Greetings!  Before I begin my blog, I just want to apologize for not having a post yesterday for everyone to read.  Our schedule was packed and didn't allow for me to sit down and type, so I will summarize a few things from yesterday in this blog.
 
Yesterday morning was our last session in the lecture hall, but it was individuals presenting on their experiences as Olympians or in the Olympic Movement in a different way.  Adam, the swimmer from Australia, was the first to present.  It was pretty interesting to hear him say that the most important thing he's gained while competing in three different Olympic Games is the friends.  He has one gold and two silver medals from the Olympics, yet the medals he's won were his fourth most important thing – that truly is an example of the Olympic Spirit.  He also told us that he was the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympic Games since 1930.  Crazy, because he was only 32 in Beijing. 
 
Adam was asked by Professor Gangas about what his most memorable moment of the 2000 Olympic Games.  Being that it was a home Olympic Games for him, I can imagine how special that would be.  But the best moment was when he was there when fellow Australian Kathy Freeman struck gold in the 400 meter run.  He and about 150 of his Olympic teammates didn't have tickets, so they had to crash the party.  The funny thing is that was not the last time that Adam had to sneak into an Olympic venue.
 
The next presenter was Vatche Zadourian, who competed in the 1992 Barcelona Games in cycling as a teenager.  Vatche is from Lebanon, where a civil war was fought from 1975-1990.  When Vatche was 14, his brother competed in the 1988 Seoul Games, and that is when he dreamed of being an Olympian.  Imagine cycling in a nation where a war was being fought … as a teenager.  Every morning before training, Vatche would put in his cassette tape listen to "Barcelona," the duet by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe.  We all know of people using music to motivate themselves, but I found this to be a great story.
 
After our last group discussion yesterday, we had a competition that is modeled after the Olympics.  Each discussion group (mine was English Group 8) was a team, and we had 10 events to compete in.  Each team could have one member compete in each event.  We had a sprint (about 90 meters), 1000 meter run, 500 meter relay (with six members), standing long jump, standing tennis ball throw, and arm wrestling.  I was able to stave of the requests of my group to have me do arm wrestling, so I was able to do the tennis ball throw.  I came in third, behind Solvi (Iceland) and Lazcur (Turkey).
 
Under the full moon late last night, a few of us upheld a tradition of participants at the Session for Young Participants at the IOA and ran on the track on Ancient Olympia.  It was truly an awesome experience for the 14 of us who did this, as we were the first ones to do it this year.  It was simply 192 meters down and 192 meters back, but it was incredibly memorable.  Fortunately, it wasn't cold. 
 
Countries were allowed to show videos to the group last night, so it was cool to see footage from places like Malaysia, Iceland, the US Virgin Islands, among others.  The video we played was a highlight video of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, but even though it was an American video, the audience liked it.  Of course I liked the video, too.
 
Tonight was our Arts Happening, which was a show of acts (dancing, singing, poetry, etc.) that have been worked on this week.  I actually was part of three dances, and all were entertaining.  The dances were traditional dances from Russia, Italy, and Greece.  The sirtaki (I swear that it's pronounced tsiltaki) was the last part of the evening for everyone.  I mean, it was the last item scheduled for the Arts Happening.  After we performed the sirtaki, everyone who had a role in the show tonight came to join us on the "stage." 
 
Tomorrow morning is the last session at the IOA.  The discussion groups will be presenting our papers, so I put together our PowerPoint presentation that we will use.  After the session, which will also serve as the closing ceremonies (I think), we will have time to head to Olympia to further explore the town.  I've been to town a handful of times, but I think the feeling of accomplishment and the lack of looming tasks will change the atmosphere for us, and town will be even better.  I need to find the post office to put some postcards, as I have yet to do so. 
 
I realized that this experience at the IOA is difficult to put in words, and has been all along, but I know that it has changed me.  I guess I equate it to when people talk about athletes who have "it." No one can define it, they can just identify those people who have it. Similarly, I just know that I'm changed.  In addition to that, I have certainly met some great people who I hope to remain in contact with.
 
Citius! Altius! Fortius!
 

Tony Black, USA Wrestling's Manager of State Services, was chosen to attend the 50th Session for Young Participants at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece. While in Greece, Tony will be chronicling his experience for wrestling fans to follow.
 
Greetings from Athens, Greece! I left Colorado Springs on Tuesday morning, and 20 hours later arrived in Athens. The last time I was in Europe was in 2003 for the Greco-Roman World Championships in Creteil, France, and I have a feeling that this is going to be a much different experience.
 
I was prepped by former participants of the International Olympic Academy of what to expect, so hopefully I'm prepared.  Everyone talked about how hot it is in Greece during June, and they weren't lying.  I checked the forecast the day before I left, and it is going to be in the upper 90s during my two weeks here.  Normally I am not one to buy and drink bottled water, but my stance on that has certainly changed for the short term.
 
There are two other US delegates with me, Regina Bennis-Hartman and Angie Murphy. Regina works in International Games for the US Olympic Committee, and Angie works for USA Triathlon.  Ironically enough, Angie and I grew up in the same town, River Falls, Wisconsin (a town of 12,000), so we have known each other for many years.  Actually, our parents all graduated from River Falls High School, so our ties go way back.  All three of us are excited about the opportunity to be part of the IOA, as the mission closely allies with our own personal and professional philosophies.
 
I am not an anxious person by nature, but I always experience a little anxiety when packing for trips.  This trip was way worse.  Fortunately, I haven't realized that I forgot anything, so hopefully that is the case upon closer examination of my luggage.
 
The flights were rather uneventful, which is always a good thing.  My flight from Frankfurt to Athens was a little interesting, so I'll be sure to touch on that in a minute.  Do I dare admit that I watched a movie with Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, Patrick Demspey, Bradley Cooper, Taylor Swift, among others on my flight over the pond?  Bonus points if you know what movie I'm talking about.
 
Okay, I have to tell my story about the flight from Frankfurt to Athens. For some reason, maybe flying through the middle of the night, I was tired and wanted to sleep.  I put in my headphones and reclined my seat. That's when it got a little more interesting.  I was jarred when the passenger behind me starting yelling and violently pushing on the back of my chair.  I was interested in sleeping, so I turned back to look between the seats.  The passenger's husband shook his head at me, so I shook mine back and said that I would like to recline my chair back.  The pushing and yelling (which I could hear through my headphones, which I quickly took out) continued, so the flight attendant came to talk to us.  After talking with me in English and the upset passenger in German, she told me that she was going to get the chief flight attendant to explain the situation.  After speaking with the second flight attendant, I reclined my seat and napped. Twice more during the flight the passenger yelled and tried to push my seat forward. The passenger next to me was a high school teacher from North Carolina, so at least we got a kick out of it.
 
My brother, Kevin, has been on probably a half-dozen tours as a women's coach for USA Wrestling, and it seems like he never gets his luggage when he arrives at his final destination.  I was hoping for a little different outcome than what he has become accustomed to with this trip.  Well, I'm happy to report that all of my luggage showed up in Athens with me.  Regina and Angie also had no problems with luggage, so we were 3-for-3.  Dating back to my days competing in college, I always have an imaginary “bet” to see whose luggage will come first, and today I won. 
 
After a 40 minute bus ride, we arrived at the Metropolitan Hotel in Athens. This will be my home for the next two nights, and I have been paired up with Udaya Dushan Kumara, one of two Sri Lankans at the IOA.  Udaya speaks decent English, so we have been able to get to know one another and each other's cultures.  We even got to move rooms together, as there was standing water in our bathroom from a leaky pipe. 
 
In addition to getting to know Udaya, Angie and Regina and I walked around for a little bit in the afternoon heat.  We watched a little World Cup soccer (Switzerland's upset victory over Spain) while eating gyros – it didn't take long to find the delicious Greek food.  I'm really looking forward to being over here during the World Cup, as there will be 170 others from all over the world at the IOA.  Already we have met the two representatives from Slovenia, so I'm sure we will be jawing back and forth between now and Friday, when our nation's soccer teams square off in Ellis Park, South Africa.  Hopefully Steve Cherundolo (my sister's favorite American player) and company give us reason to celebrate.
 
After tonight's dinner, I was hoping to find the latest episode of The Deadliest Catch online.  I figured hulu.com would be the place to check, so I just checked.  Unfortunately, hulu only streams video content to users in the US, so I'm out of luck for the time being to watch the US Coast Guard rescue a crewmate on the cod boat, The Alaskan Leader, that my cousin captains.  Good thing for friends with DVR.
 
One benefit of the heat and humidity here – I don't think I have to worry at all about the wrinkles in my suit for tomorrow night's formal reception, as they'll easily come out hanging in my hotel room closet.
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!

Thursday, June 17, 2010
 
Athens is 9 hours ahead of Colorado Springs, so the difference in time zones really contributed to me being tired last night.  We had our first meal in the hotel, just a few hours after eating gyros, and were all impressed.  I really enjoyed the fruit tarts for dessert.
 
I'm working on meeting all of the 170 camp participants, but realize that it has been difficult.  It's interesting to meet people with names that I cannot really pronounce.  Everyone is in the same boat as me right now, and I think they're resorting to trying to learn countries for now. But even then, I have met people from places that I didn't even know were countries (like Maldives and Mauritius).
 
We spent the morning at the Acropolis, so we were able to see the Parthenon.  There are other buildings in the process of being restored and/or rebuilt on the Acropolis, so it was neat to see buildings that were built over 2500 years ago.  After the Acropolis, we went to the Parthenon Museum, and impressive building just a few blocks from the Parthenon.  The last stop of the day was the Panathenaic Stadium – where the 1896 Olympic Games, the first modern Olympic Games, were held. 
 
The (not so) highlight of the day so far has been the heat.  On the bus ride back to our hotel, it was 41 degrees.  For those of you who aren't fluent in Celsius, that is 105 degrees Celsius.  Needless to say, I was dripping sweat. 
 
I am amazed at how well the other attendees of the International Olympic Academy speak English.  At my table today at lunch were people from Japan, Iceland, Denmark, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Maldives, and Latvia.  Most even have a sense of humor in English, which impresses me.
 
During breakfast today, I heard an instrumental version of a song that I knew I knew.  After listening to the song for about 30 seconds, the chorus came on and I realized it was "Sounds of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel.  It reminded me of high school wrestling practice, as Simon & Garfunkel was a band we used to listen to.  That, along with Poison, Garth Brooks, the Lion King soundtrack, Cheap Trick, Boston, among others, was normally heard coming from our wrestling room.  Quite eclectic. 
 
Tonight is the opening ceremony at the Hill of the Pnyx.  I doubt the ‘p' is silent, so we're guessing it's pronounced phinx.  Like sphinx, with no s.  My Greek skills are not rapidly progressing, although I do know how to say thank you in Greek.  That's always a big one to learn.
 
I just got a laugh out of a question I was asked by a fellow American who is in the hotel lobby.  She is a retiree from Ohio who is on a tour, so she read my shirt (Air Force Wrestling) and immediately got excited.  Her question: Do you watch The Bachelorette?  Wow, logical question to ask with the shirt I'm wearing.  I quickly responded with no, but she went on to explain that one of the contestants is an entertainment wrestler. Does that sound correct to any fans of that show?
 
I found out that Udaya, my roommate, allegedly accepted 29 Euros worth of pay per view movies yesterday.  The hotel employee who I talked to said that he accepted a "packet” by entering our room number.  I do know that he was watching Ice Age when I was in there, so hopefully all of the movies were of the same nature.
 
Time for me to sign off, as I have to get ready for the opening ceremony. 

Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!

We're all loaded on five tour buses and ready to depart for Olympia. The last two days have been in Athens, and now the next 11 will be at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia. I will have more information on Olympia in future blogs.

Last night was the opening ceremony of the session, which was long and difficult for many people to stay awake. At least for me and everyone I talked to. After the ceremony was a reception at our hotel in Athens. At the end of the ceremony, the emcee told us that the night was still young. Considering he again reminded us of this fact once we were back at the hotel, clearly there were expectations of the reception being a party. A dance party.

Those who know me know that I'm not much of a dancer. Last night was a little different, though. It was interesting to see what songs would be played. The DJ was really good at throwing in the annoying siren sounds and other various (just as annoying, though) sounds. The highlights of music selected included "Hotel Room Service," "Beat It," and "Jump Around." I get teased about being Wisconsin-centric (more on that in a bit), but "Jump Around" has special meaning for any Wisconsin football fan.

I mentioned how everyone at this session can speak English. I wonder how thorough their understanding of English really is, because I wonder if they know what DMX actually is talking about in "Up In Here."

Back to me being Wisconsin-centric. I am quick to notice Wisconsin license plates, strike up a conversation with a Wisconsinite, or tell my non-Skonnie friends how great Wisconsin is. Well, on our first day here, Angie and Gina and I were walking down the street and saw a black Ford Escape. I drive the same vehicle, so it certainly stood out in a crowd of non-American vehicles. The Escape turned right in front of us, and that is when I saw the "University of Wisconsin" sticker in the back window. I was pumped! I was hoping that it was going to quickly pull over, as I would have went to talk to the driver, but it wasn't meant to be.

I have gotten to know one of the Australian delegates, Adam, a little over the first two days. Yesterday on our walk to the Parthenon Museum he told me that he went to college in and swam for Nebraska from 1996-2000. My next-door neighbor and good friend Brad Vering was there from 1996-2001, so of course I sent Brad an email asking if he remembered Adam. Brad said that he does, and that he remembers him being an awesome swimmer. I tend to agree, as Adam was in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic Games.

So many towns and cities dub themselves as the official fill-in-the-blank. For example, Boscobel, Wisconsin, the hometown of USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, is the Wild Turkey Capital of Wisconsin. Anyways, I am dubbing Athens the Graffiti Capital of the World.

I have a feeling that motorcycle etiquette isn't just different in Greece, but rather all foreign countries. I would never cruise down the road in between cars, but that is commonplace here. What really surprises me is when motorcyclists do this between our bus and other vehicles. I guess I just tend to obey the white dashes used to separate lanes of traffic, not ride right on top of them on my motorcycle.

The bus just drove by a place called Tony's la Mama's. I'm not sure what kind of place it was, but I can assure you that it is awesome. Okay, maybe I can't assure that.

We saw that the Lakers won the NBA Championship last night (this morning here). I'm not a huge basketball fan, but I was hoping the Celtics would win. I have always liked KG, so I was hoping they'd win for that reason. My Minnesota Twins got schooled by Ubaldo Jimenez and the Rockies yesterday when going for the sweep, and the US soccer team plays Slovenia tonight at 5:00. I'm not sure if there will be a way for us to watch the game, but I'm sure we'll try. Anything else happen in the world of sports?

Time to chat with the guy sitting next to me on the bus, Leo, a taekwondo player from El Salvador.

Citius! Altius! Fortius!

Greetings from Olympia, Greece.  Olympia is the site of the Ancient Olympics, which were held every four years beginning in 776 BC.  They were held in such a manner (every four years) for 1100 years, until they were stopped.  Greece had recently come under rule of Christianity, but since the newly in charge believed that the Olympics were a form of paganism, the leaders abolished the Olympics.  The site of the Ancient Olympics was only utilized for the Olympics, so once the Games ceased, the site of the Olympics was essentially abandoned.
 
Up until the 1800s, the site was actually under up to 20 feet of mud from a nearby river that had flooded many times over.  Now the ruins are open to the public, so our entire group went to tour the site this morning.  It was actually very impressive to see the stadium (and learn how the word stadium was derived), which could hold up to 45,000 spectators for the Games.  We also were able to see the Palaestra, which is where wrestling was held.  I did not realize that the root of the word palaestra is palaiein, which is the Greek used for wrestling.  As wrestling fans, you will probably all understand why I was more excited about seeing the Palaestra than the others in my group.
 
After the tour of the grounds, we went to the museum across the street.  Just like in Athens, it was nice to get inside of a building with air conditioning, as it is hot again today.  We all laughed when the tour guide this morning said that it’s the beginning of summer and that it’s not that hot yet.  Yikes.
 
Yesterday when I wrote, we were on the bus to Olympia.  We stopped twice along the way at what I would equate to rest stops, and arrived shortly after 2:00 PM.  My new roommate, Marad Tashives, is from Tajikistan.  Of course that is probably the incorrect spelling, so I will try to find out the exact spelling.  Communicating with Marad has been difficult, though, as he speaks very little English and can understand me even less.  I tried to tell him that we had our first meeting last night at 5:00 PM and that formal dress was required, but I was unsuccessful is getting my point across.
 
A few of us went to downtown Olympia last night, which was nice.  Olympia is a town of 11,000 people, so it’s about the same size of my hometown.  We wound up catching part of the England-Algeria soccer game, and then we walked back to socialize at the IOA.  Funny that I say soccer, because as expected, no one else here says soccer, but rather football.
 
Speaking of football, did anyone watch the US-Slovenia game?  I may or may not have been following the game on my phone during a session last night, so I read about the goal that was called back.  I haven’t seen the replay of it, but is it as bad as Americans are saying?
 
After the first session last night, we all signed up for one group sport to play during our time here, and one individual sport.  The team options were volleyball, basketball, and football (soccer, for those of you not following along), and tennis and table tennis were the options in individual sports.  In 2007, one of the American delegates here tore her Achilles while playing volleyball, and last year one of the Americans broke his wrist playing basketball, so I chose football.  Actually, I would have chosen football anyways, as I grew up playing and enjoy doing so.  I have a feeling that this will be the first time in my life where I am the worst player on the team.
 
For anyone who would like to follow what is taking place in the lectures, feel free to visit www.ioa-sessions.org.  I know that my mom caught part of the opening ceremony/first session last night, as I sent her the URL when everything began.  They said that over 5,000 people world wide tune into the sessions, which I find amazing.  Most countries have National Olympic Academies, though, so learning about Olympism is a little bigger deal abroad.
 
Now, I realize that I haven’t explained much about what the Session for Young Participants at the International Academy will consist of.  When Pierre du Coubertin resurrected the Modern Olympics, he did so as a way to promote peace in the world through the mutual understanding that sport creates.  On the surface, this might sound like Sandra Bullock asking for world peace in Miss Congeniality, but when discussed, it is a much deeper and more meaningful topic.  Hopefully throughout the ten days, I will begin to put in words a little more of what we discuss.  I know that I am really looking forward to the week-and-a-half, and I hope that I am able to convey the message back to everyone following.
 
This afternoon we will have a lunch, a lecture, and then some sort of physical activity, followed by a lecture tonight.  At least that’s what I think we have in store.
 
Citius! Altius! Fortius!

Greetings from day 8 at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece. Today was the last of our lectures (we had two this morning), and now we have group discussions as we prepare for our second presentation.
 
Our last lecturer this morning was HRH Prince Faisal Al-Hussein from Jordan. Yep, the Prince of Jordan was the last lecturer of the Session for Young Participants.  He flew in a helicopter to the IOA, so it sat on the football field all last night and until around 2:00 PM today when he left.  He's the President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, so he is very involved in the Olympic Movement. 
 
I've been going to the dance workshops in between the last two days, which, as those who know me can attest, is fairly out of character.  At yesterday's session, we learned a traditional Greek dance called “tziltaki.”  I'm sure the spelling is incorrect, but it's a fun group dance.  Unlike the dancing that I am used to, that you can count either 1-2-3-1-2-3 or 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4, there is no counting for the difficult part.  Well, I guess you can count to 13, but it doesn't repeat itself, so it was good that we practiced it again today.  Actually, it was good that I practiced it again today.  I'm not sure, but the 10 people or so that have practiced the dance are going to do the dance in front of the entire group tomorrow night, so if that's the case, I will try to get the video up for people to see.
 
I was thinking about the group of friends I have gained over here, and I can't help but be amazed at how well I have connected with some of the people.  Of course I will forget some, but Denis, Fergus, Emily, Sarah, Jens, Jerome, Megan, Tiina, Adam, Florian and Jesper, and Anne all come to mind. 
 
Certainly I need to mention Murod, too, as part of my group of friends. His English has really improved and we're able to talk to one another now.  From time-to-time, we have to write down the word(s) we're trying to say, but we're able to more freely communicate.  And to think, English is Murod's third language, as Tajik and Russian are his first two. Rafiqi mon Tojik.
 
Last night was another social presentation, and there were about a dozen countries who presented.  The Estonians had a great presentation that tied their Olympic past with a game.  Estonians are traditionally strong in cross-country skiing, wrestling, and cycling.  20 pairs of people were needed, so I was one of the 40 people who went in front.  It was a great game that wound up with just one group left – not mine unfortunately. 
 
I think that there are different mosquitoes in Greece than what I'm used to.  I have 8 mosquito bites on my left arm, but none of them itch at all. I'm certainly not complaining about that, but I am confused.  And the second difference – they don't make noise when they're flying around to give warning.  So each day I wind up with more bites, but I have no idea when they're attacking me!
 
Quick update on the tennis.  I won my first round match against Qiu, but haven't played since.  I'm not sure how it worked out, but the posting for the semi-finals came out about three hours ago, and I wasn't one of the semi-finalists.  Hmm…not sure how that worked, but it's fine.
 
Tomorrow morning more of my contemporaries are going to read their essays, so I'm looking forward to hearing what people have to say.  I always enjoy hearing about other people's journeys in the Olympic Movement.
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!

Greetings from Olympia, where it is a little cooler than it has been.  There is a breeze today, so the heat isn’t quite as stifling.  That will come in handy tonight, as I have a tennis match against Xiu from China at 6:00 PM, and a football game at 7:00 PM.  I have been placed on Team Zidane, which is named after former French national team player Zinedine Zidane, who is most famous in the US for being sent off in the final game of the 2006 World Cup.
 
Yesterday the main speaker was Irena Szewinska, a 5-time Olympian (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1980) from Poland.  All told, she took home 3 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals from the Olympic Games.  During her career, she set 5 World Records.  No big deal, right?  She spoke briefly about the terrorist attack during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, and said that the athletes were hoping that the Games would not be called off.  When asked about other political activities, she said “In Mexico City, we could see the black hands of the two athletes but that was related to something in the United States.”  I have seen the famous act by Tommie Smith and John Carlos many times in pictures, and heard them speak about this on ESPN’s Sports Century, but I was a little surprised that this was seen by other competitors as a big deal.  I fully admit my naivety to the brevity of the situation, as Irena made it known that it was a big deal world wide.
 
Last night I was following the Twins-Phillies game on ESPN GameCast while sending e-mails back and forth with my brother.  I went to bed when the Phillies went up 8-3 in the 3rd inning, so I was pumped to see that the Twins came back in the 9th with 5 runs to force extra innings, and then finally won in the 11th.  I was given a piece of paper with the Twins’ schedule, so I always know when to check the results.  So far, the Twins are 3-2 since I left.  Go Twins!
 
I was ambitious this morning, as I decided to go on a run into Olympia and back.  Our schedule is pretty much booked during the day, and it’s way too hot to run outside at that time anyways, so I knew that I had to run this morning in order to get my workout in.  I wore just my shorts, and when I got back to the IOA, I joined the morning exercise group.  I was the only one not wearing a shirt, so I asked one of the coordinators (supervisors) if it was okay that I didn’t have a shirt on.  His response?  “You’re in Ancient Olympia – you don’t have to wear shorts if you don’t want.”  Ah, that’s okay, I will keep my shorts on.
 
It was quite ironic that my playlist this morning was all Eric Church, as I just saw him in concert two days before I left.  When we were out to eat before the concert, our server noticed two of my friends’ cauliflower ears.  She asked if we were boxers, so Sam Barber, the assistant coach at the Air Force Academy, without missing a beat said that we were members of the Arkansas River Boxing Club.  That being said, any guesses to what the morning exercise was?  Boxing.  Only fitting.
 
When I went back to my room to shower before breakfast, I noticed that I had an e-mail from a very well respected man in the wrestling world.  He is following this blog, so he had some advice for me: Work hard, carry the colors well, soak up the Olympic Spirit, make friends, but don't forget to shower.  Great advice.
 
Our lecturer this morning was an archaeologist, and he spoke about the idea of the Olympic Truce.  I was sitting next a Swiss participant, and she said that she was going to have to look up the word “truce,” because she thought all along he was speaking of “truth,” but she was mistaken.  I wonder how many other people that speak English as a second or third language think the same.  I forgot to say that the professor was from Austria, so I thought that he sounded just like Arnold Schwarzenegger.  The professor pointed out that the Greek words for peace (eirene) and truce (ekecheiria) are not the same, as truce was only a cease-fire during the Olympic Games.  I have a feeling that this will be discussed a bunch in the next week-and-a-half.
 
The World Cup is really drawing the attention of people here.  Last night, as Denmark and Cameroon were playing, many of the participants were fully engaged in the game.  Daniel, one of the Danish representatives, was draped in the Danish flag and wearing a red Viking hat.  Needless to say, he was just a little excited when the Danes went up 2-1.  If you watched the game, you saw that there were many times when both teams had great chances to score, so the crowd was very raucous.  I will video tape the crowd one of these nights and try to post the video on our YouTube site.
 
At the end of our lecture this morning, Weipang Lu from China came over and we traded pins (a common practice here).  I asked him what his American name would be, and he said that it is Kevin, because he is a big Kevin Garnett fan.  He said that his e-mail address and Facebook are both Kevin, so I guess I tend to believe him.
 
We brought some gifts over to the IOA from the USOC (basketball, football, volleyball, swim goggles, among other items), so we had to speak to the dean and ask when he would like for us to present to him.  Well, when speaking to him, we found out that Angie and I are scheduled to read our essays used in the application process aloud.  Wow, neither of us knew that was coming, so now it’s time to read over my essay so I’m prepared tomorrow morning.  If anyone would like to wake up in the middle of the night to check this out, go to www.ioa-sessions.org at 4:00 AM  Eastern Time to tune in.
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!
 
UPDATE: I held on to defeat Qiu from China in tennis tonight in the first round.  We played to 3, and I won 3-2 (7-2).  I seemed to pour it on in the tiebreaker.  I think I was playing uphill, which seemed to work perfect as I normally hit balls long when I try to hit the ball harder.
 
Well, the votes are in for Man of the Match in our football game.  No, there are no votes of such a thing, but I can tell you that I definitely would NOT have been voted such.  My team lost 8-1.  No joke, 8-1  Hopefully I’m not too sore tomorrow or Tuesday from running and cutting. 

I have talked a little with the two representatives from Great Britain. Or do I say United Kingdom? I have Welsh and Scottish heritage, so I’ve been curious to learn more about what it means to be English or British, and if there is a difference.
 
For a starting point, the United Kingdom is the nation (not the country) that encompasses England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and all of the commonwealth’s islands (Falkland Islands, Channel Islands, etc.).  Great Britain, which is noted GBR in the Olympic Games, is essentially the same as the UK, which is why we tend to use “British” as a way to describe residents of the UK, but Great Britain refers to the land mass of the main island (England, Wales, and Scotland) and Northern Ireland.
 
Fergus is from Scotland, so he’s Scottish.  And British.  Emily is from England, so she’s English. And British as well.  Both are said to be from the United Kingdom.  However, Fergus is not English and Emily is not Scottish.  This might sound really simple, but England and Scotland are both countries, have their own national football teams, etc.  For the Olympics, they unite under the Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom. 
 
To travel to England or Scotland, a resident of Wales does not need to show his or her passport.  I guess it sounds similar to how we view states, right?  I mean, if I would have had someone call me a Minnesotan while growing up, I would have been very quick to correct them.  I guess I just get hung up on the fact that they’re not states, but rather separate nations. 
 
It gets better, too.  Wales has its own language, Welsh, even though English is the primary language spoken in the schools and businesses.  When Emily’s office (she works for the London Organizing Committee for 2012) produces a document regarding the Olympic Games, it must be done in both English and Welsh.  Of course I could insert jab here about how I think some states have their own language, but I will refrain.

England and Scotland have fought wars against one another (think Braveheart), and don’t have much love for one another.  I was actually in England in 1996 when Scotland and England played in football.  It was a big deal, because the two nations hadn’t played in a decade.  Maybe it is just because of their hatred for one another in football, but Great Britain has never fielded an Olympic football team.  As the host nation (which, technically there is no host nation, just a host city – London), it would be great if the two nations could set aside their differences and field a team. 
This was hammered home when Fergus asked Professor Perrakis this morning to refer to the country as Great Britain and not England. I am sure that others took note of Fergus pointing this out, but it is especially the case for me because I have Welsh and Scottish ancestry, so I have a special interest.
 
Enough about my struggles with figuring the UK out.  After lunch, we have scheduled activities.  We can choose between dancing, drawing, and literature. I went to the drawing session, where I used charcoal as a means for art for the first time.  I drew a picture of a two wrestlers, with one wrestler in on a single leg and the other defending.  Next, I had to draw it with my left hand (I’m right handed) with a marker.  After that, right handed with my eyes closed.  Lastly, left handed with my eyes closed.  Of course none of them were masterpieces, but it was strange to see that left handed, my drawings looked more free and smooth.  The teacher showed how this was the case for most of the drawings by my classmates, and it demonstrated the fact that sometimes you have to do what feels right.  Thinking about things, drying to create what looks right…that isn’t necessarily right.  This seems to hold true in and out of sport in our lives, as at times, decisions must be made simply on if something feels right. 
 
After this morning’s lecture, participants gave short presentations to the group of 170 people.  I drew the short straw and was the first to go, with Angie following next.  I doubt anyone tuned in on-line to watch, but I made sure to find out if the footage is archived.  It is, so I will likely watch it when I’m back home.  After a sentence or two, the professor asked me to slow down.  I took for granted that my audience could understand English as fast as I could speak it, but that wasn’t the case.  After the session, people have asked for a copy of my essay, which was flattering. 
 
Last night I scored a German bracelet that is similar to the bracelets that were started with the LiveStrong yellow bracelets in 2002 or 2003.  A few hours later, Jens (one of the German delegates) asked me if I knew what colors were in the German flag.  Glancing down, I said “black, red, and gold.”  Jens said I was the first person that knew it was gold and not yellow.  Glad to know that I semi-guessed correctly!  Jens was happy, that was for sure. 
 
Tonight we have our second football game, against the team that beat the team that smashed us.  Hopefully we play better this time around.  We pretty much have assured ourselves of not getting out of the pool, regardless if we win.  I guess we could still make it out of the pool if we win 9-0. Yeah, that’s not happening.  Not even if we had Jozy Altidore playing on our team for the night.
 
A handful of us are headed into town to eat some traditional Greek food – I’m really looking forward to the gyro I’m going to eat.
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!
 

We have spent about 6 hours in the past two days in our pre-assigned small groups.  There are 12 groups (2 French, 10 English), and each group is set up with a variety of nations represented in each of them.  Aside from two girls, one from Georgia and the other from Armenia, the remainder of the participants seem eager to participate in the discussion.
 
One of my group members, Furkan from Turkey, missed yesterday afternoon’s meeting.  The meeting was from 4:30-6:00, and his roommate came in and said that he’s not going to make it because his foot hurts.  Because his foot hurts?!  I took the time to tell Daniel from Denmark that we would call him soft (I love teachable moments).  Fast forward to 6:00 when my football team had its shot at redemption.  On the other team was none other than Furkan, and he even made it a point to tell me that his foot was hurting so he didn’t come to discussion.  Wow, his foot sure didn’t look like it was bothering him at all, as he was an integral part in helping his team smash Team Zidane 7-4.  Though my hat trick wasn’t enough, it did warrant many comments from other participants.
 
Another of my group members is Alberto from Italy.  Even though he has a neatly-trimmed pencil thin mustache and beard, I call him Alberto Tomba, after the dominant Italian downhill skier in the late 80s and 90s.  He likes the reference, so I’ll keep calling him that.
 
After all of the soccer I have played in the last two days, I feel like my quads are going to explode.  Walking up and down steps is a chore, so hopefully that takes care of itself soon.  Being sore and being injured are two separate things, so I guess fortunately I’m just sore.
 
It rained here last night!  Well, more so sprinkled for a few minutes, but there were legitimate rain drops for a minute or two.  It rained long enough to delay our walk to Olympia, that was about it.  I was a little weary of eating dinner last night, as Sunday night’s dinner left way more to be desired.  A group of us trekked the 2 kilometers to town, and while the majority of the group went to Zorbas to dance, Daworin (Slovenia) and I went to grab some food.  My gyro was awesome.  That is the second one I’ve had in Greece; both were awesome, and both had French fries in the gyro.  I have to say, it’s a great addition.
 
Our walk back from downtown was interesting.  I wore jeans, and on the walk back, Adam, in just shorts, was cold.  He said it is the first time he’s ever been cold in Athens (remember, he was in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens).  About half of the way back, four of us jumped in a car that gave us a ride back to the IOA.  Before you are worried about randomly hitchhiking, I will let you know that the driver and passenger are both IOA employees who we recognized.  It was a pretty funny site to see four adults pile in the backseat of a car that was about the same size as a 1980s Ford Fiesta.  Real comfortable.
 
Today was round two of washing my clothes in my shower.  I brought some high strength detergent with, so sticking a sock in the drain of the shower works like a charm.  When I was in college, Barry Davis would tell me about how he would have to do that while he was on trips, and I couldn’t believe that people don’t use washing machines.  Maybe I need to share my technique with Murodali so his clothes won’t smell anymore.  He’s working on his English every time we’re in the room together, and I think he’s getting better.
 
Tomorrow is an excursion to the beach instead of lectures and discussions.  I’ll see if I can’t get a count of what percent of the guys where speedos instead of shorts.  You can bet that I will have shorts on.  The sun hasn’t been out at all today, so hopefully that changes tomorrow.  Not that I need a sunburn or anything, that’s what I have sunscreen for.
 
I just handed in our group’s first paper of the week, as I was the group’s reporter.  We still have to finish the PowerPoint presentation, but that’s not due until Thursday.
 
Lastly, I just got a chuckle out of the scene outside of my dorm room.  There is a social evening tonight outside of my room, where participants show something from their culture (music, dance, video, etc.).  The stage is being constructed, and sound check is taking place.  What made me laugh was “You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt being blasted at about 120 decibels.  Okay, probably not quite that loud, but someone is jamming out there!
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!

On the 116th anniversary of the signing of charter of the International Olympic Committee, June 23rd is recognized as Olympic Day around the world.  I feel embarrassed that I never knew the significance of today, especially as someone who works in the Olympic Movement, so hopefully everyone reading this blog will remember the importance of today as it relates to the Olympic Games. 
 
In honor of Olympic Day, we did a run as a group around the campus of the International Olympic Academy.  Everyone was decked out in the gear from their own country (flags, face paint, matching outfits, etc.), except for Angie, Gina, and me.  I took a walk into town this afternoon to try to find some face paint, as neither of us brought the US flag or matching shirts.  I really wish that I would have packed an American flag, or my American flag bandanna, as I would have felt more in touch with the celebration.
 
I have a pictured of me with my roommate Murodali Teshaev from Tajikistan. He's getting a little better at his communication, which is nice.
 
The dean of the IOA, Mr. Gangos, talked about the fact that he thinks the Olympic Games should not have records, nor should they have flags raised and anthems played for the Olympic gold medalists.  A big part of the reason he feels this way is that he thinks this would limit the amount of doping in the Olympic Games.  Fortunately, I am not the only one to disagree with him about this.  Do you agree with me?  I think that part of what makes the Olympic Games so special is that I am cheering for Team USA, not just someone from the USA. Think about it and see if you agree with Gangos or with the rest of us.
 
Last night was the first social night, where participants from other countries put on a presentation to enlighten the rest of us about their cultures.  The dances were a big hit.  We might do a dance to Steve Earle's “Copperhead Road,” as the audience will be able to easily join us.  That won't help out the with stereotype that all Americans line dance, but it's all good.
 
I'm about to head for dinner, so I will try to write more later.  Before I sign off, how about that soccer game?!?!?!  1-0 baby!
 
Citius! Altius! Fortius!

It's Thursday, which is the first day of group presentations.  I put together the 22 slide PowerPoint presentation, so I was glad when I was able to knock that off of my list of things to do yesterday.  There were 12 groups who presented (2 French, 10 English), and each presentation lasted about 10 minutes.  Each group had the same compulsory topic to present on (what is the purpose of the Olympic Movement), and then we were able to come up with our own questions for the last two.  After hearing the same lectures this week, there wasn't a ton of variety in the questions, but everyone had a little different take on them.
 
During the two presentations that were in French, I found it funny that when the speakers changed, they still sounded the same.  Of course the speaker didn't sound the same, but the translator in my headphones sounded the same!  Maybe I was more amused by my revelation than everyone else.
 
An interesting item was the use of "handicapped" instead of "disabled."  That was hammered home during college at Wisconsin, as I had an Adapted Physical Activity concentration, so every time I hear the word handicapped, I automatically want to tell the person talking that it's disabled. 
 
Murod just told me that he's been married for 6 months, and then he said that if I get married, I'm supposed to write him and he'll come so we can dance together.  I might have to take him up on that offer, as I think everyone would thoroughly get a kick out of him.  I had a tough time keeping a straight face, but I was able to respond.  Murod's English is getting a lot better.  Maybe it's the "Tony my brother, Tony my brother American" statements he says every time I enter our dorm room that has catapulted him forward in his quest to learn English.
 
On my last three trips to town, I have managed to jump in a car that has brought us to the IOA.  The road here is under construction, so it actually involves taking a detour on either a gravel/rock road or a detour on the road with the most potholes I have ever seen.  Fortunately the detours aren't long, but lining up a ride always makes for a good story.  Last night was the best of the three stories so far.  We were walking down the main street in Olympia, and there were seven in our group.  Three hailed a cab (it costs 4 Euro per fare, regardless how many people are in the car), so the four of us kept walking.  The ride should have taken about five minutes, so we figured if we really didn't want to walk, the taxi would be back in 10 minutes. 
 
About a block later, a guy was standing on the sidewalk between a store front and a car.  We just started asking "Taxi?" repeatedly.  The guy was clearly not a taxi cab driver, but he told us that if we helped him take down his jewelry shop for the night, he would give us a ride home.  Sweet! The four of us immediately got to work, bringing in the displays in from outside and setting the goods down on the counter.  We made quick work of the task, but we made sure to take some pictures of it all, as it looked like we were robbing the place.  One of the Swedish representatives, Sofia, was with, and her father is Greek, so she can speak Greek fluently, which eased our minds.  The driver spoke great English, too, so I figured we were covered. 
 
The drive took probably as long as it would have taken to walk, but what fun would that have been?  We learned why the Alpheus/Alfeios River is named so, and we stumbled upon a one-car accident about 100 feet from the entrance to the IOA.  More on that in a second.  Our driver took the gravel/rock road, and didn't go over 15 kph.  We came to two intersections on the road, so I made sure to say "clear" because no cars were coming.  Of course the three in the back seat laughed each time, as there wasn't a soul in sight!  We were probably the only car that drove on the road the entire day, so of course there wasn't going to be traffic to contend with.  I did this, though, because our driver put on his blinker both times and came to a stop (I shouldn't complain about his good driving habits, should I?).  After the second time, I was informed that I didn't have to say "clear" anymore.
 
Okay, now the car accident.  A little black Audi actually went in the ditch at almost a 90 degree angle.  His back right wheel was in the air, the hood/bumper at the bottom of the ditch, and the rocker panel resting on the edge of the ditch.  In other words, he was going no where quick.  When we came to the scene, the tow truck was there with the lights flashing.  A rope was already hooked on, presumably to winch the car out.  Nope, no need for a winch when you can just put the wrecker in first gear and pull the car out of the ditch.  Since the wrecker and rope was blocking the road, we sat and watched everything happen.  Once the car was back on all four wheels, they unhooked the rope and the car pulled ahead 50 feet like nothing happened!  We quickly took off, and as we drove by the car, our driver said "no damage, just grass."  Um, I don't think that's quite the case, but in the dark it was tough to see.  Nonetheless, it was a very entertaining ride home.  If you ever come to Olympia, Greece, be sure to pay a visit to the friendliest jeweler in town, Athanasios Fotinakopoulous, a visit.  In case anyone is wondering, I had to look at his business card about 8 times to make sure that I spelled that correctly.
 
Tattoos aren't nearly as common here as they are in the US, so Tony the Tiger tattooed on my right calf has drawn a lot of attention.  Most people say "Kellogg's," "Tony," or "Tigre."  I guess that Frosted Flakes are sold worldwide, and that Tony the Tiger is Tony the Tiger. 
 
We had an early morning today.  By early I mean that we left the IOA at 5:10 so we could walk to a hill that overlooked the entire valley.  Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the IOC and the modern Olympic Games, spoke of watching the sunrise from this point, so we trekked there in the dark.  I was the first to the top (it wasn't a race, I was just first in line), so I took pictures of my colleagues one-by-one as they summited the hill.  Unfortunately the clouds didn't lift in time, so we didn't get to see the sunrise.  From the hill, though, we overlooked the site of the Ancient Olympics, the International Olympic Academy, and the city of Olympia.  We did find a different route to ascend the hill, so a handful of us will organize another trip one of the remaining mornings.
 
Lastly, I just saw a funny sight.  The semi-finals for the football tournament are going on right now, and one of the participants (who plays in 13 minutes) just walked by my room smoking a cigarette.  Classic.
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!

This will be my last blog entry from Olympia, Greece.  Tomorrow morning we will head back to Athens, and then most people are flying back on Wednesday, June 30th.  I hope that you have enjoyed reading about my time so far.  I am fairly sure that I will be able to blog at least once more, as we have our final social tonight.   More on that in a little bit.
 
Before I get writing, I just wanted to thank two people.  One, my brother-in-law Jeff for being the first person to suggest that I blog on this trip, and two, Jason Bryant at USA Wrestling, as his prompt was enough to get me to start typing.  Jason has also been the one posting these blogs for me, so thanks to both of you guys.
 
I was talking with one of the British delegates yesterday, and we both agreed that our English skills have diminished in the last two weeks.  It's simply a case of speaking with very simple words and taking out words that really aren't needed to communicate with someone who does not speak English as a first language.  I notice myself talking in the same not-so-good English (how's that to describe my diminishing English skills?) when even speaking with Angie, one of the other two delegates from US.
 
For people who aren't familiar with Switzerland, it is a country that has four languages – German, French, Italian, and Romansch.  One of the Swiss delegates, Jerome, is from the French speaking part of the country, but his English skills are quite good.  If he doesn't catch something we say, he'll ask us to repeat it.  Suffice to say, he's picked up a few of my favorite expressions, most recently "gong show."  No, I'm not talking about the old TV Show, either.  
 
After the closing ceremony this morning, many pictures were taken.  Angie, my fellow River Falls High School alum, and I were sure to get a picture together.  She remarked that it reminded her of graduation, as people were running around snapping pictures with their friends.  Not that you don't want to help and return the favor, but if one person sees you not taking a picture, quickly you wind up with a half-dozen cameras wrapped around your wrists listening to people say "cheese!" or "Greece!"  Fortunately I haven't seen the rabbit ears in any of my pictures.
 
What is going on with my Minnesota Twins?!  They have been struggling since I left, losing 6 out of the 9 games since I landed on foreign soil.  Hopefully they can turn things around before I get back, because I just do not like seeing that they're losing.  They have a half-game lead on the Tigers, so a sweep of them this week would be lovely.  Hopefully it starts tonight with Liriano on the hill for the Twins.
 
I will fully admit my naivety about the differences between Norway, Sweden, and Finland.  Like most Americans, I know that we refer to them as Scandinavian countries.  I also know that I'm 1/8th Swedish (my second reference to my ethnic heritage in this series), but beyond that I really don't know much.  We have spent a good amount of time with the Swedes and Finns, and last night I heard something interesting from Tiina, one of the Finns.  She said that she wishes that she were Swedish – a comment that surprised me, as I thought that people would be more "proud" to be from where they're from.  Anyways, she went on to explain that Sweden has a better economy, better weather, among other things, so it made a little more sense.  Like I said, I was surprised by this comment, but after thinking about it, I guess that all of the Nordic nations have been packing around together while in Greece.  No animosity, I guess.  I wonder if Nina, who competed in the 2008 Olympic Games as a judo player for Finland, would feel the same.  
 
As I previously mentioned, the last social is tonight.  First we were presenting, then we weren't, but as of yesterday, we were put back on the docket.  We will be playing a quick trivia game with people from the crowd shouting out the answers.  Sounds like chaos a little in the making, but we'll throw out some cool swag to those who know the answers, and then we're going to teach the Cupid Shuffle.  Wait, let me rephrase that – I'm going to teach the Cupid Shuffle.  I'm telling you, being in front of 180 people on back-to-back nights DANCING is totally out of the ordinary for me.  My dancing rivals my singing, as I am a star when no one is around to see or hear me.  
 
Oh, one quick story that reminded me of home last night.  Most motorcycles in Greece aren't "motorcycles" in my mind, but much more like mopeds.  I saw a Harley-Davidson downtown in Olympia, and it even had drag bars and S&S chrome.  Reminded me of being on my motorcycle on mountain roads in Colorado…
 
Citius!  Altius!  Fortius!

I'm sitting in front of Gate B15 in the Athens Airport, readying for my flight to Frankfurt. My flight back from Frankfurt to home isn't until Saturday, so I will be spending some time in Germany and Switzerland for a few days first. Jens, one of my German colleagues, and I are planning on driving to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland, where we will meet up with a few of our other participants from Switzerland. It should be an enriching experience, but not nearly as enriching as my time in Greece.

When we arrived back in Athens yesterday, most people went downtown to the market. Public transportation workers went on strike yesterday (I'm not sure if this is worldwide news or not), and we heard that there were protests downtown. I was hoping that we would see the protests, but they were either non-existent or in a different part of town, because we didn't see anything.

We packed a bus at the hotel and went downtown. I'm not sure how it all worked, because we got on the B2 bus and went downtown. It sure seemed like public transportation, but I didn't ask questions. When I said we packed the bus, I mean we PACKED the bus. I barely got on, so I was standing on the bottom step in the back. Not a good place to stand, because at the first stop, someone's foot got caught in the door opening up (it retracted on hinges). That someone? Me. I was wearing sandals, so as soon as I was stuck, I thought for sure something was going to break. Solvi and Jens were right by me, so they saw my foot (and face) contorted. This went on for about five seconds, so when the door closed and my foot was released, I was very relieved. No damage, just a strange bruise below my Achilles and some sore toes. Things certainly could have been worse.

I mentioned the fact I was wearing sandals yesterday...never in my life have I worn sandals so much as the last two weeks. I have the sweet tan line across the top of my foot from the sandals to prove it. Even on the nights when it would cool down for comfortable sleeping at the IOA, sandals were the norm. Except for the night run at the stadium of the Ancient Olympics, as I needed my Asics to ensure the fastest time possible.

We rode on four coach buses (no TVs or bathroom, though) back yesterday to Athens, and sleeping was pretty much the only activity allowed. It was funny to see pictures taken with everyone in them sleeping. Like one of my friends said, it looked like the bus had been gassed.

We ate lunch, dinner, and breakfast at the Metropolitan Hotel like we did the first two days of the trip. Wow, it was great to have flavorful food again!

Speaking of the hotel, we had new roommates for last night. I'm not sure what I did wrong, because my roommate spoke no English. None. Murodali was with Solvi, and I was with George. I am amazed at how much better Murodali's English was at the end of the trip, by the way. It now makes more sense to hear people say that when immersed in another language, they have to get better, because Murodali's skills grew exponentially.

People had flights as early as 4:00 AM, so the first shuttle from the hotel left at 1:30 AM. It was a cool scene in the lobby of the hotel from about 10:00 PM on, as people had their computers and jump drives out taking pictures from one another. Of course it was bittersweet, though, as I will likely never see this group of people again. Sure there are chances of running into one sometime again, but those chances are pretty slim.

I have to tell a story about yesterday. When I travel, I always play games with myself when passing people. I will always try to find wrestlers and foreigners, as I tend to think both have a certain look in the US. The last time I flew through Denver, I told my travel partner that the two people across the walkway were both wrestlers. Upon closer examination, I was right, as it was Jon Reader and David Zabriskie.

Anyways, when "having a coffee" in Athens yesterday afternoon, three of my friends and I were talking about how you can tell people that are from our respective countries. The three guys were all from Europe (Germany, Switzerland, and Iceland), and they said they can usually tell which European people are even from. As if almost on cue, a group of five 20-something girls was walking towards us and I thought they looked like a group of American college students. As they walked by, I stopped them to see. Fortunately, I was right. The girls were dumbfounded at how they looked like Americans, which I thought was even funnier.

Throughout the trip, I would ask people how expressions translated into English. Speak of the devil? In Switzerland (French), Jerome says speak of the wolf. All nighter? Make through and white night in German and French, respectively. Amazing what can be lost in translation.

One last story from the hotel last night. Adam (Australia) was chatting with his wife on Skype, and afterwards we talked for a few minutes before he went upstairs to pack. He and his wife have two sons, and his wife is pregnant with their third. When he was in Greece, he found out that they're having another boy. I will have to follow up with him to see if he and his wife are planning on incorporating a Greek name for their son. Maybe Olympus, Zorbas, or even Gangas would be fitting.

Thanks to everyone who has followed my blog, as it is neat to get emails from people following along with the journey. Euxaristo.

As my time in Greece comes to an end, I can't help but think about the new pins and friends from around the world, and the experience I have been afforded. I hope that I have been able to put into words what I have experienced the last two weeks, so you felt like you were part of this journey with me.