Deanna Williams: Only Mountains to Climb
Planning for my breakaway trip was easy. Deciding where I wanted to go was easy. Everything about my breakaway was made painless by the Honors college. I planned the dates, the class, the flight times, and the Honors college handled the rest. I started researching places that I knew I would want to see. I had so many ideas and so many places to go because doing the research was easy.
The first two weeks seemed to go by fast. Every second was filled with new places to see, new people to meet, and trying new things. It was great. Every morning I would wake up and look at the list that I had created for myself. The list of places to go, things to see, and things to try. I started to realize that as the days went by, I was crossing very few things off my list. I was having fun, but I was having fun doing things I could do at home. At first it was interesting. I went to the malls near our hotel. It was exciting because I wanted to see what stores they had here and what things they typically wear. Finally, I got tired of just looking at shopping centers every day. A mall, no matter where it is, is just a mall.
One of the best things we did as a group was climb the acropolis to the Parthenon. It was hot, and a long trip, but it was worth it. When I got to the top and saw this iconic piece of architecture, I was amazed. This is what I had come to Greece for. I came to see the culture they had that was so rich in ancient history. I came to hear the stories and see everything that made Greece what it is today. I was so happy after I got to the top, but the entire group was rushing to leave that the moment was over so fast. It was then that I realized that I was no longer just going to go with the group. No matter how much I did not want to separate, I knew if I wanted to take control of my trip, I needed to leave. That was not easy.
I always knew that Greece had beautiful buildings and architecture. It is constantly pictured with clay houses with blue tops, which is commonly known from Santorini. I was expected to be wowed by the buildings and history. What I was not expecting, was to be amazed by the mountains. Each acropolis had some amazing hike that led to an even better view. It took me a lot longer than I would like to admit finding out that an acropolis in Greece is not just the mountain with the Parthenon. It is any mountain that holds significance to Greece or is some part of Greek culture. Therefore, to know Greece, I chose to know every acropolis. Each mountain I chose to climb I felt held some secret from me. Some secret of Greece that would be revealed once I got to the top. With each mountain and each experience, I felt like I was piecing together a puzzle that said “Greece” at the top. I had never considered that I would learn so much by just walking paths of this country. I never expected the actual ground and nature around me to reveal so many stories.
The climbs were usually not easy. The paths were just worn out dirt that had many holes and rocks to climb over. While they typically looked well-traveled, it was usually not an easy path. Many times, I had to remind myself to just wait until the top. To not turn back because no mountain in Greece had ever disappointed me. When I would finally make it to the top, it all seemed worth it. The view was always amazing, and I would just stop and take it all in. It felt so great to just take moments for myself from the craziness that was occurring around me. The study tour and classes were all going by so fast. It was overwhelming when I started realizing how few days I had left in Greece. Being able to just stop in those moments, take a deep breath, and appreciate where I was, meant so much to me. What I loved the most was that I could just pause for a moment, and enjoy the silence. Every time I got to the top of the mountains there was no denying where I was. Sometimes things were happening so fast and moving so quickly that I hardly remembered that I was in Greece. Being at the top, and looking out, there was no denying it. There was no denying that I was in a dream destination making memories that would last me forever.
The streets of Rhodes taught me a lot about Greece. It showed me how to interact with people different from me, especially since in this case I was the crazy American. It taught me that no matter where I am, I am never truly lost, and it taught me all about the nightlife that is so common in college students in Greece. I will never say that I did not learn anything from being immersed into the cities of Greece. I do, however, believe that had I not of chosen to go my own way and do what I wanted to do, I never would have seen the Greece that I saw. I would have only seen the shopping centers and tourist attractions. Choosing to walk away from all that led me deeper into who the Greek people are. I saw roadside fresh markets where I would stop and buy fresh fruit. There were people making crafts by hand to sell on the side of the road. These were the people that taught me so much. They were not just trying to attract tourist and sell to them, instead they told genuine stories about where they were from, and what they do, and about their family. It was all so personal. I saw the true side of current Greece. While I was constantly seeing the history that made this amazing place, I also got to step outside and meet the real people who make it what it is today.
Traveling through Greece taught me a lot about who I am. I did not only climb physical mountains, but mental ones as well. The mental ones came with the decision I made of leaving the group and getting over the feeling that it was selfish. I had to remember that this was my trip and I needed to take control. Sometimes it felt like I all I had to do in Greece was climb mountains. Which was difficult since everything that cam before was so easy. Other days I was so amazed at everything that I was doing, that I knew I had made the right decision for myself. I learned that every mountain or acropolis has a unique path, and its own beautiful view. They were all different, but they all taught me so much, more than what I ever imagined. I fully expected to learn about the history of Greece, but it never crossed my mind to learn about what it is today while I was there. I never thought that I could learn so much about a place, just by choosing to climb it. I am so grateful for each hike I had to make, each breathtaking view, and the overwhelming silence of it all.
Deanna Williams is a junior biology major from Gaston, SC. Her breakaway was done in Rhodes Greece where she studied Modern Greek Language I, and then continued to travel throughout Greece on a study tour. Deanna plans to graduate in May 2021 where after she hopes to attend medical school to further a career in radiology.