We've Learned to Change, but Did We Change to Learn?

I got a letter from Chris last week, and he asked what I've been learning over here in London. I didn't really know how to answer that at first, because my classes are all rather easy.

And yet I'm here for a semester of my college education. I ought to be learning something, oughtn't I? In Adolescent Psychology, most of what we've talked about was mentioned in my AP Psychology class in high school (I knew Gillam was a good teacher). My Media class mostly watches movies about non-Western culture and briefly discusses them (actual movies, not documentaries; the kind that play in theaters). All I've learned in English Palaces and Country Houses is not to eat in the class room because the professor is a real stick in the mud who would rather us fall asleep during his lecture than silently enjoy a bit of chocolate. I'm always a little paranoid that he'll try to teach us something important and I'll miss it because I have so much trouble staying focused in there, but the most substantial thing he's tried to teach us were the orders of classical architecture, and I learned that from Mr. Vellios back in high school. And I've learned that my theatre class has no tests, just a couple of essays about shows, and the professor really enjoys my writing.

It's not all that bad. I do enjoy my classes mostly. I enjoy the free field trips to the theatre and to old palaces. And the movies and discussion in my media class really aren't bad. ... Psychology is pretty unforgiveably dull, but what's a semester without one of those classes? (erm, exciting??)

So the classes are all easy. But that doesn't mean that I'm going the whole semester without learning. I'm just not learning traditional 'class-room' things. For example, I've learned how to use the London Underground system (The maps make it look intimidating. It's delightfully easy, in fact).

And I've learned a few random Greek words over spring break (but I can't spell them, so it's no use on the blog. You'll just have to take my word for it).

I've learned that the foggy, rainy London stereotype exists for a very legitimate reason. I've learned that just because the English drive on the left side of the road doesn't mean that they walk on the left side of the sidewalk (any side of the sidewalk is fine, just don't run into anyone else. This does not apply to escalators, however, where the rule is strictly 'stand on the right, walk on the left').

I'm also learning things about myself. I'm learning just how much I really appreciate home and the relative quiet friendliness of the Midwest. While I've found Londoners to generally be friendly, most of the American College is from the North East, and while I've made some very good friends from them, there's a definite difference in background and culture. And London is never, ever entirely quiet.

I always knew I liked driving in my car with the windows down and the music up, singing at the top of my lungs, but being without that makes me realize how much I miss it.

Similarly, I always knew I like my privacy, but I'm learning that I can, in fact, adapt to sharing a room for more than a week.

I'm also learning that I can never figure out how to end blog entries. I just run out of things to say and click "publish post."

The Air Gets Clean and the Seas Get Wide

So, I haven't updated in a while, and for that, I apologize. I didn't do much traveling for the rest of February or the beginning of March, since I was saving up for spring break, which was absolutely and unbelieveably amazing.

I packed up and went with a couple of friends to Greece, where I had the best spring break I could imagine. We spent most of our week in Volos, staying with our friend Mark who is studying there for the semester, and was kind enough to let us stay at his apartment for free and show us around town when he was out of class.

Greece is, in many ways, entirely opposite of what I've experienced in London and in the United States. In Volos, things don't happen so much on a schedule, and everyone seems to actually enjoy what's going on around them rather than trying to rush past to where ever they're going. When people go for a walk in the evening, it's not a walk to burn off calories at the fastest pace you can go. It's a gentle stroll to take in the cool air and enjoy the waterfront by night.



Going out for coffee with friends is a four-hour event with long conversation, rather than 30-40 minutes with a bunch of watch-checking.

On our first full day in Greece, a Sunday, Mark took us up Mt. Pelion to see Makrinitsa, which was absolutely gorgeous.



Up on the mountain, there were a bunch of little fountains that spouted cool, clean water constantly, and the runoff just went on down the mountain. I tried some, it was delicious. We had lunch in a little restaurant, where I had some of the best spaghetti I've ever tasted, and I'm certain it was greatly influenced by the freshness of the ingredients.

We also walked up to an abandoned monastery, and just as we got there it began to sprinkle. It was a perfect sort of rain though, and as I looked around, it was no surprise to me that Greece is such a religious country. With so much peace and beauty around, how can you not feel like there's someone bigger out there?

We spent the rest of our time in Volos exploring the coffee shops, local food, and the old part of town. My favorite part of being in Volos, I think, was breakfast. We would all buy whatever we wanted, and on Monday morning, we took it out onto the jetty and ate breakfast from there, looking at the Aegean in one direction, and Volos in the other on a perfect spring morning.

At the end of the week, we went into Athens for a few days, which was also a lot of fun. We did the typical sight-seeing, such as the Acropolis. I didn't realize how really enormous the Parthenon is until I was standing at the foot of it. To think that people could build something like that without cranes and such is amazing.



We also saw the new and old Olympic stadiums. Next to the Acropolis (well, kind of on? but not quite...) is where Paul preached to the Athenians, which was really exciting to see.



Not too far from that was the cave where legend holds that Socrates drank the hemlock.




I could go on and on about how beautiful and relaxing and fun Greece was, but I need go get some lunch and do some laundry (I still haven't washed my clothes since I got back, and I'm nearly out of things to wear...), but hopefully I'll update again before long!