I think the feeling I have now is the closest to one I would have had at Grinnell College in years past. Allow me to paint the picture. Well, I guess I really don't need to say much to suitably describe the situation: It's a beautiful, bright and sunny Saturday, and I am stuck at the library trying my best to halt all procrastination so I can start (and finish!) my second Quarterly Report. One might ask, "What would I be doing if I weren't at the library?" For starters, I would be anywhere but here. Instead, my best bet for entertainment would be to head downtown to a cafй along the waterfront. While a large portion of my job has been so aptly described as "hanging out" with the dorm students, I have come to understand that weekend mornings at the dorm are just about as dead, or even more so, than those in Grinnell following any fantastic theme party that went on the night before. Consequently, the library may be the best place for me at this hour of the day.
Normally, any fellow's second report would be the last resource for any current Grinnell student to consult when deciding what Grinnell Corps programs he or she will apply for. However, as some of you know, the Grinnell Corps program has since been placed on hiatus in response to the budgetary constraints brought on by the recent financial crisis. I should say now that those still dreaming of getting to Greece should not lose hope. The position still exists, but is no longer only reserved for two graduating Grinnell seniors. So, while any student may be disinclined to read the reports of the Fellows from Greece, past and present, because the program is no longer guaranteed for two lucky Grinnell students, I hope the rest of my report will shed light on my life and work here, and perhaps something deeper - what it means to live abroad after college.
When I concluded my last report, it was sometime in the middle of November and heading towards Thanksgiving. While not being a nationally recognized holiday in Greece, Anatolia does have a tradition of putting on the event in extravagant form. From the usual speeches of what the holiday really means, to the turkey dinner complete with stuffing, to a line dance performed by the students of the dorm, I don't think that my first Thanksgiving spent away from home could have been better. Well, I guess I do have complaints regarding the lack of any cranberry dish or sauce, and the fact that I was really expecting to eat till I was sick. I guess this is just one example of how an intern should be adaptable to the differences in culture, both large and very small (as in this case).
Following the Thanksgiving celebration, the Christmas Bazaar took place two weeks thereafter. Just as with many of the events held at Ingle Hall (the dorm where I live and spend most of my time in Greece), I felt little informed of the magnitude of the occasion. It was held on a Sunday, a Sunday which followed a very late night out for me, as I had spent the entire night (morning?!?!) out enjoying the jazz scene of the city, later capping off the night at a bar that can only be described as a Brand-style house party. Anyway, I really wanted to sleep on this particular morning. This was in no way a possibility unless I had some type of noise-canceling headphones, as it sounded like there was a high school punk band doing a poor job of covering their favorite American songs right outside my room. This turned out to be the reality of the situation. As I opened my blinds, I found a sea of families walking around the courtyard and a mass of adolescents pressing forward to reach out and touch their classmates who were playing in front of a double-decker bus. In the end, the Christmas Bazaar was soon finished and the dorm returned back to its regular frequency.
This quarter I did not travel around Europe, unless you include the airports I hopped in order to return home for Christmas break. Returning to the States was something that I definitely needed in order to recharge my batteries, so to speak. While I had gotten into a decent rhythm with work and life in Thessaloniki, I knew I needed to do a better job of handling and benefiting from exceptional amounts of free time. Luckily, I found the time at home to be constructive for brainstorming some hobbies that I could profit from and enjoy. For example, after returning to Greece, I quickly gathered the items and materials necessary to begin knitting. Having talked to others working and living abroad after college not as a full-time student, I now realize the importance of picking up a hobby that one really enjoys. Whether it's running, reading, doing yoga, playing an instrument, or even knitting the occasional sock, the best way to stay happy, when faced with large amounts of free time, is to always have a fallback activity.
Since my return from the States, the dorm students and I have continued to grow closer and closer. I have noticed that during my shifts in the dorm the children have spent more and more time hanging out and talking with me. This is great, because the shifts in the dorm can be rather monotonous, 99 percent of our time on duty is to be spent in the office. Consequently, really getting to hangout with the students has to happen on my own time, which is definitely fine. Watching movies or music videos, playing ping pong, making short trips to Panorama for ice cream, I continue to find spending time with the students here to make for some of the most rewarding moments.
Despite what can be described as better friendships with those living here in the dorms, the pranks and hi-jinks will never cease. I wouldn't have it any other way. If everything ran perfectly smoothly in the dorms, and never there was a student out of line, things would be rather boring. So, getting in small squabbles to staying out past their bedtime, the students may often push the line, but I say "bring it on."
