March 6, 2019
My last few days in Mytilene were full of new experiences and I became really introspective. It’s so cliché, but experiences like this really do change you and cause you to grow more than you can imagine.
My goal is to be as educated as possible and I entered these camps and this job with as much knowledge as I could. Nothing makes up for first hand experience. My opinion amd perspectives on this refugee crisis and the impact on the world changed much more than I anticipated... but that’s a conversation for a different time.
My goal is to be as educated as possible and I entered these camps and this job with as much knowledge as I could. Nothing makes up for first hand experience. My opinion amd perspectives on this refugee crisis and the impact on the world changed much more than I anticipated... but that’s a conversation for a different time.
The week I left was the week before Orthodox lent begins. This basically means it’s a huge party and feasting on meat and cheese, ending in a major Carnival werkend. Απόκριες (ah- POH- kree- es) means to abstain from meat. I helped plan a party for the boys in Section A to celebrate Carnival. Here I’m obviously shopping for some fun decorations!
For those of you that don’t know, here in Utah I am closely tied to the Greeks and attend Orthodox services when I can. I was thrilled that I could attend church while I was in Greece. Attending services may not hold the same meaning for me as it does for others , but I appreciate the spiritual awareness and peace it gives me. It was a fitting way to meditate on my time in Greece.
My last day in Moria I got to teach English in Section C, which currently houses single women. Getting to teach words like “braid” and “ponytail” was so much fun to me and a welcome change from the words used by teenage boys. I love working with younger populations, but I feel like the recipocal learning I get from working with women (of all ages) tends to give me more grand inspiration. As we finished a lesson and I drew out charts explaining when to use present simple and present continuous, we all drank tea together. I’m hoping that my thoughtfully placed sips helped hide the fact that I was internally panicking over accidentally teaching the wrong thing! I wish I had had the opportunity to work with these women more. If anyone knows of similar work I could do in Utah I would love to be educated about it!
In the end I had to leave Mytilene and the camps. I hate that this job always had an end date to it. My resolve to fond a long-term job being able to use the skills I became confident in during this trip has never been greater! I hope it’s a journey you continue to want to hear about.