one more day accompanied by random thoughts

today, i did not die or have a near death experience. i baked in the sun instead. plans fell through with the trip to Hydra but all the same we quickly found a new island to visit - Aegina which reminded me of West Texas.

We took an hour long ferry to the island and then a 20 minute bus ride to a rural part of the town. we headed down to a private beach and quickly got settled on our sunbeds accompanied by umbrellas. i almost go to finish off angels and demons a few pages short...but i did get a few hours in the sun.

ok so let me just say that it was probably one of the more beautiful beaches i've ever been too. i'm not a super duper beach kinda girl though i do love the water and love the sun. but this place was breath-taking. the water was clear and just amazing shades of blue and aqua-marine.

we managed to make it back in time for me to get in a shower and change for tonight's family dinner. traditional greek food which was pretty good.

i cant believe that a month has come and gone. i've kept a written journal while i'm here and yes i've been faithful to write in it every day. i can say that through this past month, i can say that i have a completely different perspective of so many different things.

more than anything, i feel the timing of this trip has been absolutely perfect. who knew that all those decisions and events in my life in the last three years would lead to this. of all the places in the world, i have ever wanted to visit - italy and greece are the top two.

with the end of this trip closing in, i'm reminded of home and all the new changes that will occur over the summer. good changes but nevertheless bittersweet. the move to Lubbock is coming soon and i'm excited for sure. i'll finally join the long list of family alum. as for my law school future, only God knows the answers to those questions.

i have had to think about the next few steps in that journey. more out of necessity and time moving so quickly. will have to get working on LSAT prep and will be taking it again in Sept' i'm hoping a higher score, an improved GPA, and an early application will at least make me viable candidate for acceptance. we shall see. if not at Tech then i'll begin the process of applying to other schools to start once i finish my MBA.

i'm not worried not anxious about it. all things have worked out for the best. i look back and can see that now. dont completely understand the process but its not really for me to understand. just know that it makes me stronger in what i believe and the pursuits i follow. that's enough for me.

if anything, i've learned just how precious time is or rather our time here on earth. times is a respector of no one, not age, race, or even position. it keeps marching forward and waits for no one. so with that in mind, i've tried to make the most of every opportunity and every situation.

i dont have any negative impressions of my time here. things are different here. normal conveniences we often take for granted are not as readily available. its been to be without a phone. though i didnt really test the whole no internet theory. managed to find connections here and there which accounts for the lack of blogs. but at the same time, the only other time i've had to rely on public transportation as much as i have was when i was in London.

we've walked more miles than i care to think about and yes did on occassion use the bus and subway system, most especially in Rome and Athens. After figuring out the tube in London, wasnt all that difficult to figure out these systems which have 2 - 3 different lines.

the whole experience made me appreciate my car back home. something as simple as going to get groceries can be magnified when trying to figure out how to get all the groceries home.

overall, i can say that the Greeks are so very friendly much more so than the Italians I encountered. though i have meet some really nice people along the way. people willing to share info or wondering where we were from. its pretty obvious we were tourist. travelling in packs and with our backpacks in tow!

only one more day left here. tomorrow, i'll be visiting the Bodies exhibition which is here and then a bit of shopping to finish off the last of my euros! one of my professors is flying home early so we.ll be left with Dr. Olsen to fly home bright and early on thurs. our charter arrives to pick us up at 5am and by 8:15am in the air to Heathrow we will be (about 2:15 am your time). amazing, no?

about 24 hours of travel from Athens (Athinia) to London to DFW to finally home. i'll be so happy to see my parents faces at the gate when we come in. no matter how old i get or where i go, i can always find comfort in my parents. have to tie up a few lose ends before heading back out on the road again! the summer will be lots of travel for me.

i will spend a week in Chicago visiting my sister, hopefully a week in Galveston with my dad, a texas tour to San Antonio, Houston, Austin, and Dallas to visit friends i've not seen in a while. Then back home to pack everything else up and prepare for my move to LBK the first of August.

the ending of one journey only leads to the beginning of a new one!