Some of the Many Things I am Thankful For

Sitting on the flight from Athens to London I began reflecting on my trip and I became overcome with gratitude. There are so many people and so many things for which I feel thankful. This is a list of just a few of the many:

1. The generous donors and the Center of Humanities and Ethics who selected me to have this experience and supported me throughout it.

2. My India travel companions - Claire, Dinesh, Vida, Anne, Cristina, Chris, Swamy, and Kevin - who kept the trip fun and intersting and who I feel a tremendous bond with after our experiences together, especially the crash

3. Everyone coming out of the crash alive and without serious injury - The thanks here really goes to God. I know he must have been watching over us. (I'm actually tearing up just thinking about it)

4. Dr. Jones and Dr. Berggren who both called India to check on us after the accident, Dr. Jones calling and emailing several times to make sure that everyone truly was ok.

5. The doctors and nurses at Christian Medical College - especially in the SICU and CHAD - who made me feel welcomed and comfortable while I obserfed and learned from them and their patients.

6. The villagers who invited me into their homes during visits with CHAD, alsays happy to see us and sometimes offering food or sweets while they have so little for themselves.

7. Dr. Dilip Mathai who monitored my platelets at CMC and met us all in the ER after the accident.

8. Swamy for getting me in contact with Dr. Mathai.

9. Dinesh and his friends in various regions of India (Kerala, Banglore, and Mumbai) who were wonderful hosts and helped us to see India through a local's eyes.

10. Jab We Met - a Hindi film that provided hours of entertainment

11. Claire - the best travel companion I can imagine: enthusiastic, adventuresome, interested and eager to explore/experience, yet laid back, consciencous, and understanding. She really is an all around amazing person, plus she is excellent with directions and loves ice cream and shopping. :)

12. Random decision to spend a few days in Istanbul on the way to Greece - absolutely wonderful and one of the highlights of my trip!

13. Joey, my best friend and roommate who has been keeping my life together back in Texas while I've been gone - She's always taking car of me...a truly wonderful friend!

14. All my great friend that have been there from me over the years - I don't know what I would do or where I would be with out you!

15. Dustin - I love you, you make me incredibly happy, and I can't believe how lucky I am to have you in my life.

16. My family - this is a big one - Mom, Dad, Matt, Greta, Trent, Laura, Grandma Doris, Grandma Jean and Grandpa Morris, and Mary (yes you too): I feel encredibly fortunate to have each and every one of you in my life. I can not possibly thank you enough for the endless love and support you have given me throughout my life. As I reflect now, one week before graduating from medical school, it strikes me that I would not have been able to achieve any of this without all of you. You gave me the tolls and the confidence along with the love and the encouragement I needed to accomplish my goals. (Here I go tearing up again) I really feel that this degree (MD) belongs just as much to you as it does to me. In short, I jsut hope you all know how much I love you, respect you, and appreciate you!

My list could go on and on, and Im sure that there are big things that I have neglected to mention, but I'm running low on time. I will see you all soon back in the US. :)

Headed home

Yesterday we took a ferry from Mykonos back to Athens, enjoyed our last Greek salad and packed up our bags to come home. This morning we flew from Athens to London and are currently waiting for our flight to Chicago. Hopefully things will go smoothly and we will get in to DFW at 11pm tonight (Monday).

It is kind of funny to think about but we have been going to increasingly more expensive places with each stop: from the Indian Rupee, to the Turkish Lira, then the Euro, and now the darn Pound. Its really expensive here in London! Anyway soon we will be back to the good old dollar. I can't wait!

Our night out in Mykonos

Claire, Me, and Leandro - our Argentinian friend

Crazy pelican hanging out at one of the restraunts

The waiter holding his beak so we can get a picture

Action shot of Leandro getting bitten :)

Really tall guy from Florida that everyone at the bar was taking pictures with....we didn't want to get left out - unfortunately he was too big for the picture!

Diving in Santorini :)

Paradise Beach/Paradise Point: the sites of the two dives

Our first morning in Mykonos, after a brief refresher course, I finally used my PADI certification and had mty first experience with ocean diving. It was amazing! At first I was completely freaking out, wonderfing why on earth I was trying to do this - I have forgotten A LOT in the four years since I was certified! But with the help of my

patient instructor/guide, Tasos, I eventually began to feel more comfortable, and I ended up really enjoying the dive. Since it was a shore dive it was not the most impressive scenery, but for someone who had never dove in the ocean, it was incredible! we saw schools of fish, bright orange starfish, various types and colors of coarl, etc. It was beautiful. After we finished the dive I relaxed on the beach and enjoyed a saganaki shrimp appetizer for lunch before preparing for another dive, this time from a boat.

For the afternoon dive I was with Nadia, a German tourist who had obtained an intermediate SCUBA certification earlier in the week, and two instructors, Tasos and Matt. We loaded our gear into the boat and drove to Paradise Point - about 5 minutes from the dive center. There I did my first "boat entry" - basically just falling backwards off the boat with full SCUBA gear on. I doubt it was graceful, but it was fun! We descended along the anchor line then started off along the reef. It was utterly amazing and utterly terrifying at the same time. A few minutes into the dive I became anxious, suddently aware that I was in a foreign country with 3 strangers and I had twelve meters of ocean above me. Needless to say I felt a little trapped. evedntually I was able to calm the hyperventilation and get myself to relax and enjoy the scenery. - I think Matt could tell that both Nadia and I were a little nervous because he stopped us in a sandy area and signaled for us to breath slowly, kick our fins slowly, and enjoy the scenery ( which was fantastic!) - that really helped to calm me down.

Coasting through the reef I felt like I was in a 3D National Geographic move, only it was way better! The water was several incredible shades of blue (different at each depth), the coral was abundant, the rocks created interesting formations with cliffs, coves, and fissures, and schools of fish of various types were all around. As the water warms more and more fish come out. I was fortunate because the guides said that was the most fish they had seen out this season. It was a phenominal experience! I wish I had an underwater camera so I could share it with you all!!!!

Mykonos

Yesterday we took a ferry from Santorini to Mykonos. after settling into our hotel we walked to Ornosbeach, lay down our towels, and enjoyed a nap in the lat afternoon sun. then we went back to the roomto change before walking to Mykonos village- which was a little farther than we anticipated. Once in the villagewe wound our way through the narrow walkways until we arrived atthe shore, in an areacalled "little venice." We found a seafood restraunt and enjoyed dinner while watchingthe sun set. While we were finishing our dinner we were suprised to see the familiar face of an Argentinian chemical engineer that had been staying at our hosel in Santorini. We invited him to join us, then the three of us wandered the streets of Mykonos village.

Yummy red snapper!

Beautiful sunset

Background info and pictures from Santorini

-The central mound of volcanic ash

Around 1600-1500 BC the volcano erupted causing the center of the island to collapse into the , splitting the land into three separate islands, and creating a central mound of volcanic ash in the middle of the ring of islands. This eruption caused a tsunami that wiped out the Minoan civilization on Crete. The most recent eruption was in the 1950's, and the volcano is still considered active.

- Akrotiri is an archaelogical wonder that can be found here on Santorini. However, due to a collapse in the roof i 2005 the site is currently closed and we were unable to visit is. The town was destroyed by a volcano eruption, but was miraculously preserved under layers of lava.

- Ancient Thira is the ruins of a city that trived during Greek, Roman, and Byzantine times. It is situated atop a high promontory, overlooking a black lava beach. this is located on the same end of the island as akrotiri and requires a bus ride from Fira ( where we were staying). We had inten ded to hike up to Ancient THira on the morning of our full day in Santorini but rainy/cool weather kept us from venturing out. when the weather cleared we had already started out walk to Skaros from which we continued on to Oia.

- Skaros is a point where the administrative palace for the island was located until an earthquake in the 19th century caused the destuction of the palace.

Me with one of the many churches on the island - supposedly you can build a bigger house if you build a church on your land....the result is LOTS of churches!

A summary of our walk....from the white atop the mountain to where I stand.

White washed houses.

Look Grandma, I'm riding a donkey! :)

This morning we met up with the group of UTHSCSA students that are also currently traveling in Greece. They all had different plans for the day, so Claire, Megan, and I decided to take a walk from Fira (where we are staying) to Oia (a city at the end of the island...about 6 miles away). It was a gorgeous walk!!! Near the ocean, up and down hills...it was really nice. On the way we stopped at a place called Skaro where there had been a castle prior to an earthquake way back. --- Santorini has a volcano just off shore that has been active since before 1500BC. An eruption around that time caused the island to break into 3 islands. All curve around the central caldera. It really is beautiful.

When we got to Oia we had a late lunch and enjoyed the views before catching a bus back to Fira. Then we took a trek down to the "old port" (Skalao) where we boarded donkeys to bring us back up to the calderra rim. It was awesome!!! Grandma, you would have been proud!

After our donkey ride we met up with the other 15 UTHSCSA students for dinner. It was fun to see some familiar faces and catch up!!!!

Hiking on Santorini

Me with the center of the volcano










Hiking :)









Megan and Claire












All of us with Fira far off in the distance (the white on top of the cliffs)








Finally at Oia!

Ferry to Santorini

Ruins on one of the islands we passed by on the way to Santorini

Today we took a ferry from Athens to Santorini....a brief 8 hour journey. It was a cool experience and we saw some beautiful scenery. Once we arrived we basically settled in to our room, familiarized ourself with Fira (the town we are staying in), and found an internet cafe. :) Exciting day!

Coming in to Santorini it looks like little toy houses sitting on top of the cliffs. It is really beautiful! In one of the photos it really looks like snow instead of the white-washed buildings. So far Santorini is not as relaxing as Hydra, but it definitely has its own charm. So stay tuned for more adventures. :)

Lots of Photos!!!

Hey guys! I posted a bunch of pictures so be sure to go all the way back to Istanbul! :)

Hydra - I love the Greek islands!!! (or at least the one that I have been to)

Our first island stop was Hydra...Amazing! Hydra is a quaint peaceful island that does not allow motorized vehicles so transportation is either by foot, by boat, or by donkey. :) Its great! The village of Hydra is filled with 18th and 19th century stone archontika (mansions) -many of which have been restored and converted into hotels- that line the waterfront and climb the steep hills surrounding a horseshoe port. Phenomenal! It is easy to see why the Greek Government and the Council of Europe have declared the island of Hydra a national treasure (thats why there are no cars). :)

We arrived by boat in the morning and luckily were able to check in to our hotel. Then we set off exploring the cobble stone streets of Hydra village. We had lunch at a cafe on the port and then took a walk down to a "beach." Hydra does not have great beaches, but there are many places where you can swim off the rocks. The water is bright blue and gorgeous. This place is so peaceful and relazing, it really is like heaven on Earth. Fabulous!
In the afternoon we sat and wrote in our journals and read, enjoying the sun from our private terrace -we booked the room on hostelworld.com...who could have thought it would be so wonderful!

After spending the afternoon on the terrace we headed out forsome more exploration. THis time we ventured down the coast on the opposite side fo the city. When we returned to the village we stopped at ta few shops before finding a seafood restraunt overlooking the water to watch the sunset.

On our second day in Hydra we slept in, enjoyed breakfast at our hotel, and relaxed on the terrace until checkout. Then we packed up our things and wandered down to the rocky ocean access we had found the day before. There we read and enjoyed the sun and fabulous view while we waited for the ferry to take us back to Athens. We also had a fun little picknic with delicious mystery cheese from the supermarket, bread and crossants that we "barrowed" from the breakfast buffet, off

brand nutella (hazelnut chocolate spread - closest thing to peanutbutter available), and cherries we had purchased at the market...all while enjoying the water and the view. What could be better?

For anyone who is looking for a vacation spot where there is nothing to do but relax, this is perfect! Seriously, there is something magical about this little village that takes away all your stresses the second you step foot off the boat. Its wonderful! And it is exactly what we needed after 4 1/2 weeks fo traveling and going non-stop in Istanbul and Athens. I really love Hydra!

Athens: Its all Greek to me...no really I can't read the street signs and I have no idea what anyone is saying!

At the Acropolis!








The Parthanon

On May 2nd Claire and I flew from Istanbul to Athens and made it to our hostel by 2 pm. We were headed to the Acropolis by 4. It was quite an adventure navigating the streets as you might guess by the title of this post. The good thing is that we did eventually make it to the Acropolis. Our initial reaction was "wow, this is it...this doesn't look anything like the pictures. " Then we walked a little farther. There it was in all of its glory....the Parthanon. Unbelievable! The pillars, the carvings, the amazing views of Athens - absolutely breathtaking! We sat for a long time taking it all in and hoping to see the sunset - unfortunately they close an hour before sunset so we were forced to move along. Still, it was an incredible experience!

After leaving the Acropolis we wandered the streets and got lost a few more times before we stopped for dinner at a great little traditional Greek restruant with the most amazing feta cheese I've ever tasted (I know you are jealous Dustin!). Then it was off to bed to rest up for a long day of sight seeing in Athens - unfortunately the loud pipes and noisy street made that a little difficult, but it is all part of the experience.

The view from the top...looking down on Athens and the ruins of the Temlpe of Zeus

Athens day 2: Archeological Museum

The next morning we started off our day at the National Archeological Museum - home of the most important collection of ancient Greek art in the world. Once again...Amazing! Such imaculate works! To think that this is what was left over after centuries of looting and destruction. Incredible! If only I could see everything the way it was originally. I bet nothing of the modern world could even begin to compare.

This interesting statue is of a naked Aphrodite fending off the sexual advances of Pan...with her sandal (once again, sorry it is sideways)

Athens day 2 continued

The Ancient Agora

After the Archeological museum we got on a city operated hop on/hop off sightseeing bus that brought us past several interesting sights. The first we decided to explore was the Ancient Agora - the ruins of the marketplace and city center. From there we hiked up to the top of a hill that provided fabulous views of the Agora, the Acropolis, and the city. I think the time we spent sitting on the hill was my favorite part of the day...so relaxing and beautiful! :)

Our next adventure was going to the port to pick up our ferry tickets and see where we need to be Monday morning. As you may guess we got lost, but we were eventually successful in our mission and we got back on the subway to meet back up withy the sightseeing tour. THinking we were smart, we took the subway to the next stop after Agora - market where we bought fresh strawberries - Yummy! The bus stup was a challenge to find, but we had a wonderful adventure unsuccessfully trying to navigate the narrow walkways of the market. Eventually we saw one of the buses and flagged it dow - luckily they were kind enough to stop for us!

Our next stop was Panathenaian Stadium and the National Garden - easily a hop off and take a picture stop. Then we continued on to the Olympic Zeus Temple and the Andrian Gate. Unfortunately the temple was closed since it was just past five by the time we arrived - but we had seen amazing views form the Acropolis and the view from the fence was quite wonderful.

After that we got ourselves thouroughly lost before a kind stranger stopped and pointed us in the right direction. ON the way back to the hostel we stopped at a grocery store and a bakery and bought dinner, breakfast, and snacks. I never realized this before, but Greeks, like other Europeans, love their pastries...and they are delicious!

View of Acropolis from the Agora

At the top of the hill we hiked up...with Acropolis in the background

Looking down on Ancient Agora