Living in Agia Paraskevi

I’ve been in Greece for just over three weeks now! I feel a little more knowledgeable about what daily living is like in Athens, or Agia Paraskevi specifically. Agia Paraskevi is a neighborhood, or suburb, northeast of Athens that I live in and go to school at the American College of Greece (ACG). There are at least forty different neighborhoods that surround Athens, and about half of the population of Greece lives in this expansive area. Each neighborhood is said to have its own flair. Agia Paraskevi seems to be relatively quiet compared to downtown Athens. Agiou Ioannou is the main street in Agia Paraskevi that consists of pretty much everything you need: restaurants, bakeries, cafes, supermarkets, pharmacies, parks, phone carriers, the post office, banks, department stores with popular and local brands, bus stops, and what seems like an unreasonable amount of hair and nail salons. It’s just a seven-minute walk to this street from my apartment building. It is also part of one possible route to school, as the main entrance to the college is at the end of this street. I’ve started to feel fairly comfortable and confident in navigating this neighborhood myself.

A day in my life as a study abroad student in Greece!:

My Apartment: I live in a four-story apartment building that is a fifteen-minute walk from ACG. There are four apartment buildings total in Agia Paraskevi that the college owns. Each building has an RA and staff that are very kind and helpful 24/7. It is very secure, with an entrance gate and doors that require a key to enter. There is also a security guard that stands outside the gate from late night to early morning. Only ACG students, mostly study abroad or international students, live in these apartments. I live with eight American study abroad students. Four of us are in the International Studies Abroad (ISA) program. We are from states all over the country. Our apartment consists of four rooms, with two girls in a room. We share a kitchen and a living room, and we have more balconies (three!) than bathrooms (two). There are several washers and dryers (a rare commodity in Europe, but I’ve found the ones we have are very inefficient; most people hang their clothes on the balconies to dry) in the basement of our building. We also have a lounge room on the first floor and an elevator with a door. Being on the fourth floor, we have a gorgeous view of Agia Paraskevi and other neighborhoods, mountains, and sunrise and sunset.

Eating: For most of my meals, I have really enjoyed cooking familiar foods in my apartment’s kitchen. At ACG, I bought a small meal plan that allows me to have lunch at the cafeteria two times a week. The food service has various options, from salads to burgers to hot dishes authentic to Greece. The servers are very helpful in describing the Greek dishes that are unknown to me, and those are the ones I tend to go for. I haven’t come across any that I don’t like. It’s exciting to try new restaurants in the area with my roommates! At most restaurants, you seat yourself anywhere you’d like. Many restaurants have a second floor, especially downtown. Once you sit, a server brings a glass of water for everyone or a bottle of water so you can help yourself. When the food you ordered comes, you are sometimes given the bill immediately. This doesn’t mean they want you to hurry through your meal and leave quickly (in fact, it is part of Greek culture to stay at restaurants for hours and enjoy your company). Instead, they are ensuring that you pay because in Greece if you do not get a bill, it is completely acceptable to leave and not pay. Also, it is not common to tip.

My Face After My First Bite of Bougatsa… AMAZING

Coffee: I am an avid coffee lover. Fortunately for me, Athens has many cafes to choose from. The most popular drinks are freddo cappuccino, freddo espresso, frappe (all cold drinks with ice), and Greek coffee (hot, strong coffee with thick foam on the surface). I think the freddo cappuccino is my favorite so far. When you order your coffee, the servers ask if you want sugar, medium sugar (half of the full amount), or no sugar. Medium sugar is good for me. Your coffee is usually served with a small cookie and a spoon sweet (any preserved fruit coated in a thick, sweet syrup). I am determined to try every cafe on Agiou Ioannou by the time I leave. They’re all so inviting, with comfortable seating both indoors and outdoors, natural and warm lighting, music, and plants everywhere. It’s a perfect spot to study and journal.

A Freddo Cappuccino with a Cherry Spoon Sweet & Cookie

School: Speaking of studying, a day in the life of a study abroad student does include going to class and not just exploring and traveling. I plan to write about what my classes are like at ACG in a later blog post, so I won’t focus on it here, but stay tuned!

Volunteering: ACG has many unique opportunities for all students to get involved. One opportunity includes volunteering at a local “Laiki Agora” (which means “the people’s market” or farmers’ market in Greece). On Mondays, a few Greek students and I have been collecting produce the farmers are willing to donate at closing time of the market. Then, we give the produce to a center for people with disabilities just down the road. I never thought I would be serving people with disabilities here, just like I do at home and at MLC. God is so good.

A Cart of Donated Produce from the Laiki Agora

Fitness Classes: ACG also has many fitness classes! I’ve been participating in yoga, abs and legs, and water aerobics (in the outdoor Olympic-sized pool where Michael Phelps trained in the 2004 Olympics!). They fit well in my weekly schedule, and they are very fun yet challenging. It’s been nice to get into a workout routine.

Shopping: Grocery shopping isn’t as hard as I had expected. I can find almost everything I need. Some labels are in both Greek and English, while some are not. Google translate is my best friend at these moments. I’ve bought some authentic Greek products like tahini (nut butter) and kritsinia me sousami (small breadsticks with sesame seeds). I want to try buying fish soon because it is very fresh. Maybe I’ll work my way into a Mediterranean diet by the end of my four months here.

Exploring: Last but not least, my days consist of much exploring. I have a mini goal of trying something new each day, whether participating in something new at ACG, trying a new restaurant or shop, going to a museum or historical site in Athens, spending time with a new friend, and more. My weekends are for traveling to further destinations and participating in excursions with my ISA Program. Last weekend, I traveled to Thessaloniki and explored many historical sites, including Biblical history, as I visited the churches dedicated to the Apostle Paul. This weekend, God-willing, I’ll visit Corinth with a few friends I’ve had Bible study with. It is incredibly surreal to live in and visit cities and places we read about in God’s Word. All praise and thanks to God!