Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures Custom Group program!
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
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Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
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BLOG POST FOR MAY 31
Hello from Greece!
All the TJ students arrived in Athens today to kick off an amazing week of service and adventure! Once we got back to the hotel, the group gathered on the mezzanine to begin orientation. We had lunch, learned more about Greek culture, and bonded over a community agreement for our time together. Orientation ended with a swim test on the roof of our hotel with a stunning 360° view of Athens, including our afternoon destination, the Acropolis.
After packing into our bus, our guide Nikos showed us Parliment, the President’s Mansion, the Olympic Stadium from the 2004 games, and a few more historical sites in the city. After our arrival at the Acropolis, the group enjoyed an immersive walk through the ancient buildings, temples, and monuments. We heard about the impressive mathematics behind the architecture of the Parthenon, the Greek myths and legends tied to the site, as well as the history of the destruction and rebuilding of the ancient tourist destination.
Upon returning to the hotel, TJ students ate dinner, conducted their first chow (shout-out) circle, and heard the schedule for the next day.
We are excited about all the activities Greece has to offer over the next few days!
– GLA Staff
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 2
Hello!!
Before the food tour began, the group visited several stores to buy things needed for the trip. The food tour started with chicken and spinach pies, and the spinach pie was especially good. After taking a picture in front of the market entrance, the group explored the fish market and then moved on to the meat market. They also tried Greek coffee heated in hot sand, yogurt with quince jam, olives, and gyros. For dessert, we tasted small fried doughnuts with different toppings, including honey and cinnamon, lemon cream with rose jam, and chocolate with pistachio spread.
After the food tour, the group moved on to a service activity. We bought pasta, pasta sauce, and tomato paste from the supermarket for volunteering. Using those ingredients, we prepared soup, packed sweets and bakery items, and handed them out for free. At the end of the day, the group traveled to Delphi on a 2.5 hour bus ride and finished up with dinner together.
We are excited to explore Delphi tomorrow!
– Roy and Finn
Leaders of the Day
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 3
We started the morning with breakfast at our hotel in Arachova, the town next to Delphi before making our way to the actual ruins. As usual, the ride was filled with incredible views. Once we arrived at the ruins of the center of the ancient world, we were greeted by our first tour guide of the day who explained what the ruins were and gave lots of historical context to understand the story of Delphi. The site was incredibly important back in its day, acting as the political, religious, cultural, and social center of the world. This power came from the legendary oracle that provided important advice to anyone from an average citizen to the leader of a city-state. On top of that, it was thought to be the literal center of the world, which makes sense for the time given that the world of the Greeks was limited to the mediterranean.
After saying goodbye to our guide, we moved on to the museum connected to the sites didn’t have an official tour guide for the connected museum, but thankfully our resident expert Dr. Asuni was able to step in and explain the important artifacts. The museum contained many especially important items collected from the ruins, including a massive sphinx and the Omphalos (Navel of the World), a marble monument that was said to have been placed by Zeus to signify Delphi’s central position.
Before setting off for Athens, we stopped for a delicious lunch. Dr. Asuni and Margarita had to help us with ordering given that the menus were all in Greek, but the food was incredible, including zucchini fritters, greek salad, seafood, and lots of tzatziki.
Roadtrip! After our exciting morning in Delphi, we hopped in our spiffy van, ready to take on the daunting 2 hour journey back to Athens. Yet, we braved the journey and faced boredom head on, just as the ancient Athenians once faced the Persians, with fantastic games such as impostor—where everyone gets the same secret word and one impostor must figure the word out through different clues—or stupefying riddles which bested many! After our Odyssey, we returned to Athens, seeking more adventure.
Upon arriving in Athens once more, we went the Museum of the Acropolis, breaking the stone off our legs by joining a tour. We leaned more about the rich history of the acropolis and why the $150,000,000 museum was built in the first place (it was made to try and reclaim artifacts from different countries who’d stolen them in the past). The unique design of the museums mimicked the ascent to the acropolis itself by slightly inclining its way up and ending with a wall of friezes (a sort of outline of panels that adorn the top columns of the Parthenon). We learned so much more and see more first hand artifacts than ever before, which was absolutely fantastic! It’s fun to see the real artifacts and the recreations of different Ancient Greek pieces. Overall, the museum was a fantastic informational supplement to our visiting of the acropolis itself!
Finally, we ended the day by boarding a ferry which was much larger than expected! Next up: Crete!
– Andy and Chase
Leaders of the Day
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 4
June 4th, we got off the ship at Chania. We walked around the streets and shopped for souvenirs. Afterwards, we boarded the bus to Margarites. We arrived at a clay processing workshop, which makes usable clay from the local surrounding mountains. We were given a tour of the filtration systems and kiln. The owner said the clay processed in the next month’s will be ready in over a year. There were also 3 kilns of different sizes, including one of the last wood kilns, which turns the clay a different color then electric kilns when fired. The guide taught us to use the local clay he processed to handbuild a jug.
We then went to his workshop where he used his clay to make ceramics to sell. He demonstrated throwing a salt shaker on the wheel with his masterful precision, finishing the piece in under 30 seconds. We saw Pythagoras cups and nightingale cups which he sold, along with wool-painted plates and bowls. We ate lunch at the restaurant next door.
Thereafter, we enjoyed an evening of fun by eating traditional Greek food in a beautiful patio under large grape trees. Greek salad, pork, beef, lamb and more were served in stages, first appearing with the salad and adding to the table as the night continued. About half way through the night, 3 musicians set chairs on a protected section of the patio. They began to play rhythmic melodies with a Greek form of lute (laouto) and a modern lyre (Lyra).
Shortly after, five dancers appeared, 2 in long skirts adorned with golden details, and 3 in grey fitted suits. They began to perform steps that quickly escalated into high jumps and spins. As the night drew on, the actors beckoned the audience to dance with them, teaching the steps as they walked, each person with arms intertwined with their partner.
Lastly, the dancers demonstrated several tricks, among which, an audience member is selected to pick up and drink a cup filled with wine. However, this cup is set on the ground the participant must complete a push up. Harder yet, if the push up is not satisfactory to the dancer, she will move the cup, making it necessary for the audience member to crawl. Yet in the end, they always receive a delicious sip of Cretian wine!
– Owen C. and Frida
Leaders of the Day
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 5
Hello from Crete!
We got to sleep in a little bit this morning! After a delightful breakfast, we made our way from Rethymnon to Kamihis Farm. At the farm, we learned how to make bread, a traditional vegetable mix, and tried some fresh off-the-pot goat cheese. While waiting for the bread to bake, the group made their way to the stables under the cooking area. We fed and pet goats – some of us even had the opportunity to milk one of them! Next, we ventured over to the chicken coop, and a few students got in a real-life chicken fight while trying to collect eggs for our lunch. Once hands were thoroughly washed, we sat down and had a delicious Cretan meal that we helped make! It was delectable and all of us were so full! To help digest, our time ended with some dancing, taught to us by none other than one of the owners of the farm.
Our group then made our way to Zaros, where we got to swim and relax all afternoon before visiting a lake and eating dinner at one of the more beautiful locations on the island.
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 6
We made our way back to Athens today, but not before a quick dip in the Aegean sea just outside of Heraklion. We played volleyball, sunbathed, and refueled next to the enchanting turquoise water of the Mediterranean. After a quick flight, our group made our way back to the hotel to get ready to shop and go to dinner. The shops near the Monastiraki Square had a lot of interesting souvenirs and the group got to buy a few last minute gifts. Dinner was next – we arrived just as the sun was dipping below the mountains, so we took photos and sat down for a buffet meal. We showed off our dance moves, broke a few plates, and even got dressed in traditional clothing! Back at the hotel, we did our closing activity, the Appreciation Circle and made our departure plans for tomorrow.
We are sad our time in Greece has come to a close. Hope to see it again soon!
