Santorini Sisterhood

Imagine Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Mama Mia combined into one and that is how I would describe my first stop in Europe: Santorini, Greece.

A lot of friends and family found our first location odd and asked why we chose it. In complete honesty, we have fallen in love with the white and blue cliff villages ever since watching those iconic Greek movies. We knew this would be the perfect first stop.

I had the privilege of traveling with two high school best friends. One whom I am going to school with at Iowa State pursuing the same major. Within minutes we realized how frighteningly similar we were.

I spent 5 days leading up to this trip packing and unpacking and repacking my luggage in anticipation (which is ironic, to find out why keep reading).

I have been dreading the anticipated goodbye at the airport with my family ever since I made the decision that I needed to study abroad 2 whole years ago. At 6 o clock on a Saturday morning, I hugged my parents and fiancé goodbye. The moms mingled and found they were all just as worried for their girls (whom all happen to be the baby of the family.)

Studying abroad is the craziest, most independent decision I have made. Traveling abroad requires endless decision making. I figured sharing a list of what I have learned on my first trip might be of use to some of you travel bugs in the future. Plus I love any reason to talk about travels and adventure with other avid adventurers.

•Pack your carry on!!!!

My travel buddies advised me to do this, which completely saved me when my luggage was lost! After arriving at our final destination my travel buddy and I were the only ones whose luggage did not show up. After a grueling 4 days of phone calls in foreign languages, calls home, and lots of prayers, our luggage showed up on the second to last day after being told there was a large possibility it would never be found. Thankfully we had packed a couple pairs of clothes, toiletries, medicine, etc. ironically the morning we were out of clothing is when our suitcases showed up at our hotel! Always prepare for the worst thing to happen.

•Figure out the bus schedule

Taxis are expensive and not always the safest route to get around an area you don't know the language. When there is a specified route, it leaves translation out of the equation. We told our taxi driver we needed to go to the airport, he took us to the port (sea port with all of the boats) which was on the other side of the island.

•Make friends who know the language/area

Our first night we arrived, we met two Italian young men who were our age. They knew the area, the language, and were extremely nice. We immediately could tell that they were people we could trust. Even though we needed to use google translator a lot, having someone who has your back and can help with translating to the natives was a plus. We were happy we kept an open mind and met others even if there was a language gap.

•Drink water

Water does not come free at restaurants because it is always bottled due to the water conditions in Greece. It is worth it!!!! If you don't stay hydrated, the life will be sucked right out of you before you even realize it.

•Buy a towel here

Beach towels take up a lot of space. Ditch it at home, and buy one where you are visiting! A local showed us the traditional blanket that is used on the island that doubles as a towel, scarf, tapestry for your wall, sarong on the beach, etc

•Go with people you trust

I was lucky enough to travel with two girls who, even though I didn't know xterm rely well, I knew I could trust my life with. We were constantly making decisions together, and always kept our "gut feelings" in check to make sure what we were doing was safe and smart. I definitely recommend traveling in a group of three. Everywhere we went we were mistaken as sisters which we definitely soaked up.

•Have euros, don't split bills

On the island of Santorini, not all of he shops and stores accepted credit card. Always know where an ATM is. At restaurants, they don't split the bill so we kept track and took turns covering the bill.

•Airbnb

We found Airbnb to be extremely helpful and safe. Payment can be done over the computer, the hosts are always very helpful and informational, and it gives you the local flare of being surrounded by the natives. A lot of times it is even less expensive and has more amenities like a living space and a kitchen. We didn't spend much time in our room as we were always outside, but we were pleased with our clean, white, air conditioned room.

•Wifi

Being college girls in our twenties, we love staying connected to our loved ones via our phones. It was an adjustment to not be able to contact them freely whenever we wanted due to not having service and the 8 hour time difference. We found it relaxing and a nice refreshing period so that we could take in the sights, smells, and beauty around us instead of worrying about those back home. When we had free time and a strong enough signal, it made it that much more special to connect with them.

•Borrow from friends

Instead of buying a heavy duty backpack and adapters/converters I decided to use my resources and borrow from my best friend who just returned from studying abroad the precious semester.

•Use your resources

Ask those around you for information and help! They love being asked about what they learned and experienced on their journey. Traveling is a common bond for many people, and sharing that connection is such a special way to make a whole new level of conversations. If you have any questions about my experiences or advice for your upcoming trips, I would be more than happy to brainstorm and collaborate with you!

Xoxo,

Leah Joy