Before I actually got to Athens, here's a bit of a backstory. 

June 18, 2016 ; 11:00pm

Having to travel alone would be my scariest yet bravest moment in my life.......... I still can't believe I did it. It was around 11pm of June 18 when my parents brought me to the airport. My flight for Abu Dhabi was at 1am (PH TIME) and I was so scared because this was my first time traveling alone. 

As I kissed and hugged my mom in the car, my dad brought me up to the door with my bags. After hugging my dad, I KNEW THAT THIS WAS IT. I wasn't going to see my parents, family, Waffle (my favorite dog) and my friends for the next 5 weeks...... and I was going to be on my own (LIKE FOR REAL HUHU). Then you can guess that

I started crying..... I was so scared and I was shaking the whole time.

And that was probably why the airport staff was so nice to me guiding me every step of the way - I knew it - I totally looked like one of those lost children you see crying in the supermarket. Thankfully, the people around me were so nice. I got pass immigration and the officer was even kind enough to wish me luck as I do volunteer work for the next weeks. I'm happy she was also interested in the idea of it and she was joking that she wanted to do the same too. Another kuya who was in charge of the scanning the bags asked me where I was going and well, when I said I was going to Greece, he wished me a safe trip and even called me a goddess (cause Greece.... but yeah kuya, I know LOL)

People were so nice........ and I felt really safe. I got to the waiting area two hours before my flight but it was okay. I got to rest and still talk to my family. I also made friends with a Tita who was working in Abu Dhabi and we exchanged stories for the rest of the waiting time.

As soon as we boarded the plane, I was still shaking..... I was really scared, okay. The flight to Abu Dhabi lasted for 9 hours.



June 18, 2016 ; 7:00am (ABU DHABI)

We arrived around 7am and with only one hour to spare before my next flight, I went straight to the waiting area cause let me tell you............ THEIR AIPORT IS SO BIG AND BEAUTIFUL! (Airport goalz - even as I was flying back, I just wanted to stay forever LOL) + my flight was at gate 55, which was really far.

As we were walking, I made friends with a Filipina, I can only remember her first name Ate Joy and she walked with me to the waiting area since she was working somewhere in Abu Dhabi. Again, people are so nice and I obviously had no chill HAHA. Ate Joy and I talked about her work in Abu Dhabi, how she visited her family in the PH and how I was ALONE (see! she noticed) going to a foreign land cause she was really scared for me. I told her I was going to Greece to do volunteer work and it had to be done alone so she called me a brave little girl HUHUH.

As I sat down in the waiting area, I felt so nervous. It was another 5-hour flight before I finally reached Greece. I was so nervous..... all I could think of was "what do the Greeks really look like?" or "what was I going to tell them or what we going to talk about?" - I was afraid they might not like me and all that - but let's save that for another time!

From boarding with many Filipinos to Abu Dhabi, I was the only Filipina boarding to Athens.

June 18, 2016 ; 12:00nn (ATHENS)

Touchdown Athens!

That 14 hour flight killed me - even with the 9 - hour, 5 - hour interval - it was almost 14 hours straight. What killed me more was finally arriving and learning that my other luggage got lost. At first, I didn't know it was lost until I kept waiting for my bags to show up in the conveyor belt. I did panic because my name was being announced in their PA (public announcement) system and guys, it was either in Greek or had a strong Greek accent I couldn't yet understand (hay sorry)................ first time to fly alone and I lose my luggage.

I got out the airport after more than an hour of filing this form that stated that I knew my luggage has been lost. I got compensation for it though - 38EUROS. I was looking for my buddy but since I wasn't connected to the internet, I also didn't know someone else was picking me up.

Thankfully, she spotted me right away (Giota - thank you!) and we were off to the apartment. I got back in the apartment and my parents and friends were all panicking waiting for news if I finally arrived. I couldn't connect to Abu Dhabi's airport wifi and the one in Athens so imagine their panic. LOL but all is good.

We finally got to the apartment and my housemates were out except for Bhanu, who showed me around the market (cause I had to buy a towel cause missing luggage).

I also took the liberty to explore the area. Here are more snaps of the place:


Here's the living room where we usually hang, eat and have food together. I already miss this place. To be honest, I only took pictures cause everything was sooooooo *sparkly* clean. The white and beige walls gave off such a minimalist vibe. ALSO FRIENDS, THERE WERE NO FLIES NOR COCKCROACHES (HAHAHAH I knew I was safe). Their trash even smells good.

They also had no locks........... the thing with a door and lock was our apartment's door. All the rooms had no doors except for the bathroom (and it wasn't even a door it was more of a slide-y thing) and the master's bedroom where my roommate and I were staying (#blessedwithadoor).

My first meal was a chicken gyro. I remember walking into this cutesy cafe and asking for rice. That's when I learned that the Greeks did not speak English as much as they didn't eat rice too. (HAY, TIP: If you're going on exchange, do some research! Don't be like me HAHA)

The Greeks also had really good coffee - the best in the world, I would say. They also eat everything with blocks of feta which wasn't so bad. The picture on the right also shows my favorite juice I would always buy from the supermarket. Even without the rice, I knew I was going to love Greek / Mediterranean food (AND I STILL CRAVE FOR SOUVLAKIS, BAKLAVAS AND MOUSSAKAS TO THIS DAY!)


Another major realization: I have never eaten out alone until that day. I'm glad I did though. During the whole exchange, there were days when I would go to a cafe shop and sip on coffee alone while there were days when I would walk up to fancy restaurants and enjoy a 12EURO meal on my own. Being alone also has it perks. Greece, overall, is pretty safe. I would walk by myself, getting lost in the streets sipping and sliding (yes, of course nadapa ako some point during my exchange huhu) and just enjoying the view.

People were also so nice.... they would start conversations asking where I'm from and usually about my skin color (again, I'll save this for the next posts). And now that you get a gist of the place I stayed, the food, culture oh and the temperature (IT WAS HOTTER THAN THE PH), I'll see you on my next post - meet the roomates! ;) Till next time!