My first week in Crete is met with the overwhelming emotion of amazement coupled by curiosity. I'm amazed by the landscape and the overall spirit of the people who live in this country and more specifically the village of Alikianos. The institute where we are fortunate enough to live and study in, is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. The time we have to walk around the town and the surrounding villages is easily my favorite part. I want to see and document everything; every flower or orange tree I walk by, every mosaic or patterned floor, or just the beautiful blue color oozing from every piece of architecture and Greek memorobelia. 

            The schedule we are on puts us in the true Greek lifestyle of: early mornings, long days of hard work and late dinners with excellent conversation; which even in the first week of being here I have grown accostomed to. It's an interesting dynamic to have been thrown into a situation with such close quarters of peers and aquaintances in a foreign country, but it is an enriching experience in which I feel the best is yet to come. Professor Vamvakas continuously reminds us of the fine line of decorum in the classroom opposed to the free time filled with laughter and juvenile banter, and I believe the group here understands and respects that. I feel blessed to have the ability to be here and the sense to do it right. The work involved in the course is going to be challenging but like I said before I believe it will be an enritching experience I will never forget. The women at the institue, who cook and clean for us, have this exuberant need to do everything for us and really make us all feel at home here. It is something I admire greatly and hope that I retain that same spirit when I am older.