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Other entries in Athens

Alone Time

Yesterday morning, i helped david by walking him to the subway station carrying the 20 kg communal bag we bought to hold our collective purchases from the past few months. despite the early hour, we were suprised to find the subway closed. apparently, our bad luck continued and it was again a national holiday. super sweet. so he had to take a taxi costing a whole lot more than a subway ticket. we said quick goodbyes and he was off, ending our 5 month trip together.

on the walk back to the hotel, the significance of the morning began to sink into me. for the past 150 days or so, ive spent almost every waking hour with the same person. so now alone, this was the beginning of an entirely different trip. in the days leading up to his departure, we had the seemingly mandatory talks about what he's looking forward to most about being home, what he's going to miss most about traveling, etc. but the one thing we talked about that stuck with me the most was a philosophy that david mentioned about traveling. we were discussing his short stint on the east coast and the possibilities of his few days there. after traveling all over the world through countries where we didnt speak the language and hardly could communicate with the locals, we managed to get along well enough and accomplish the tasks we set before us. so in comparison, nyc, and any other american city for that matter, should prove no obstacle at all. furthermore, the adventure should continue. just because he is back in his home country and can now speak the language and read the signs, what stops him from setting goals for each day and accomplishing them? as long as you maintain the mentality that youre looking for 'adventure' and have the capability to find it, your journey will continue. each day is an adventure, it just depends on how you choose to go about looking for it.

so now im alone in the sprawling, ancient metropolis of athens sitting in an internet cafe thinking of things to do. ive already eaten a gyro today so there goes my first desired option. the guide book had little to offer in the way of suggestions besides the museum/historical site circuit so i think ill just walk and see what i encounter. its a nice day so a stroll seems to be the appropriate course of action. ill see what i can get into...

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