A Week in Greece #45: FRIENDS, MOVIES, and CATS

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Unlike last week, a lot happened in the past seven days!

I work the longest on Mondays, so I try to keep that evening free for lots of TV viewing.  Last week was no exception.

I realize this is not a great way to start a “my week was so busy!” blog, but I promise that from Tuesday it got a lot more interesting.  I went to Pikermi after work on Tuesday to pay the remainder of my student visa costs to the school where I used to live.  I always get kind of anxious going back there, because I was not in a good mental state when I was living there (hence why I moved).  But I met up with Tatiana and Natasha (old roommates), Olympia (old friend), and Manon (new friend) for coffee while I was there.  It happened to be the day Obama was in Athens, and it was really nice to hear how much Greeks and Europeans in general love him.  It feels better to mourn with people than to suffer alone.

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On Wednesday, I went to Luciana’s apartment after work.  They moved recently and are stuck in “I guess these boxes will be here forever” mode, so I came in as an outsider and helped her clear things out, organize, and clean.  We were 3/4 of the way through putting together their IKEA couch when Continue reading →

Sunday Summary #47

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1|  I didn’t need more evidence that Lin-Manuel Miranda is the world’s cutiest pie, but the world delivered this adorable family video anyway.

2|  FINALLY the first full-length trailer of Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.  I am very optimistic!

Letters Between Friends: LET’S ADVENTURE

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Dear Tricia,

The first week I was home was surreal.  I woke up every morning awake & alert!  I had breakfast with the girls and then we would start getting ready and be on time.  This week I am DDRRAAAGGGGIINNNNGGG!

I think a part of it is that We came home and it’s dark now by 4:30pm.  Dang Daylight Savings Time.  But a BIG part of it also, is that now I am adventure-less.  I have no where fun to look forward to.  Can we work on that?  I’m thinking Holland or a road trip up the east or west coast or possibly a trip to Oklahoma. 🙂

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I haven’t seen a fundraising update!!!  The deadline was this week and I want to know how you did!!! Your life was a little hectic when I left you, so I totally understand the busy factor.  I’ve been praying like CRAZY!

I’ve also been brainstorming the ROOF again.  I’m going to draw something up and talk to Emily first…then I will reveal to you. 🙂  I also made sure to tell your Grandma Stark how SAFE you are and how successful you have been and how you CAN’T WAIT to see her in a few weeks.  She was so happy to hear that.  🙂  Every sunday morning, I just want to make her a cup of decaf tea and prop her feet up so she can be as stress-free as possible! I can’t handle all my “Woodland Grandparents” getting old.  They simply MUST stop.

Ok…I hope you get to BRAIN VEG soon.  I pray for you daily.  *Virtual Hug*

Love,

Lindsay

A Week in Greece #44: MALL OUTING AND THE ATHENS MARATHON

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I’m late writing about last week, but until yesterday there was very little to write about.  I was in full post-friend-visit mode, which means I spent almost all of the time I wasn’t working watching Battlestar Galactica with my cat.  It was me at my sad introvert best.  There are really only two things worth mentioning, but they are two pretty great things!

On Tuesday, we were supposed to go out on a boat with all the HD staff and participants.  But weather was bad, so we went to the mall instead.  I honestly think this turned out to be a better idea!  We went bowling together, and it was really fun to be silly and competitive and supportive.  Everyone but four of us left after that, at which point we all got lunch together.  Then we went to a sweet shop and bought a bunch of different kinds of things to share.  We wandered the mall and shopped together.

I spent most of my time with our Greek-speaking participant, because neither of us are hugely into shopping.  Using our broken language communication, I held her stuff and gave her feedback as she tried things on.  It was really fun, and a good opportunity to struggle through communication instead of relying on a translator.

It was also a great experience because this particular participant struggles with anxiety.  She doesn’t go out shopping a lot, and things like going to the register alone stressed her out.  I found this out later, because our broken communication is not that nuanced.  But that turned out to be great!  Since the only two staff there spoke mostly English, she had to kind of suck it up and do things on her own….and she did!  Non-consumerist therapy at the mall, who knew.

The other noteworthy event was on Sunday.  Kendra ran in the Athens Marathon Continue reading →

Sunday Summary #46

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1|  My vacation in Slovenia was one of my favorite trips this year, and this couple’s blog post has GORGEOUS pictures of some of my favorite destinations!

2|  NomadicMatt is one of my favorite travel bloggers, and I love this piece he did about pursuing your life’s passion.

But I don’t buy into the idea that “you can find your passion” by sitting down with a pen and paper and thinking, “OK, I’m going to write down my passion and just do that.”

I think you stumble onto your passion.

You go out and live life and then realize: “this is the thing that lights my fire the most.”

My Second Tattoo

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Last week, while Lindsay and Emily visited me, we all got individual tattoos together!  We were all agreed that the act of getting a tattoo should be meaningful in addition to the meaningfulness of the tattoo itself.  I’m really glad that my second tattoo will forever remind me of my time spent in Greece and of the fact that I have amazing friends who visited me here.

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Which one is mine?  Quotation marks on my right wrist.  Wrist placement is my favorite, because I want to see whatever I’ve decided to etch onto my flesh for all time.  I already have “Courage, dear heart” on my left wrist, so this was valuable real estate.  In fact, I already knew that this was the next tattoo I wanted three years ago, but I waited to make sure I wouldn’t change my mind.

There are two main reasons I decided to get a tattoo of empty quotation marks.

I first came up with the idea while I was getting my Master’s in Counseling.  I spent most of those three years internalizing the idea that it is better to be silent and supportive than to speak.  I love to give advice and there is a part of me that wants nothing more than to control everyone around me…but someone who does that is a bad counselor and a dangerous friend!

Empty quotation marks reminds me to slow down, to listen first and choose my words carefully.  They remind me that meaningful connections from from shutting up and letting other people have a voice.

This tattoo took on added meaning when I moved to Greece and began learning to speak Greek.  I struggled (and continue to struggle) with communicating in a foreign language.  Not necessarily because it is hard, but because stumbling through half-sentences hits me at the core of who I am.  I pride myself on my ability to communicate well with words.  It is one of the things I love best about myself.  Having that taken away felt like my own self-worth was in jeopardy.

Empty quotation marks reminds me that even when I don’t have words, I have worth.  They remind me that my ability to communicate is a gift, but it is not my defining quality.  I am still me without my words.

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This is not a good “show off your tattoo” picture – I’ve got janky nail polish, a cat scratch, and a hairband indentation – but this is how my wrist will look on a regular basis, so oh well!

 

Instagram Recommendation List

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In my latest Podcast Recommendation List, Kim commented and requested that I do a similar post about Instagram.  I love fulfilling readers’ wishes, so here you go!  Five people I follow on Instagram that I think other people might like following too.

@lifeinbloomphotos

This Midwestern instagrammer posts simple pictures of life in the country:  leaves, sunsets,dandelions, farmhouses.  The photos are simple and pretty, and they remind me of everything I love best about my homeland.

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@andrewknapp

Momo is the cutest dog on the internet, and I cannot help but feel happy every time a new post appears of her (his?) expressive black and white face.screen-shot-2016-11-07-at-3-58-52-pm

@icelandair

Iceland is at the top of my list of must-visit countries, and this Instagram account fuels my desire with each new picture of stunning mountains, ice blue lagoons, and sweet cityscapes.screen-shot-2016-11-07-at-3-56-49-pm

@sejkko

This Instagrammer specializes in minimalist photos that make my heart feel peaceful.  Therapy in an app.

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@hotdudeswithkittens

With all this natural beauty, it’s only fitting to appreciate the male form too, right?  And it is a scientific fact that male forms always look better with a kitten!

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What Instagram accounts do you like?  

Leave a recommendation in the comments below!

A Week in Greece #43: EMILY AND LINDSAY VISIT

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What an awesome week!  My two besties, Lindsay and Emily, came on Sunday and left on Sunday, which means that this is the perfect forum to discuss all the amazing things we did together.

In general, there was a lot of eating and drinking and talking.  In particular, I had such a good time being with people who know me at a deep level.  I was just talking to Anthi an hour ago about how hard it can be to spend time with family and friends from your childhood because they see you as the person you used to be.  I feel really lucky because Emily and Lindsay knew teenage self-conscious and self-righteous Tricia, but they’ve somehow allowed me to grow up and treat me as the person I have become.  It’s the perfect comforting relationship, and I’m really grateful for both of them.

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I’m also grateful for our mutual agreement on what constitutes a good time.  For instance, on Tuesday, we listened through the entire Hamilton soundtrack while cutting each other’s hair in my living room.  And any time someone suggested that we not do the thing we had planned on doing…everyone else said YES MORE SWEATPANTS TIME.  I love my socially lazy friends.  Continue reading →

What I Read | October 2016

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Yikes!  I only read five books this month, and two of them were re-reads.  But what I lack in quantity I think make up in quality.  Well, mostly.

51j10qkqfsl-_sy344_bo1204203200_The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

I adore Amy Schumer, and her memoir only validated my opinion.  Her humor manages to be equal parts raunchy and thoughtful.  This is exactly the tone I like to see when a celebrity gets real.  And boy, does Schumer get real.  I loved her honesty about her experiences with domestic violence and rape – it’s obvious the topics are painful to her, but she desperately wants her fans to learn from her experiences.  I also really appreciated the way she separated her normal self from her stage self, letting us see the things that are her personality versus her performance.

27Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson

I re-read my favorite of Bryson’s books, and as expected, it rekindled my “visit every European country at once!!” fever.   Continue reading →

A Week in Greece #42: CHURCH FAMILY AND PUMPKIN CARVING

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Whoops, I almost forgot to post this week’s A Week in Greece, which would be a shame because a lot happened!

Last Sunday, I went to church with an OM volunteer, and there is something so nice about walking in with someone instead of alone.  After the service, she left, but I had like, three conversations with different groups of people, at which point I realized, IT HAPPENED.  I have people at this church.  The day got even better when Kendra and I went out to lunch at a brunch place nearby.  I haven’t had brunch in ten months, and wow.  Wow.  It was so good, both the food and the conversation.

On Tuesday, Mercy came to my part of town.  Everything usually happens downtown, which means metro-ing places, and I am just too lazy for that!  So instead of asking “what do you want to do?” I just straight up suggested she come to the awesome park/coffee shop near my house.  She did, and it was great.

I am super blanking on things.  Work was mostly fine this week…oh yeah!   Continue reading →