very conscious of water usage while there. This has transferred back home with me.

My professional goal was to learn to let frustrations of large group travel go in constructive ways. I believe that as a whole I have learned to be more relaxed over the past couple months and Greece was a large part of this. Through traveling with 30 peers I really was forced to sink or swim. I either learned to deal with the frustrations or my experience would be marred and I would really only have myself to blame. Taking that into consideration, I am glad that I was able to navigate around the frustrations by getting to know the people better, rationally working through their annoying behaviors, and making sure that I found enough alone/recharge time. This is definitely a valuable skill to have and great that I had such a condensed and intense practice session with the skill.

I was able to identify many staple Greek foods that could be incorporated into the American diet to help mediate nutrients of concern. It is useful to see how other cultures get complete nutrient quotas with such different foods than we are used to in our culture. Greek food is not greatly different than American foods but there are some differences. The main difference is not what they eat that we don’t, but what they don’t eat that we do. They eat a lot less fat, sugar, and salt. This works to counteract most of American health problems.

A significant learning point for me was connecting theology lectures to churches, basilicas, and monuments we visited. The Greeks have a strong reverence for God. This was true in the time of the Olympic gods as well as today in Greek Orthodox practices. Ancient Greek life was centered around worship and paying respects to the gods. All of their art reflected the gods’ gifts or told their stories. Today Greek culture, life, and art are much more diverse but their religious practices are still strongly reverent. Icons are painted with prayers and divine admiration. Churches are built in old styles with dark, deep, and vibrant colors that shepherd feelings of awe and respect. Services are liturgical. All these parts add to a beautifully reverent whole. Greece has given me a reminder of the reverence God deserves and desires from us.

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