Delphi!

My Greek civ class took a trip to Delphi. We actually stayed in Arahovna which was a beautiful location. When we first arrived in the hotel on Friday, I escaped for about an hour because we had a while til we left for our Berklee dinner (Berklee pays for our dinners and it's great cause I could get anything I wanted for free!) I sat on a little hill beside the road and looked at mountain reaching above the clouds. For some reason it made me emotional looking at the mountains. I felt so high up, closer to the clouds than I'd ever been. Then I walked down to this bridge, climbed down a staircase and sat by the edge of the mountain. It wasn't a sudden drop off but if I fell, I would have died more than ten times. So if I were a cat, I still would have died. I was safely away from the edge though and was enjoying looking at the distant cars climbing the winding roads across the way. It was so cool to look at the little towns gripping to the mountain face like clinging fireflies. I took out my Greek phone at one point and thought, what the hell, and tried to text mom's cell phone to include my parents in the experience. I texted something like, "It's Stoddy! I'm looking at the most amazing mountain view in Delphi that I wish you could see too!" The text didn't work though. And I was actually in Arahovna at that point. But I think I could see part of Delphi from where I was sitting. So pretend I sent it mom and dad! I tried! So anyway, I climbed over the locked gate of a playground (I thought, why not?) and played on the swing for a while. I got as high as you possibly can go pretty quickly and it gave me more of thrill than I expected. Well, probably because my view was of the bad-ass Greek mountains (I got the phrase, "bad-ass" from Cody). I wanted to swing for a while cause I wanted to tie together my childhood with my adulthood (you know, cause I'm studying abroad I feel like this is a milestone of adulthood). But I'm sure, subconsciously, I wanted to prove to myself as well that I don't ever want to let the kid side die. Or plainly, I just fucking felt like swinging! GOOGOOGAGA!

We went to dinner and ate from shared plates like we did when we went to Nafplio about a month ago. Afterwards, Cody, Ricky, Michael, Zoe, Mia and I went to a bar where the cheapest beers were 4.50 (ugh). It was the cheapest place we could find though and finally settled on it. We had a good time except Cody and I had a little argument. He told me "Don't ever say that again" about something gross or weird I said. I asked him, "Do you really mean that or are you just saying it?" He told me he did. I then told him that I tend to say things that are more gross to him because of the way he reacts (or doesn't react) and he said, "Honestly Stoddy, you really gross me out sometimes." I reacted with, "Well, you're really mean sometimes." We stopped talking about it for a while and later I went up to him and said, "We cool?" He answered with, "We're clean," almost immediately as I finished uttering my words. It wasn't snappy, just direct and confident. Hmm, interesting. We've been a little tense for a while, just never this honest. Really, our only way of connecting is by jokingly saying mean things to each other. Like, he says to me, "I still hate you Stoddy," and I answer with, "Oh really? That's cool. Good. Cause the feeling's mutual." And we just go on and on. Hahaha.

On Saturday, our teacher showed us the upper section of Delphi where there were tons of Greek ruins and "I'm the shit" monuments. What I mean by that is a lot of the monuments were war related, built right across from another monument representing a nation that it beat. For example, Persians against Greeks. I saw the area where the Oracle predicted futures! Oh and there is also a long path that Oracle goers walked along to reach enlightenment. It wasn't only a come and go deal. It was more of a process. I forgot to ask the Oracle anything. I can't believe I didn't do that. But I did drink from the same natural water fountain (the magical spring!) that Oracle goers drank from and cleansed themselves with. Our teacher said it was fresh. So if that was considered magical, hopefully I got some of that magic in me. After that, a group of people went up with our teacher's wife (John, our teacher didn't feel like walking up) to see the area where the Delphic games were played. That was neat to see.

We had a lot of free time after eating lunch (we all ordered separately this time but it was still free!) Ricky, Michael, Zoe and I walked around the town, spotting a lot of wooden canes leaning up against shops and many fur coats and hats everywhere. We ended at a cafe and I got the best hot chocolate I've had this whole time since I've been away from home. I was restraining myself from making loud noises next to my friends. If Whit were with me, I would have let those noises go. But in other crowds, I have to watch what I do haha. In that case, I just said, "This is the most amazing hot chocolate ever," like one or two times and moaned a couple times. I told them about Cody and me and our little argument. Michael got up to go to the bathroom. I figure that he doesn't like gossip at all which I understand completely. The thing with Cody and me isn't big obviously. It's just a small thing that's hard to write about. It seems so miniscule in text but trust me, there's something going on. I think he might have a problem with me. I'm not sure why though. And I get so annoyed when he doesn't respond to me or when he tells me to shut up that I just get weirder around him.

After getting back from our walk around the town, Ricky, Michael and I played games including 20 questions, doodling and having the other person make a picture from it (childhood!), and hangman. It was wicked fun (Brecken!)

We had dinner again on Saturday night, which was pretty good. I had lamb with cheese stuffed in it and french fries. I wanted to try lamb cause I don't like it that much. Yeah, that's the way I've worked here some of the time. Mostly on these trips. In Nafplio I got this seafood dish with muscles, shrip and scallops. Keep in mind I like neither of those. And honestly, I wasn't too fond of it. The lamb was good though! Not great but good. I didn't eat too much of it. Later I said, "I could eat two slices of pizza right now." Of course I would say that, right? Haha.

Today, Sunday, we saw the lower part of Delphi where the training grounds were for the Delphic games. We went back in the bus to begin our trek home. We ate lunch at a rest area where we got to order for free again and spend Berklee's money (feels good) and I talked with John and Amy (my teacher and his wife). Oh and earlier in the trip, Amy told me about a film festival in Thessolaniki which is about two more hours north from Delphi. I might go there two weeks from this weekend. Anyway, driving back home in the bus, near the hotel, there was terrible traffic which sucked but we got back today around 4, which was when he said we'd get back so it was fine. It felt good to get out. I've been getting sick in buses lately. I don't know why. I think it's the fact that it gets so stuffy in there and whenever I start to work on something, it makes me sick. So I just have to sit there and listen to music. And think.

This weekend, on Friday, I'm going with my class to see the Acropolis close up. So it's not much of a field trip cause it's so close but it will be so nice to finally hear an expert talk about it. On Saturday, I'm planning to go to Santorini and stay one night. Everybody is saying that I maybe shouldn't go cause it's windy, cold and pretty much abandoned since the summer is over. My friends went there about two weeks ago and said there was nothing there. But I have to go there. I have to. Hell, I'll just sit by the ocean. That's good enough for me. It's supposed to be the most beautiful place in Greece. Well, most beautiful island according to John. The next weekend after this, I MIGHT go to Thessolaniki like I said. But before that, on Friday, I'm going with my Civ class to the Ancient Agora even though I've been there before. It will be completely different having a tour guide. If I do go to Thessolaniki, I would have to leave on Saturday which would not give me much time. Hmmm might have to go in December. The weekend after the possible Thessolaniki weekend is when I see PAULA! VIENNA! November 25th to the 29th! I just booked the flight.

Long blog, wow. Ughhh that took me more than an hour I think.

Stod.

P.S. I got a 80% on my first Greek language test. I'm not too happy with that score but hell, I tried. And the study sessions were fun with my friends. I'll do better on my next test.