Sick of Fresno?

Head overseas for a summer in Greece

By Maggie Thach

Maggie Thach was part of a group of 12 Fresno State students who participated in a four-week summer study program at the American College of Thessaloniki in Greece. The course, titled “Introduction to Greek Language, Culture and History,” was organized through the Fresno State division of continuing and global education.

It was 2 a.m. and nothing could keep me from the anxiousness I had for the day ahead.

Even though I had two and a half hours until I had to be at the Fresno airport, the staggering heat combined with my rattled nerves did not allow me even a moment's rest.

Twelve strangers gathered at the airport that morning on July 3. We were all unfamiliar people heading to an unfamiliar land with nothing but a pure fascination and love for the country we were bound for.

Although the flight was long and exhausting, we managed to arrive in Athens, the epicenter of a melding of ancient history and modern living.

Even though the sheer grandeur and majesty of a city like Athens should have been enough to overwhelm me, I was really just anxious to get settled in.

As we made our way to dinner, we were baffled and astonished by all the frenzy circulating in the streets. Young people draped in the country's flag, painted faces and Greeks of all ages waving olive branches flooded the streets.

Even though it was Independence Day back in the States, it was also an important day for nationalism in Greece. In a continent where soccer is the sport of gods, the Greeks were ecstatic for the national men's soccer team to face Portugal in the finals of the Euro Cup.

I caught the first half of that game before I fell asleep that night. I saw Greece score a goal before dozing off.

I hoped that would be enough. A few hours later in the early hours of the morning, I got my answer.

My roommate, Brooke, awoke to a flurry of fireworks and continual honking from the streets eight stories below. Greece had beat Portugal 1-0. The Greek gods had won the battle that night and put their country in a state of elation over it.

I have never seen such a reaction from a whole country over a sporting event. No Super Bowl, NBA Finals or World Series game could produce the kind of nationalism I saw that night. I was so excited to be in Greece at that point.

My first dose of Athens came the next morning when I took the elevator to the rooftop of Hotel Astor for their complimentary breakfast.

I peered over the balcony and saw a perfect, panoramic view of the city, as well as a picturesque view of the world-renowned Acropolis. After breakfast, we would finally get the chance to see it up close instead of admiring it from a distance.

After Delphi, we went to Corinth to see the Corinth Canal, went to a great city by the sea called Nafplio, where we cooled off in the Mediterranean Sea. We saw Mycanae and Epidauros, two cities where stories and myths have been passed down from generation to generation. After a whirlwind of ancient ruins and sights, it was finally time for us to go to Thessaloniki, where we would be going to school to learn Greek and spend the remainder of our trip.

We were situated right in the middle of Thessaloniki, the fashion capital of Greece. In Thessaloniki, it didn't seem to matter as much what designer name was on your jeans, but how big and gaudy your sunglasses were and how high your strappy sandals tied up your leg.

The people there had a way about them. There were no social pressures to be thin and waif-like. Everybody was proud of their bodies, and this was evident through their selection in clothing. Nobody wore a watch; time was not a factor. Sitting at the corner café, sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes seemed to be at the top of everybody's agenda.

It made us all wonder if this was the way to live life; without a care and with a true passion to enjoy it to its fullest.

Throughout our three weeks in Greece, we mingled with taxi drivers, bargained with shopkeepers, and asked the waiters at the local taverns to take numerous pictures.

We also adapted to their way of life. We stayed out late and got up even later. We learned to stop guzzling our coffee and sip instead.

Some of us tried smoking a cigarette and some of us inhaled enough second-hand smoke to have smoked a pack ourselves.

For me, the second-hand smoke didn't seem to bother me much.

For some reason, I ignored the health hazards and just took it as a part of the aura and mystique of Greece.

I took more from Greece than just souvenirs and nine rolls of film.

It was a feeling that I would never be able to replicate here at home.

The people there were carefree and light-hearted. It was an attitude.

It was a way of life. It is something that I have come to appreciate now that I am back in the hectic hustle and bustle of California.

The thing that will stick with me the most is the graciousness and hospitality of the Greek people and the attitude and philosophy in which they approach life.

As for me, I took away from the trip a way of thinking, a way of learning, and most importantly, a way of living. Here's to Greece: Yamas!