AROURA 2014 - Post 2

Today we finished the forms for the batch of artifacts we were working on, and we started labeling artifact bags from the 2010 and 2012 seasons. The work is not too exciting but I like it. I think I like helping Wes with the photography best, but we didn’t have access to an outlet today so we didn’t do any.

Yesterday we went to the lake on our way back from Thiva and went swimming to cool off. It was warmer water than on the beach, and the rocky shore was much less friendly to our feet than the sand had been. Still, it was refreshing. It’s been very windy lately and the lake was rough. From the water we could see a wildfire burning on a nearby mountainside. There’d been another on Gla a few days before we arrived. The one we saw yesterday seemed to still be burning this afternoon.

Last night we were invited out by Dinos, a resident of nearby Kastro. We met up with him and his family in a taverna in Kastro and then moved on to a restaurant where we were fed souvlaki in the courtyard of a church across the street. Dinos insisted on refilling our wine glasses whenever they were less than half full, and consequently we all consumed quite a lot of it and stayed well into the night. The food and company were great, though, and we all made it through the morning with minimal difficulties, once we all woke up. This afternoon will mean naps for most of us, and Wes will be leaving shortly for a solo adventure overnight.

It’s another hellishly hot day, but the winds finally brought us some clouds and the temperature has lowered enough to be almost bearable. Right now, at 4pm, it’s almost 87 F.

Tomorrow I’m going with Molly and Cara to Athens. We have heard that on full moon nights, you can get onto the acropolis for free and enjoy it in the moonlight, so we really want to try it. I’m sure we will have a great time no matter what. I think Cara will be doing some work with Michael in the morning, but we should have plenty of time to enjoy the city.

Sorry I still don’t have any photos. I’ve been making an effort to stop living my life from behind a camera lens – it’s more important to me that I experience these moments than that I capture them. Still, I will be taking photos in Athens tomorrow, I am sure.

First Few Days in Greece

I spent a few days in Lisbon early this month, then flew to Athens on July 7. At the airport, I met up with Wes, who is staff on AROURA. We drove together to Kastro, a village near where we are staying. Wes is friends with a local man named Dino and his whole family, who invited us to share their dinner. They had a Cretan salad, french fries, and barbecued wild boar. It was amazing and the perfect start to our time here in Greece. We finally left their house after midnight and made our way to Κóκκινο (Kókkino), where the field house is. We met up with the project leader there, and settled in for a night of too little sleep.

At 6:30am on July 8, we got up and ready then headed to Θήβα (Thíva - better known to Americans as Thebes), where we have a little work space in which we store the artifact collection. We started cataloging the collection in great detail, and we've been working on that for two days now. The work day ends around 2:30, after which we get lunch and take siesta. Later on we may work in the evenings but for now we have just relaxed until dinner time, followed by bedtime.

Today the temperature was about 100.4°F, so after siesta we drove out to the shore and found a beach that Michael knew. We went swimming in the Mediterranean Sea there, which was delightfully cool and definitely worth the 45 minute trip.

I don't have any photos to share because I've been too busy enjoying myself to drag out my camera. I mostly wanted to let everyone know that I made it here and that our work is underway. It's the start of another great season at AROURA.

My Return to Greece

It's been a long time in the making and it hasn't gone exactly according to plan, but in exactly two weeks, I am going back to Europe! After a few days in Lisbon, I will be meeting up with the AROURA team once more, this time as a field school supervisor.

I was first asked about it back in November and now, three bosses later, I am somehow still allowed to take five weeks off from work to go! It makes me feel incredibly lucky but also quite anxious to be taking so much time off.

It will be an amazing challenge to spend a month working in Greece again, and I am beyond excited to go. Still, my nerves are starting to kick in now that I have to start packing. It's scary to be taking so much time off from my life. I think a lot of it is based off my bad memories of the last time I tried to spend a month away from home and came home in tears after three weeks... but that was a different place and a different project and a very different set of people. I know I will have a blast with the AROURA team and I think that will help the homesickness a lot. I have done this several times before, after all. It's just been five years since my last successful month abroad (!!!) and I will miss everyone back home.

However, I am looking forward to the adventure of a new season in Greece, and all that comes with the package. I will do my best to keep my journal going while I am there.