An Ancient Wonder of the World

This morning we would have our first, of many, tours. Legit with a guide, headsets and all that jazz. We were touring the city of Athens via bus (how else) and then the Acropolis. This is what I came to see. History! call me a nerd but I had long been awaiting the days to see where Democracy was formed. We were no longer in the slum part of Athens but the city as it is portrayed.
Our first stop was Panathinaiko, or Panathenaic Stadium, home of the first modern day Olympics in 1896. Greek and Olympic flags of fly in front of the stadium. It's not much to look at, but if your imagination is up to par, it can do the looking for you.
Our stop at Parliament was lucky. we stopped in time to watch the changing of guards. This is a very ceremonial, routine event. More complicated and rehearsed than simply trading posts. We also drove past the College of Athens and what's left of the Temple of Zeus, but finally, we reached the Acropolis.

Impossible to capture full stadium. 

Before visiting Europe I thought The Acropolis of Athens was the only acropolis. That is false. There are several. However, Athens' is typically known as "The Acropolis," so I'm convinced this is a common misconception. "The word acropolis comes from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, "edge, extremity") and πόλις (polis, "city")."
Moving on...
Again, we are hiking up rock and dirt to reach our destination. You don't see much from below and as you're walking up, suddenly you turn a corner and BAM!---Acropolis! Initially all I see are some old sanctuaries I believe but the further up we go the more my jaw drops. When we reach the very top, there she is, in all her beauty--- The Parthenon. In my 23 years of living I have only ever seen pictures of this structure, and even those pictures look photo shopped. Never in my life did I imagine I'd be standing, feet covered in dust, staring at history. 
I know I elaborated on all this looking and standing with history nonsense when I described Delos, but the Acropolis is different for me because I actually knew what it was before this trip.
Athens created democracy as we know it, Athena came to Athens when it was no more than the highest point of the city, and it was all just a domino effect from there. 
Here's the story in a nutshell...
Originally Poseidon, brother of Zeus, and Athena, daughter of Zeus settled in Athens and soon a battle for whom the city would be named after ensued. Poseidon struck a rock and created a water spring. Athena dropped a seed that instantly turned to an olive tree. The Athenians, obviously by it's name, chose Athena's gift because it was wise and served multiple purposes. And to this day olive oil can be found on the table of every restaurant in Greece. So, thank you, Athena, for such a delicacy!

The Old Temple of Athena

Of course, the Parthenon is under construction but it's breathtaking nonetheless. The whole Acropolis is under a major construction. Pieces deteriorate and architects and specialists have to keep it in tact piece by piece. It's all too much to explain, especially since I'm not 100% on what I'm saying. All I know is Greeks must pay some serious taxes to keep all there wonders intact. 
The Parthenon is dedicated to non other than Athena herself. It symbolizes Ancient Greece as we know it and was built at the height of the Athenian era. 

Yeah, I took that :)

This is why 'selfies' are OK in Europe :)

For marble, granite, dust and gravel, the Acropolis of Athens sure is a sight for sore eyes. I can't attempt to describe the way this place made me feel without doing damage so I will leave it be. It's just absolutely an unlisted wonder of the world. I don't know who creates the lists of "The Seven Wonders of the World, Ancient World, Modern World," but they do not make the list long enough.

And then the sun came up...

So Delos was the first of many beautiful civilizations we'd see in the next five weeks. After the long day of fighting the wind, sand and heat, we eventually made it back to the hotel. I'm fairly certain I hit up a lounge chair by the pool and read my book until I dozed off for a bit.
Tonight is when I discover friendship in my new comrades. Oh yes, and the sunrise. WOW!
Cavo Paradiso was a blast, but wow, tonight was incredible.

And so it begins!

Steph, Bri, Nicole and I set out for the town. We started at a small bar called Down Under with some people Steph met earlier in the day. It was a slow start to the night because we are all still lagging from the previous night. We have yet to adjust to long days and nights with little sleep at this point in the trip.
From the first club we head more toward the center of town to Scandinavian Bar, a night club housed above some stores. This place is packed. Practically pitch black with strobe lights flashing everywhere. This is Mykonos! We instantly make our way to the bar and grab drinks! Eventually we head to the dance floor and by the end of the night we are dancing on top of these table/benches/I'm not really sure what to call them, but Bri, Nicole and I are having one helluva time shaking our tail feathers to a room full of complete strangers involved in their own dance parties. It's funny how much being in a foreign place allows you to cut loose and enjoy yourself a little.
We spent the remainder of the night out yelling "Yamas!," (Greek for 'Cheers!') and taking shots of Ouzo (famous Greek liquor).

"I've had the time of my life and I owe it all to you!"

When our quads gave out and the sweat and body heat of hundreds of others became too much with the alcohol we headed back to the hotel. We walked around for roughly two hours. We were quite tipsy at this point yet far too wired to retire to the hotel room. However, it was 4:30 a.m., and I wanted to go back and get my camera because the sun would rise soon and the pictures were going to be epic.
It took Bri and I the next hour and a half to make it to the hotel to grab the camera between drunken distractions and the five mile hike up. (I would take that mile long hike four more times that day; back and forth. Just sayin'.)

5a.m. glamour shots :)

Early morning walk through town.

Sunrise from the top of town...

When Bri and I finally made it to the hotel and grabbed my camera the position of the sun was perfect. I couldn't take my eyes off the beauty around me long enough to take enough photos to attempt to capture the beauty of the island. Every where you turned there was something else to look at. 
"Minis!," as Bri would habitually pick up on saying. 
Everything there was tiny though. The smallest cars and miniature trucks, mini concrete picnic tables, mini doors and houses and churches. Endless amounts of dwarf-size fun (sorry if that is politically incoorect.)
Once we reached town, Bri took it upon herself to pick up trash along the beach. I have to share this with y'all because it became one of our fondest memories. As I stood back on the shore in slight confusion, fellow passersby continually asked me, "what is she doing?"
"She loves MYKONOSSS!" I drunkenly retort.  
It still doesn't make sense, but it was 6 a.m. and hilarious and makes for a good story now. Don't worry I have pictures of this, too. :)
When Bri found enough garbage to dispose of and sea glass to retain we found some breakfast. We stopped at the first place we saw, ordered a strawberry and kiwi waffle and a Nutella and banana crepe to split. If you've never been to Europe, they worship Nutella. Just FYI. It's disgusting really. Anyway our waiter is a riot. And shortly after we order these five Greek guys show up in an equal state as Bri and I, and begin chanting the Greek futbol teams anthem. 
We're quite certain they were getting quite the entertainment from us because although many Greeks speak English, these guys were playing dumb.There was much more said at breakfast that, like some things, stay in Mykonos ;)
Eventually we made it to the hotel- again!
Bri crashed on a lounge chair by the pool and I set back to town after a shower and just perused all by myself. It was a wonderful, sleep-lacking morning. I also made it all the way around town and back to the hotel without getting lost. 
In every city as soon as I figured out my way around we left. Go figure!
We were due to catch the ferry back to Athens at noon. We were all pretty devastated to see Mykonos go. Day 5 of our lives together and already we were gabbing non stop to each other. This ferry ride was much quicker since I slept the five hours back. The most uncomfortable positions will do when you've been awake and running for 30+ hours. 

These pictures portray absolutely no justice to the true beauty that is Mykonos. We saw a hundred cities in the 12 countries we hit over 35 days, and they were all wonderful in their own way, but I can honestly say not a single other city compares to Mykonos. 
I could spend hours describing the structure, colors, weather, people and vibe of this city but you will never truly feel it the way we did until you've visited it. 
It truly was paradise. 
I think Mykonos holds the most special place in all of our hearts because it was the first city we fell in love with on our journey. Mykonos was the first place we all truly bonded with one another. I conquered my fear of heights (mostly). Some of you got tattoos. Some of us ruined our brand new iPhone5 because the life proof case wasn't all that life proof. Half of us spent half of our budget the first night. Regardless what it was about Mykonos, it was the place that taught us we were going to make it through this crazy journey, and we were going to do it together and one city at a time we slowly turned into world travelers. 

Greece :)

This is someone's home. ADORABLE, right?

A semi view of how treacherous this town is

MYKONOS: Day 4

Today is the defining day of the trip for me. This day I caught a glimpse of all the ancient history I envisioned I'd see in Greece, experienced true night life and watched the sun rise from the peak of the island. Also, I found out who my friends were: three equally wonderful, yet completely different girls who I'd quickly fall in love with (as well as all you other knuckleheads).
After our late night out Bri and I were late waking up to meet the others for the ferry. We were both dressed, and even managed to brush our teeth, and fly out the door in five minutes flat. (It's amazing how quickly you move after you've forked over 20 euros :] ) Talk about a rush. In another day or two we would all quickly learn that sleep was for losers on this trip. There just honestly wasn't enough time in 35 days and 12 countries for sleep.
The ferry to Delos was smaller and only about 30 minutes as opposed to five hours from the day before. 
Delos is the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis and one of the original Greek settlements. All archaeological ruins now, these once standings temples, public buildings and homes are breathtaking (like everything else I've seen in the past 72 hours.) The island is gigantic to solely hold ruins from an ancient civilization. Crumbled and chipped remains of marble, granite and stone cover the land. Some structures more identifiable than others. 
We walked where gods once walked. Whether you're a monotheist or polytheist, the idea is stellar. Regardless if gods ever existed, people from centuries ago created and inhabited this island at one point in time. 
I have an obnoxious amount of photographs and entirely too many to attach and explain, but we saw everything: old pottery and butcher shops, royal families homes, the watering system and wells. Simply fascinating that this island was the beginning. 

Capturing what's left of the structure of this once active town.

 Temple of Apollo... or Artemis (memory failing)

Courtyard of a wealthy home. If you had mosaic tiles you had wealth.

Obviously, there are a million more things I could go into detail about, but as I previously stated, the pictures do no justice anyway.
Here's the highlight of the day. With the hurricane like wind blowing dust and my already too-short sundress flying all over the place, I journeyed to the top of the mountain with the others. I was going to stay back with another girl, Sasha, (who'd worn wedges; we were all unprepared in the footwear department.) Instead I turned around last minute and ran to catch up with the others as I held my dress and fedora to my body hoping not to lose my sandals, too. 
Guys, I'm tough when it comes to most of life's obstacles, conquering heights, however, has never been a winning battle for me. I'm already freaked out that I am going against my sanity, trucking my way to the top, when the higher I climb the harder the wind gets. I'm talking blowing us over type wind. I was grabbing rocks and holding on for dear life. I practically crawled to the top. WHEW! I made it though, and it was phenomenal! If I never make it to heaven, I'd settle for the top of that mountain. The view is insane!
Don't let my excitement fool you - going down was equally scary! :)

View from the top!

Yes, I went to the top of this one! High five :)

"STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM!!!"

Delos was the first of many things I'd hoped to see on this trip! I had just hiked this mountain and I was feeling damn good about life!
For me, it is still so insane to stand essentially where the world as I know it began: Democracy, arts, community and technology.


***Day 4's nightlife begins in the early morning of Day 5, so I am going to stop here. This night I'm going to discuss could be a book of it's own. Crazy fun!

Europe: The beginning...

DAY3

First actual day of the tour and we're up at 5:00 a.m. with our first European continental breakfast. Not the best, but definitely not the worst. 

We were headed to the ferry that would take us to Mykonos. We were returning to the current hotel in two days so most of us packed a smaller bag, threw our overweight luggage in a storage room and hit the bus. This would soon become a much smoother process as we adjusted quickly to early mornings, fast packing and rushes to the bus.

We make it to the port, (all still very new to each other and this continent) and all we see are cruise ships on top of cruise ships on top of cruise ships. Only they weren't cruise ships at all- they were FERRIES. I need to set some background that I was in NYC earlier this year and rode the Staten Island Ferry which I assumed was the largest in the world but was quickly corrected when I saw these monsters. 

These ferries carry freights, cars and people daily from island to island. There are tables and chairs covering the top deck, a bar/cafe and a small restaurant inside that serves burgers and other quick foods. 

I must admit, I was just slightly freaked out by this (in my head) Titanic-sized boat. Of course, I'm already a million miles from home in a foreign country so there really isn't much more to stress than that. So I threw on my hypothetical Indiana Jones hat and braced myself for adventure. 

The ferry ride was an adventure in itself. We rushed to the top deck claiming the tables and chairs closest to the railing so we could have the best view... Well, I don't know if it was this particular week or if the wind is always so fierce, but it was blowin' like a hurricane. Basically, we got rained on from the wind blowing the freezing water onto the deck. We hung in there with the best of them and stayed huddled together and carried on our conversations.

We were the third of three stops on this particular ferry. Two and a half some odd hours into the ferry ride we pull in the harbor of stop one. The particular city or island name I don't recall. It was magnificent though! Now we finally caught a glimpse of the Greece we'd all been hoping to see. The Mediterranean water is cerulean blue even up into the harbor. Pollution and waste are nowhere in sight. The sun is shining and the sky's clearer than I've ever seen. It's a whole other planet on this side of the world, y'all. 

Selfies are not overrated when you are a million miles from home :)

So around 1:00 p.m. we finally arrived in MYKONOSSSS! If you've never been here or never intend to (which is just foolish), this is the anthem shouted in the streets by everyone. Tourists or not. We joined in with the others and would continue shouting "Mykonos" at random for the following 30 plus days. 
The most detailed descriptions could never do this island justice, but I'll try. Stephen King said never use the word 'indescribable" when writing so here goes...
Never, nor probably will I ever again, see something so breathtaking. This was the Greece we all imagined. The never ending hills hold copious perfectly squared, white, concrete buildings. All are the same design with brightly colored shutters and doors. By law, according to Eirini, Mykonos has a very strict architecture policy to maintain the "look" of the island. Red, blue/turquoise, brown/orange and green are the allowed colors. No joke. And white for painting the cobblestone streets, of course. The upkeep of the white sidewalks are very crucial around here. Walking through town I spotted multiple families touching up the walkways outside their homes or business.
There is a population of 6,000 people throughout the year here until summer arrives and it jolts to 50 or 60 thousand! Obviously a major tourist attraction!
We made our way up the narrow, curvy roads to the gorgeous, Hotel Petinaros- our home for the next two nights. 
Already I have forgotten that discouraging moment we all had walking through Athens the previous night. This view alone was worth every penny.

We spent several hours lounging, and continuing to get acquainted, by the lovely pool pictured above. We made our first friend, one crazy Aussie. The first of about 1,000 Australians. Apparently they all go to Greece for holiday, but who could blame 'em.
After working on our tans for several hours we showered up and got ready to go down to town. Yes, down to town. This mile-long hike through town to get to the center near the harbor. Through the tumbleweed and rocky paths we made the most beautiful path I've ever walked.
The narrow cobblestone streets were all trimmed in white complementing the surrounding buildings and made the brightly painted shutters and doors stand out more than they already were.
Walking through the streets felt like a movie. This is not an exaggeration. Something that beautiful simply does not exist in real life. I could post a million pictures and none of them will do justice (that's a unanimous decision we all made day one.)

  

    [View from halfway down.]

   [The walk.]

We split ways and me and the girls I were with grabbed dinner at Marco Polo. The big thing in Europe is outside dining. Patio tables and chairs always cover the sidewalks and pathways. This may be normal in every other state in America as well, but here in the South there are very few times when outside dining is bearable in the nine months of heat we receive. 
Covering the tables were the cliche red and white checkered table clothes. Whichever direction you turned, left or right, all you could see are flowers draping over the balcony windows and the painted cobblestone glowed in the moonlight.
The food = amaze balls. 
I fell in love with moussaka (moo-sah-kuh.) The best part about traveling abroad and hitting so many countries is trying all the different foods from each country. Everyone orders something different and you better hope you're not a Germaphobe because forks and plates are passed around for everyone to try. Sharing is caring, when it comes to food. 
Along with moussaka, I ordered the lamb. It was a big deal for me to even look at all of these crazy foods because I am extremely picky.
Anyway, after dinner we wandered, by wandered I essentially mean we got lost, back toward the hotel. We hiked the mountainous terrain up to the hotel to put our party dresses on. The thing about the Greeks is they don't start the partying until 2:00 a.m. Dinner is a late in the evening eight or nine o' clock in the evening event followed by the bar and then the club. We were finally ready and caught a cab to Cavo Paradiso, the biggest night club I've ever seen. Apparently there are similar clubs in Costa Rica and other South American cruise stops, but I have certainly never seen such a sight. 
The dance floor isn't the largest but there is a pool inside on the lower level, private tables above and the majority of the roof is opened. 
We arrived there around 1:00 a.m. and other than our group there were about 10 other people present. By two, the place was packed and there was no where to go but the dance floor... 
We've known each other all of 48 hours and already we're dancing together like close, college buddies still living the Thursday night party dream. 
After a good buzz Bri and I set back to the hotel around 4:00 a.m. We had to be up at 8:00 to meet the group and catch a ferry to the island of Delos...  

 

 Left to right: Bri, me, Steph and Nicole - ROOMIES :)

In the next 35 days...

With limited WiFi, and Internet access in general, my original intentions of blogging every day while in Europe fell through. I was far too busy enjoying every single moment to take a time out for blogging anyway. Luckily, I wrote in a journal every day. Well, some days I played catch up, but regardless I have a daily account of my 35-day adventure. 
This morning on the radio the DJ was talking about Christmas being 35 days away. Well, I've been wanting to do a blog for each day I was away so I can share, in depth, all of the things I learned and why they are significant, some even insignificant, to me and where I am headed in life. Where we are all headed in life. Also, it may help y'all understand why I NEVER shut up about Europe. : )
When I heard on the radio that Christmas was only 35 days away I figured I'd better start my European recounts today instead of at the beginning of the year like I considered since I will be far too busy blogging about all of my new adventures living in the Big Apple.
Also, I fear I may never get around to writing the book I hoped to so a blog will suffice.
Since all of my blogs have leaned toward inspirational-type blogs that is what I will stick to, and believe me every day in Europe was more than inspiring.
I want to do this 35-day recount not only for me, but for all of my fellow traveler's and new friends I met in Athens on that -is-this-really-happening-right-now- day we all experienced. Keeping in touch with all of these new friends is really important to me because 35 days, 24 hours a day, brings you closer than you could ever imagine. I also know that we are all pretty much in the same phases of life right now. We're all in the transition phase just trying to figure it all out. One day at a time.
These next 35 blogs are for you guys. Some will be our stories- the scary, ugly, beautiful, humorous and even the sweatiest, some just recaps of crazy tour guides and over indulgence of wine. I want us to NEVER, ever forget those 35 days and to always remember what Eirini taught us, "Nothing is permanent!" I know for me, and several others of y'all I still keep daily contact with, that Europe turned our worlds upside down and we wouldn't trade it for anything. We are no longer ordinary bartenders, nurses, speech therapists, college students, etc.,--- we are unstoppable! You all owe it to yourselves to never settle for ordinary. Europe was not as good as it gets for us.

Maybe this will only be a 34-day recount since day 1 and 2 are essentially the same, but here goes...

Tracking time with a six-eight hour time difference is a pain. I left Shreveport at 8:00 a.m. on a Monday and landed in Athens, Greece on Tuesday around 2:00 p.m. Being in a plane and airports for more than 24 hours only adds to the anticipation of the unknown.
However, when switching flights in Amsterdam to head to Athens I met a couple from Hattisburg, Mississippi. What are the odds? My favorite professor/mentor is from there and I took it as a sign that I was going to be OK and the world isn't as big as we think.
The couple lived in Miss for the last 40 years but had both grown up in Greece, where they were headed for five weeks to visit their families. The wife was wearing a Southern Miss T-shirt so I had to strike a conversation. Coincidence? Who knows... They bought me a drink in the airport while we waited for our next flight. I practically forced them to adopt me for the three hour wait. They didn't seem to mind showing off their children's wedding pictures and giving me their number in Greece in case I needed anything. It was a great start to my adventure and really helped calm the nerves!
So, I kid you not when I say it did not set in that I was leaving home, to go God-knows-where, for five weeks until I stepped off the plane in Athens. I made my way to luggage claim hoping to find someone with EF College Break (the tour I was signed up with). I had already asked every young person in the past 20 plus hours if any of them were with EF, but all I got were stares.
Luckily, I saw a group of three girls at the luggage claim in Athens and walked up to them and, in my classic, southern accent (as Bri so clearly remembers,) I asked, "Are y'all with EF?"
In that moment I met my three roommates for the remainder of the trip. I don't know if it was because we were all strangers who were equally freaked out about our foreign adventure, or destiny or what, but boy, we clicked instantly! And from the airport in Athens until we departed in Barcelona (33 days later,) we were inseparable.
Thank heavens we found each other because not one of us had a clue where to go from luggage claim. We finally found direction and headed toward our future- a tiny, olive-skinned, dark-haired wonder of a woman with the biggest smile I've ever seen holding a sign that read "EF College Break."
I've never fallen in love so quickly in all of my life. To all of us, Eirini, the dark-haired wonder woman (and our 35-day tour guide/travel partner), instantly became our rock, not our mother (she hated that one). Seriously, we would've all died by day three without her guidance. Personally speaking, anyway. 
For the next hour or two we waited for the others to get off their flights. We came from all over the U.S.: Louisiana, Florida, Illinois, California, New Jersey, Colorado, New York, etc...
Probably around 4:00 p.m. we headed out of the airport for our first, but definitely not our last, tour bus ride. (Probably a quarter, or more, of our time was spent in a tour bus when traveling from place to place.)  
Eirini got the ball rolling with her, what would become a routine, microphone talks : ) We set out to our first hotel in downtown Athens as we all quickly got acquainted with one another. I was nervous because when planning a trip overseas people make sure to always tell you their horror stories before they tell you the glories of traveling abroad. I was prepared for the worst. 
The outside was cute and although the room was a tight squeeze, like most of our future rooms would be, especially with Nicole's suitcase (ha), it was clean and we all had an individual twin sized bed. The real trick of living in Europe is the shower situation. Apparently all Europeans are 4'11" and weigh no more than 100 pounds because the showers are definitely "fun-sized." Every time someone showered the bathroom flooded, and that was the case at 90% of our living quarters. 
We hauled our suitcases up the stairs (this also became routine and lead to some pretty decent biceps) threw on a swimsuit and headed down the street to the beach. The water was freezing and gorgeous does not even begin to describe the color of the water.
We piddled around for an hour or two and found Nicole and Steph and attempted, for the first of many times, to find a Western Union. Along the way we met the first of what seems like 1,000 Australians. If you ever visit Australia and the population is zero, don't worry you didn't miss the rapture, they are all just on holiday in Europe somewhere : ) 
Our initial thoughts as we walked around in downtown Athens were, "Damn, I just spent a lot of money for this!"
Where our hotel was located was not the heart of Athens where the Acropolis and all its wonders were. We weren't in the slums, but it was by no means pretty. With our heads high in anticipation we continued on and met the rest of our soon-to-be new friends for our welcome dinner. 
At the dinner, jet lag finally set in and of course, I was literally falling asleep at the dinner table. I tried my damnedest to keep my eyes open but the 24 hours of lost sleep finally caught up and I went with the other early birds back to our hotel.
We would be leaving for Mykonos via a five-hour ferry at 7:00 a.m. the following morning, which meant a 5:00 a.m. wake up call. 
So that was my first night in Europe, my first time overseas and my introduction to Greece. I already had three super amazing friends and it wouldn't be much longer til we were all sharing our deepest darkest secrets. 
Tomorrow is when the real fun begins so stay tuned for Mykonossssss :)


Top photo is courtesy of Nicole. This is a pit stop later on in our trip but it was the only bus picture I could locate. Plus, it gives a good idea of how comfortable we got with bus rides and how fun the drivers were. Or maybe he never knew about this pic... 
Middle: The lovely Greek couple who reside in Hattisburg, MS :) 
Bottom: Essentially what I did in February!

For my friends :)

That moment when your world ends and you never imagine the misery will end...
That next moment, hours, weeks, months or even years later when you're thankful for it all so you could be where you are right now.
I know what you're thinking... "It's all a bunch of cliches, historical quotes and inspirational what nots."
It really isn't though. It's out there. You just have to be willing to search for it, wait for it.
I know I drive my friends, family, co-workers and every other person I've encountered the last two months bonkers because every other word out of my mouth is "Europe."
"When I was drunk on wine in Paris..."
"My friend I met in Europe..."
"The Eiffel Tower at night..."
"Dancing in Spain..."
"The mountains in Austria..."
"Castles in Germany..."
"MYKONOS!!!"  :)
Clearly I could ramble on forever about how wonderful, beautiful, adventurous and enlightening it is to spend five weeks with 15 strangers in a foreign place.
Am I bragging yet? I can't help it. It's seriously the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I firmly believe nothing will ever top it. Maybe my wedding (as if that'll ever happen).
You know my story, guys. I got my heart broke slapped on a few encouraging tattoos (surprise) and fled the country for a month.
For months, all I heard before my trip were the classic, worried minds of my friends and family.
"Haven't you ever seen 'Taken?'" 
(That one was number one and nearly drove me mad.)
Secondly, "Do you know anyone," they'd ask. "You're going all by yourself? Wow!"
There were the encouraging few who had experienced their own similar adventures, therefore, were utterly thrilled by my decision (those were the best conversations).
I could lie and tell you I never worried about a thing but that would be a bold faced lie. I was scared as hell. Europe? The most I knew about Europe before leaving America was that it was a continent. Seriously!
Thousands of miles from home, no (immediate) Internet access, no phone calls home (without a $500 penalty), no friends (at the time of departure), a limited budget, an unknown tour guide leading me through 12 countries. The list of possibilities, dangers and fears could extend over several pages, but the trip was such a success I can't even recall why I was so afraid in the first place. After all, I made it out alive.
Sometimes I feel like the whole trip is a burden because all I can focus on since returning is when my next departure will be and to where. What's next? I don't know. None of us do and that's the beauty of it all. We get so caught up in making our first million and finding the quickest way to do it that we forget to LIVE!!!
After all of my ramblings I'll get to my point -
Last night I had dinner with some friends and naturally my "Eurotrip" was brought up. One friend (you know who you are) said "I'd love to do something like that, but I never will."
That's our problem people! We're limiting ourselves! More importantly, limiting our dreams. It's a hard world, and I say that as a young,23-year-old college graduate. The least we can do, for ourselves at the least, is continue to dream. There is no age limit on dreaming. This is America, after all. I know I may harp on the negatives of being American from time to time but I respect the cardinal rule- dream. No matter how far fetched or costly it may be.
I 100% support working toward your dreams and if that means being a bartender for one more year so be it. Do more than dream, really set the goal and make a plan of action so that if you do have to sling beers for another year you're doing so knowing it isn't the rest of your life. Give yourself something to look forward to!
Reasons are nothing more than excuses.
I can say all these things and not worry about offending any one because I've been there.
"I can't do this or that. I don't have enough money. It's too far.  It's too hard."
BLAH BLAH BLAH!
This blog is for my friends! My lifetime friends, closest friends, newest friends, friends I knew when I was younger and friends who aren't even friends anymore. If you're reading this, most likely, you know me somehow or another!
We are sooo young, guys! Twenties! We're graduating college, finding jobs, getting engaged, getting married, and starting families. Do you think those aren't challenges? They are! They're just the everyday, run-of-the-mill challenges we don't consider to be the big dreams we've always chased!
I love you guys and I wish nothing more than the best for each and every one of you but I want you to make all of these decisions with even more dreams in mind. Don't stop at marriage, children, a home and a salary paycheck.
I know my friends, and I know the South we were raised in and I know that is as far as many of you ever dreamed. But what will you do when your kids leave home? Look back and regret all the things you never set goals toward. If you don't dream how do you expect your children to create dreams, guys?
This is as real as it gets. Next time, I'll call you out by name for the world to know!
Life is about taking chances, y'all. Forget about living in fear. Face that shit (pardon my English)! Own it!
Whether or not that chance pertains to love, family, careers, school, traveling or just what you should order for dinner at a restaurant.
We stay afraid our whole lives because of what people tell us or because of events that occurred when we were five. Whatever the reason, pick a goal and stick to it. Oh yeah, and ignore the Negative Nancy's; they forgot to chase their own dreams and became bitter.

Captain America

No matter when or where, to me, there is something overwhelming about encountering a soldier. Regardless of their background story, who they are and where they come from, they are always going to be braver than me. For that, I salute them. The military is such a respectable career choice it just isn’t one I ever had the courage to choose.

Today I am feeling patriotic. For many people I’m sure this is a daily thing, but for me it really isn’t. I often find it hard to feel patriotic between the chatter of how the world is ending and the government is leading us to hell and other intolerant and closed minded opinions and bickering. At least that’s how I interpret it. Anyway, that is a blog for another day.

Friday, for whatever miracle of a reason, was a quick day. Late in the afternoon a soldier came in. This isn’t uncommon seeing as there is an Air Force base located in town. Soldiers come in and out during the chaos of the day but I’ve yet to strike up a conversation with any of them until Friday.

When there is only me and one other customer I feel compelled to have conversations with them so there isn’t that awkward silence in the lobby.

As the hero of my story this guy gets to be Steven Rogers for the day; better known as Captain America. Maybe he’s a lieutenant but rank is irrelevant to me. He’s wearing his fatigues, no red white or blue but he’s someone’s hero and he’s the hero of my story, therefore, he gets to be Captain today.

So, I do what I do best and start talking this poor guy’s ear off. It is amazing how much you can learn about a person in 10 minutes or less. I asked him how long he’d been stationed here and if he was career. He just hit the 10 year mark in his enrollment and before Louisiana he was stationed in New Jersey and before that he was originally stationed in Germany.

Of course I mention how I’d just been in Germany this summer so we rattle on about the food, the style, the smells and the culture.

While stationed in Germany, Captain America and his wife had their second child. Their oldest was barely three. He was deployed three times to Iraq during their time in Germany.

“The hardest thing about my second deployment was that my youngest son wouldn’t give me a hug when I came home because he didn’t know who I was,” he said. “He was too young when I deployed to remember me.”

Guys, I couldn’t make that up if I tried. How many more families in the last decade alone can relate to the same heartbreak? Captain wasn’t negative or angry; he just had a hurt expression of memory across his face as he told me about his deployment.

I asked no further questions of what he did during his deployment because I have military family and I’ve heard plenty of things about war I could have gone my whole life without knowing. Going to war is a very personal thing. I don’t care if he sat at a computer all day, he's not at home with his family watching them grow but living in a foreign country at war. That’s a line I never want to cross.

Committing his life to a military career was a choice and he knew the consequences. For him, some decisions are a bit more severe than others and the possibilities are endless. But it was a choice. A brave one at that! I understand the choice was his and he is paid with benefits and so on, but there is no draft in today’s times so essentially this man is a modern day Patriot. This guy didn’t have to sign up to fight for our freedoms but he did. Some of these freedoms none of us are even aware of or appreciative of.

This is a short blog but I just wanted to remind y'all, again, that the world isn't as terrible as we always make it out to be. Be grateful for the little things. Be grateful for everything and not just at Thanksgiving around a table of delicious eats.