Top Ten Funniest Moments at the Last Dinner

10. "Hello. How ‘bout that ride in?" The beginning to Rachel’s speech had everyone in stiches.

9. “We probably picked up some Greek…or Dutch” Got to love Brittany. It was completely deadpanned and perfectly delivered.

8. Listening to Hill ramble on and on after he claimed it would be a short speech. He can’t help he got off topic.

7. Hearing that Martin’s name was misspelled twice…in two different ways.

6. Most Likely To Be Dancing: Deanna. Best Dance Moves: Courtney F. We like our dancing here in Greece.

5. Everyone agreeing that Jillian will be the next Mrs. Bieber.

4. “He’s 6’5” and probably the only black guy in the Greece airport” B.A.’s description of Jason was dead accurate.

3. Bailey ripping up her 'Worst Roomie' certificate: immediately after she got it.

2. Watching Hill jokingly attempt to make out with Jake. Not only hilarious, but also scarring.

1. Listening to Martin and Deanna sing their two prepared songs: the Lead Jingle and The Twelve Days of Greece-mas.

Our last dinner here in Greece was not only hilariously funny, it was also saddening. I’m so happy to be going home but I’m depressed I’ll be leaving all these great people. But it won’t be the last time I see them, because LEAD Greece will be having reunions. We’ve already got planners. I’ve decided to leave it at the funny otherwise I’ll be in tears, but I hope everyone remembers what a great time we had here and everything we’ve learned. LEAD Greece 2011 is the best group anyone can ask for.

-Miranda McGarity

Our Power of WOW!

The other day, Jason gave us a lecture on “the power of WOW”. This was by far one of my favorite lectures of the entire trip, kudos Jason. Since we are nearing the end of our trip, I felt it was fitting to reflect how we have exemplified the power of WOW here in Greece.

1) Care more than others think is wise.

This study abroad is focused on leadership and service learning. Obviously, we participated in service, helping the Somali and Middle Eastern communities. Most people here in Greece and many probably even in America would wonder why in the world we would go out of our way to help these people. They’re just immigrants right? Well we, as the Global LEAD Greece team, felt the beneficial effects of caring more than others think is wise. Though we made an impact on the lives of these immigrants and asylum seekers, I think most people here would agree that those experiences and people had just as much or more of an affect on us.

2) Risk more than others think is safe.

One of the main aspects of this program is adventure. Whether it was bungee jumping, rock climbing, an 8 mile hike through Europe’s longest gorge, or holding 60 pound snakes, every one of us here participated in something that others may see as irrational or crazy. Though our parents may not see the thrill of free falling off of a bridge, I think it’s safe to say that we don’t regret any second of it and probably wouldn’t take back any of these experiences that we’ve had. Some of us may have even become adrenaline junkies, or maybe that’s just me… sorry mom and dad.

3) Dream more than others think is practical.

We had a lecture recently on creating a vision statement for life. Our visions for life have been affected and shaped from what we’ve learned here in Greece. I think that it’s been shown to us that dreams can become reality, and that our visions, no matter how “outrageous” they are, are attainable. We can take a little advice from Alexander the Great: “Fortes fortuna adiuva, Fortune favors the bold”.

4) Expect more than others think is possible.

We also discussed the other day taking back what we’ve learned and challenging ourselves to stick true to at least three of the concepts. Personally, I challenge myself to make an impact in service in my community in regards to sex trafficking. This is a challenging issue to tackle, some may even say impossible. Being here in Greece has shown us, though, that every little bit of help contributes to a greater society. It’s obvious to me that if we all honor our personal challenge when we get home, that our small, 42 person Global LEAD family can greatly impact our societies.

Though I’m sad to say goodbye to Greece and Global LEAD, I’m excited to take what I’ve learned back with me. This experience is one that I wish others could have, so I hope that we can all show our friends and families the true impact it’s had on our lives. We’ve gained great friends, unforgettable memories, and new outlooks on life. I don’t think I could’ve asked for more.

- McKenzi Raines

A Rhyme of Remembrance

As we are moving towards the final day,

It feels like only yesterday was the fifteenth of May.

Having expectations of what we would see,

We created an image of how Greece would be.

In Glyfada, we formed an appetite for gyros,

Then washed it down with a refreshing Mythos.

Athens was never a city I pictured as cruel,

Our eyes were opened on the issues of Somalis with the help of Abdul.

Adventures like bungee jumping helped tackle our fears,

3-2-1 the Global LEAD group powerfully cheers.

Crete was like a city and island combined,

Sports Café is where we conveniently dined.

BA and Jason taught many lectures on how

We can become leaders and experience the power of wow.

Excitement, nervousness, and laughter too

Is what we felt riding the donkeys in a city of white and blue.

Making friends along the way,

It will be hard to not see them every day.

It’s so difficult to put into writing,

The beauty, the people, and the places we have been sighting.

Even though our trip has come to an end,

A love has developed between the bonds of 42 new friends.

On behalf of the of the LEAD Greece crew,

BA, Jason, Brian, and Scott, we would like to say Thank You!

-Annie Saucier

Cultural Vineyard Tour

Today we visited three different wineries in Santorini, Greece. The first winery was actually a wine museum and they had a cellar-like tunnel that we got to go in, to see how wine was produced years ago. It took them 21 years to make the museum. After walking through the cellar, we got to try three of their most popular wines. The first was a dry white wine, the second was a famous red wine, and the third was a dessert wine. We all liked the first two wines that we tried but the last one was not very popular among the group.

After finishing up at the museum, we got back on the bus and went to the next winery. It was here that they explained how wine is made now. We got to see the cellar underneath the building and they explained how it was a dark area for the success of making wine.

The last winery we visited was by far the best of the three. Not only was it the biggest winery in Santorini, but it is sitting on the cliff looking over the other islands. They had some amazing traditional Greek food prepared for us. We got to visit their gift shop and several people purchased the wines and other products.

Today was an amazing experience. We were so glad to get to see and taste the best wines produced right here in Greece. That is an opportunity that only very few people get to do and we were lucky enough to do it.

After the tours of the wineries, we all came back to the hotel for a relaxing day before traveling back to Glyfada tomorrow. Today has been great and we can’t wait to enjoy the last 4 days we have in Greece before we have to go home!

-Maria Pearson & Shannon Twilley

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Global LEADers

Saturday was an off day for everyone and seven lovely ladies of Global LEAD

thought what better way to spend a free day in the beautiful Santorini than to visit

the city of Oia (pronounce ee-ah)—recognized as the city with the picturesque

Greek domes.

The night prior, in order to prepare for the day off, a few friends and I watched

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the movie. In case you didn’t know, parts of the

movie were filmed in Oia, Santorini. Like little schoolgirls, we squealed at the parts

where the main characters fell in love, road mopeds, and played on the docks. And

we made mental notes and maps in order to find the places of the movie in the

actual city the next day.

The fated off day arrived and the ladies and I took a short bus ride over to the most

beautiful city in the world. This is not an overstatement. When we all imagined what

our Greece study abroad would look like, this was the place of our dreams. Blue

domes. White homes. Pink flowers. Green oceans. The senses were overwhelmed

as we shopped, ate, and played in the most gorgeous place, hands down, we’d ever

seen. I think my cheeks still hurt from smiling at the beauty of it all day.

And needless to say we thought every other home we passed was the one filmed

from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Who can tell what building was more

beautiful than the next, or if one winding alleyway was the twin of the one in the

movie. But we had an adventure trying to find the sets from the film—I’m pretty

sure we found the correct dock though, which was shamelessly exciting for all us

girls.

In addition to our sisterhood thrills, the rest of our day went as follows:

Cliff jumping—Check

Impromptu photo shoots—Check

Donkey riding—Check

Jewelry shopping—Check

Sunset watching—Check

It was literally the perfect day. From the sites, to the friends, to the shopping (oh

my!), Oia could have been better. As the seven of us, all happily exhausted, rode the

bus home that night, I distinctly remember being in awe of the amount of happiness

I was feeling. My mantra this trip has been “Is this real life?” because I find myself

saying it in my head again and again in amazement of all the incredible stuff we’ve

been up to through Global LEAD. This was just one of those many times that I

thought life was too good to be true.

But this is real. We’re living the dream.

-Alyson Farzad & Sydney Anderson

Don't Wanna Go...So Why Not LEAD!

These past four weeks have been a life changing experience for all 42 of us here on Global L.E.A.D. It’s going to be difficult for us to return and acclimate back into the American culture. Here are our top 10 reasons why we don’t want to leave Greece.

Top 10 Reasons Why We Don’t Want To Leave Greece:

10. Learning outside of the classroom. From lectures by the pool to the beaches of Santorini, who would ever want to go back to learning in a regular classroom?

9. Returning to the real world. Everyone enjoys being able to escape the pressures of everyday life back home and it will be a difficult transition when returning home into the “real world” after becoming accustomed to Greek culture for over one month.

8. The island lifestyle. The island culture is very laidback and very welcoming to outsiders. We all have become accustomed to the easygoing ways and customs of the Greek island life and will be very hard to part.

7. Wine. Santorini’s #1 export is wine and is famous for their white wine vineyards. Being able to go on a cultural vineyard tour and learn about the process of winemaking is something that we are all looking forward to on Wednesday afternoon.

6. Greek culture. The cultural experiences of learning the history and societal norms of another country is a very valuable experience that not many people are fortunate enough to experience.

5. Greek cuisine. From Greek salads to chicken or pork gyros, lamb, Greek food has its own distinct flavor that we have all learned to enjoy in some way. Going back to traditional American food just won’t be the same.

4. Beautiful scenery. From the view from our villas in Crete to the sunset in Oia, Greece is one of the most beautiful places in the world. People travel all around the world to capture the essence of Greece and we are lucky enough to have the opportunity to live here for 5 weeks.

3. Adventure. Greece offers many opportunities for adventure and excitement. We got the chance to go bungee jumping in the Corinth Canal, cliff jumping in Kamari Beach in Santorini, donkey riding up the mountainside of Oia, and hiking the Samaria Gorge.

2. Plane ride on the way back. After all the obstacles on the group flight to Athens, many of us are skeptical about the potential problems facing us on our nine-hour return flight. Although a layover in Greece would be much better than a layover in Atlanta.

1. The lifelong friendships. Living and learning together with 42 people has made us become close very quickly. Most of us attend school in the same region and we are already finding ways to stay in close contact with each other whether it’s planning a trip to see our rival football teams play or just a road trip together.

-Courtney Foret and Jake VanAusdall

When in Oia

Todays day was filled with experiences that cannot be expressed through words or photographs. From hiking the active volcano to riding donkeys on the island of Oia the laughter and feeling of pure excitement could not escape my mind. Oia was the most breathtaking towns in the long list of interesting places in which we have been able to stay and explore. At the end of our day today we sailed to the town of Oia and from the port were taken by donkey ride up to the top of the cliff were the town began. The sites filled my head with beauty so surreal I thought it was something only from movies. Blue domed churches and multicolored buildings etched into the walls of the cliff over looking the sea of the Aegean. I felt as if I had stepped into a picture book walking along the cobble stoned paved walk aways. After treating ourselves to some traditional greek deserts while taking in the gorgeous view of the caldera it was soon time to enjoy the most anticipated sunset we have come across thus far. Travelers from all over gathered on the edges of the cliff, trying to find the perfect seat to watch as the marvelous spectacle took place. The sky changed from yellow to marvelous pinks and oranges filling the sky with delight, illuminating that which was thought to only be a sunset. God’s glorious creation overwhelmed the crowd and once it dipped into the deep blue ocean everyone rejoiced, clapping in unison to the splendor of the world. It was an adventurous day with a speculator close that I will cherish for many many years to come.

-Catherine Crawford