It's so hard for me to finally accept that I am no longer in Athens. In fact, I've been putting off writing this blog just because of that reason. Alas, my time in Athens did indeed come to an end and I will forever be greatful for the opportunities and memories that I experienced there.

My time in Athens was some of the happiest of my entire life up until now. I have been back in the states for a full month now and it is just in the last week that I have finally begun to feel comfortable in this country again. The transition back into American society was so strange at first. Even though I had only a little familiarity with the Greek language, I found myself thinking in Greek and during the first week I answered simple questions in Greek. In most cases, it was only my family and they understood, but there were a few times that I was speaking to complete strangers and they looked at me completely bewildered.

Since arriving home I have had so many people ask me what my favorite part about being abroad was. Well, the only answer I could come up with was that my roommates were my favorite part. It's so unfortunate that my favorite part about being abroad was these amazing girls, but it's the absolute truth. The first two weeks home were awful and I was going through roommate withdrawal more so than going through Greece withdrawal. Even now, I find myself wishing I was still in Athens hanging out with them and just having fun.

The good news is that now that I'm back I've started working and that has taken my mind off of not being in Greece. Although Washington is a far cry from Athens (I find myself constantly comparing the two cities. From their public transportation systems to the amount of green space in the cities) being here has helped me get over my shock of being back. It helps that my roommate for the summer happens to be one of my closest friends from Greece!

Now that I'm working and preparing for the fall (and all the scariness that comes with being a senior), I think I will always look back on my time in Greece and use those happy memories to get through the trying times that lay ahead. I know that the friendships I developed while abroad are some of the strongest I have ever had and I look forward to seeing them again soon.

I hope you have all enjoyed reading my blogs, I am very sorry that they were so few. It you have any questions or want to hear more stories (because trust me, I have plenty!), don't hesitate to contact me at kaf024@bucknell.edu.

Σ' Αγαπο και αντιο