Second Chances

This is a fiction piece about studying abroad in Greece.

Athens, Greece

As Maddie sat on the plane to Greece, where she would be studying abroad, she thought back to the study abroad fair a year earlier.

Cara, her outgoing best friend, had dragged Maddie to the fair, hoping to convince her to sign up for the archaeology program in Greece. Persuading Maddie to do anything was always a struggle for Cara. Maddie was raised in a protective bubble her whole life. She never took risks, because she was afraid of the unknown.

“Come on! You’ve always wanted to go! Why not sign up? This is the perfect timing for you because you’re going off to college in the fall,” said Cara.

“I told you, I’m scared because I’ve never done anything like this before. I never take many risks in life like you do, so it’s hard for me to take this big leap. I’m afraid that I won’t like it when I go and that I’ll want to go back home,” Maddie said shakily.

“If you don’t like it after a week there, then you can come back home, but you’ll never know unless you go! I know you’ll regret it later on. It may seem scary, but you’re strong and have to go to see the world by yourself. It’s a once in a lifetime experience!”

Maddie laughed as she said, “I guess, I’ll sign-up just so you’ll stop trying to talk me into going.”

Recently, Maddie wanted more than anything to get away. She was tired of having to deal with her mom, Cathy’s, constant remarks about how she was not studying hard enough. Her mom had told her the other day, “ If you don’t study at least three hours a day, you won’t get into a good college, and you’ll have to stay at home for school!”

At least, she had made it onto the plane with no trouble, Maddie thought to herself. Her flight was about ten hours, so she knew she had a lot of time to spare. There were free movies on the flight, so Maddie decided to take advantage of that. She watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding and her favorite movie Mamma Mia to get into the Greek mood.

Mamma Mia

Before she knew it, Maddie was in Greece. She took her first steps outside and was hit by a warm humid air. She felt the wind sweep through her hair and automatically felt relaxed. Luckily the taxi station was right outside. After waiting in a short line, she was in a taxi and on her way to her campus for the next month.

While in the taxi, she attempted to speak some Greek saying, “Χαίρετε,” which means “Hello.” Maddie had learned a few common words in Greek before her trip.

Looking outside her window Maddie saw beautiful ancient ruins, clear blue waters, and luscious mountains. Seeing the calming water made her excited to go swimming when she got the chance.

When she arrived to the campus with her bags, she turned to say, “ευχαριστώ,” to her taxi driver, which means “Thank you.”

Once she entered the residence building that she would be staying in, she was greeted with signs that reminded her of the orientation she has to attend later. Butterflies started to fly around Maddie’s stomach, as she tried to distract herself. It had not been two hours and Maddie was already starting to worry that she had made the wrong decision to come to Greece. Taking a few deep breaths, Maddie slowly trudged along up the stairs to her room.

After unpacking, she walked downstairs to the room where the orientation was taking place. She saw about twenty new faces, all sitting in chairs throughout the room. Trying not to spend too much time standing in the front, she quickly took her seat in the front.

The main part of the orientation was listening to her RA’s talk about being safe and adjusting to culture shock. Maddie tried to take in all the information that she could, but her eyes closed ever so slightly each minute that passed. The person next to her tapped her on the shoulder which immediately woke her up. Maddie woke up confused, still fighting the feeling to fall back asleep.

Afterwards everyone split into two groups, one for each fusion experience. Maddie’s group would be going to Thessaly, Greece for an onsite archaeological class.

Maddie begrudgingly, got out of her chair and walked towards where her group was meeting. However, once she got there, she saw that everyone had split into their own small groups. Standing still, her legs felt stiff. Maddie didn’t know what to do, she felt stuck in place.

All of a sudden, another girl in her program approached her slowly. Her face looked familiar, but Maddie couldn’t quite place where she had seen this girl.

“Hi, my name is Taylor!” the friendly face said. I was the one who woke you up earlier.

“Oh, that’s why you look familiar,” Maddie exclaimed. “By the way, I’m Maddie!”

“So is this your first time abroad?” asked Taylor.

“Yes! How about you?”

“No. I’ve been to London before with my family. It’s my first time abroad by myself though,” Taylor shared.

Maddie spoke softly, “I’m a bit nervous because I usually don’t do this sort of thing, but I’ve always wanted to go to Greece.”

“I completely understand. It’s very scary, but also exciting. We can stick together and explore the city later today. It’ll make you feel better.”

“Ok, that sounds like fun!” Maddie said enthusiastically.

As Maddie and Taylor talked more and more, they found out that they had a lot in common. They were both an only child. Also, they both loved Mamma Mia. They decided that after the orientation was done, they would go to a nearby beach area.

Stepping on the white cobblestones, Maddie found it difficult to not trip. She had worn flimsy sandals that were sure to break any time soon. The beach they were going to is Legrena.

Along the way, Maddie and Taylor noticed small Greek shops. They decided to stop in one to look around. There were bobbleheads, “I love Greece” shirts, magnets, glasses and more. Maddie decided to buy a keychain in the shape of Greece for Cara and a postcard for her parents.

Once they got to the beach, Maddie and Taylor set their bags down on the green beach chairs. They decided to order a Greek salad and lemonade. After finishing their food, they both started to walk towards the water.

Legrena Beach in Athens

As soon as Maddie stepped into the water, she felt completely at peace. All her worries about the orientation and trip had melted away. She was finally in Greece and was ready for a trip of a lifetime.

After being at the beach for a few hours, Maddie and Taylor decided to dry off and explored the town around them some more. For Maddie, it felt weird not having much of a plan. She was used to planning her days out. As they walked around Maddie and Taylor noticed how friendly the Greek people were. They all seemed to smile as they walked past one another. Shop owners would say, “καλό απόγευμα” (Good afternoon), whenever a customer walked in.

The next few days were spent in the classroom. Maddie and her group learned about the history of Greece and archaeology to prepare for their big trip to Thessaly. In a few days they would be leaving for Thessaly.

At the end of her first week, Maddie began to adjust to life in Greece. Taylor and her had walked the streets many times, so Maddie didn’t have to use her phone as a GPS anymore.

On the four hour drive to Thessaly Maddie decided to take out the journal that her parents gave her before she left. She had been busy adjusting this first week, she didn’t have time to write in it. She began to write:

“Dear journal,

It’s crazy that a week has already passed! I’m so happy I got to meet Taylor! She helped me feel less nervous about being here and not knowing anyone. We are planning a trip to go to Skopelos, where Mamma Mia was filmed! I can’t wait! I’m on my way to Thessaly for an archaeology trip. I hope I get to find some ancient artifacts and get to see more of Greece! Wish me luck!

Love, Maddie”

After she finished writing, Maddie decided to look outside of the window at the sites that passed her by. As they got closer to Thessaly, she noticed how there were more grassy mountains and less beaches and blue waters.

Thessaly, Greece

Once they got to their bed and breakfast, Taylor and Maddie decided to walk around again. They made comparisons between Athens and Thessaly. One big difference was that Thessaly was less touristy, compared to Athens. Also, more locals spoke English in Athens, than in Thessaly. This made it more difficult for Taylor and Maddie because most of the signs were in Greek. They started to get lost, since neither of them understood the signs.

The road ahead of them had a quaint traditional bakery on the left. Taylor and Maddie decided to stop inside and ask for directions. When they walked inside they were welcomed by the smell of spices, fruits and fresh baked goods. Maddie’s stomach grumbled as she took in all the smells around her. She decided to order a baklava and Taylor ordered a Melomakarona.

Melomakarona

After finishing their treats, Maddie and Taylor began to talk about who would ask for directions.

“I don’t want to ask! I don’t know any Greek at all. At least you know some words,” said Taylor.

“ I only know three words, so how is that going to help me?” Maddie exclaimed.

“Please! Can you ask for directions, so we can head back soon before it gets dark?”

“Fine, I will, but next time we are lost you have to ask for directions,” Maddie said.

Maddie slowly crept up to the bakery counter again and was greeted by a smile from an old Greek lady, whose name tag said “Lena”. Lena seemed like she had worked there her whole life. Her apron was covered in flour and her hands were calloused. Maddie didn’t know what to say, because ordering their pastries was easy. All they had to do was point at what they wanted.

Awkwardness soon began to fill the air, because Maddie and Lena were staring at each other saying nothing.

Trying to think of what to say, Maddie decided to pull out her phone and typed, “My friend and I are lost. We are trying to find our way back to Kastelia.” She pressed translate and immediately the words turned into Greek letters. She showed her phone to Lena, hoping that her plan would work. After about a minute or so, Lena nodded, letting Maddie know she understood. Maddie then took her phone back and typed, “If you press this microphone, and speak into the phone it will translate your words into English.” Handing her phone back again, Lena read the message and began to speak into the phone.

The translation said, “If you go outside, take a left and follow that road for about a mile, Kastelia will be on the left.” After reading this message, Maddie was filled with excitement.

She had successfully asked for directions. Before leaving the bakery, Maddie turned to Lena and said, “αντίο και ευχαριστώ,” (Good-bye and thank you). As they walked out, Maddie turned to look back at the bakery. She hadn’t gotten the chance to read it on her way in. The bakery was called, “Korbas Bakery.”

The next couple of days Maddie and Taylor decided to visit Korbas and soon began to learn more Greek from Lena. Google translate made it easier for Maddie to communicate with Lena. Lena loved to share stories about her life growing up. She had lived in Thessaly all her life. This bakery had been in her family for a long time and her grandma was the one who built it.

Lena shared with Maddie and Taylor her favorite spots to visit in Thessaly. She told them about Mount Pelion, which is a mountain. Lena was afraid of heights, for most of her life, but was convinced by her younger sister, Thea, one day to climb the mountain.

Mt. Pelion

“When I was at the foot of Mount Pelion, I could barely stand that’s how scared I was. I felt as if my feet were glued to the ground. Thea saw how scared I was and decided to sit me down on a nearby bench,” Lena shared.

“I know that you’re afraid of heights, but I always see you watching Mount Pelion from our house. It may be scary now, but you’ve taken a big step today, by just being here! We can take things one step at a time and take breaks along the way. If at any point you want to turn back, then we’ll turn back. I just don’t want you to never get the chance to climb Mt. Pelion. If you love the view from down here, just imagine how beautiful it must be at the top!” said Thea.

“I guess if we take it slowly and I don’t look at the edge I’ll be fine. Just don’t leave my side,”

“I won’t, I’ll always be here for you!” Thea declared.

We slowly climbed Mt. Pelion stopping here and there, but never looking back. Eventually we reached the top. I was still gripping Thea’s arm tightly, but when I saw the view of Thessaly, I let go of Thea’s arm and started to walk on my own. Standing near the edge of the mountain, I gazed at the beautiful rolling hills, familiar houses and roads below. I was grateful Thea had taken me up Mt. Pelion.

When Lena finished her story, Maddie and Taylor couldn’t stop smiling.

The next day, in their free time, Taylor and Maddie decided to hike up to the top of the mountain.

Maddie has a slight fear of heights, but Lena and Taylor convinced her to still hike up the mountain. Slowly, Maddie made her way behind Taylor up the mountain. She tried to not look at the cliff and drop down. When they made it to the top, Maddie felt relieved and out of breath. As they took a picture at the top, Maddie was again reminded of how this was a once in a lifetime experience. The view was breathtaking. She saw the town of Thessaly perfectly and could swear she saw the bakery that Lena was in.

On the second to last day of their trip, Maddie and her class went digging again. Maddie hadn’t found anything while she was digging the last couple of days. However, as she was about to give up hope Maddie found a small piece of metal that had an intricate pattern and part of a seal on it. She immediately dug faster and found more of those tiny pieces. She showed them to her teacher who brought over a whisk broom to clear off the dust and dirt. The teacher grabbed the local Greek guide, Alcander. As soon as he neared Maddie, Alcander’s eyes widened. “δεν το πιστεύω αυτό,” (I don’t believe this”) shouted Alcander.

“Where did you find this?”

Maddie explained to Alcander how she had found the pieces.

Alcander took the pieces in his hand and began to study them closely.

He told Maddie, “These must be from a battle that happened here.”

Although Alcander didn’t know which battle these pieces were from, Maddie was delighted that she had discovered them. She would remember to later write about this in her journal.

The next day, on Maddie’s last morning in Thessaly, she and Taylor decided to pay one last visit to Lena. They told her about their trip to Mount Pelion and showed her the pictures they took. Maddie also proudly shared with Lena about her discovery when digging. Lena was so happy to hear about their fun times and adventures. Before they left the bakery for the last time, Lena pulled Maddie off to the side and told her, “Οι μικρές ευκαιρίες είναι συχνά η αρχή μεγάλων επιχειρήσεων,” (“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.”). Maddie hugged Lena before she left and thanked her for her hospitality and friendliness. She knew that she would be back one day to Greece, hoping she would get the chance to see Lena.

Once Maddie arrived back in Athens, she and Taylor began to plan for their trip to Skopelos.

After arriving in Skiathos, Maddie and Taylor walked over to the ferry dock and began their ride over to Skopelos. The ride was only thirty minutes. Once their quick ride was over, they made their way over to where they would be staying. They settled in and decided to go by a nearby cliff to sit out in the sun and admire the views and scenic waters.

Skopelos, Greece

The rocky trail made it a bit of a trek since Maddie and Taylor were both wearing sandals. Sweating and tired, they got to the top and lied down for a bit admiring the view. They saw the beaches and houses in Skopelos. For a second, it felt like they were in Mamma Mia.

All of a sudden, Taylor jumped off the tall cliff they were on and dived into the clear water below. Maddie was surprised by this and started to laugh.

“What are you doing?”

“I thought I’d take a swim,” Taylor cheekily yelled.

Just looking over the cliff, made Maddie feel uncomfortable. She tried not to think about how tall the cliff was.

“When are you going to join me?” shouted Taylor.

“I’m fine up here. I’ll climb down the path later to go in the water. I’m not jumping!”

Taylor screamed, “Oh yes you are!”

Still trembling, Maddie began to remember how she was the one who asked for directions in Thessaly and found the pieces of shield while digging. Confidence within her grew, although she was still hesitant to jump, seeing that it was about two stories high. Maddie didn’t know if she could do it.

Just as she was turning back around, she thought of Lena’s words. Those words had reminded Maddie that she won’t ever get the opportunity again to be in the place where they filmed Mamma Mia.

Without thinking any longer, she turned back around and jumped off of the cliff with her hands in the air.