by Alisa Adams
Three months into the summer break, I have, surprisingly, found myself missing the regularity and consistency of class (a lot of people might be cringing at this opening sentence). It is true, though: there is so much pressure surrounding the summer and what exciting and exotic things everyone will be up to.
Admittedly, I have had quite an exciting summer and I thought, being the new ‘Out and About’ editor, what better way to introduce myself than to share about than my summer holiday? Now, I have spent a lot of my holiday in Middelburg, Amsterdam and Belgium but I took two bigtrips to Greece and Mexico- both of which I will discuss here.
Xenia
Xenia is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality and I must say, this concept is very much entrenched in Greek culture to this day. Not to say that Dutch people are not friendly- but the contrast between the two cultures was stark. To be fair though, it was hard for us to distinguish between genuinely friendly people and people who were simply trying to get us to buy their products or eat at their restaurants. Nonetheless, such behavior would still never be found in the Netherlands, so whether or not there was ulterior motives, it was still a blissful week in which we all felt adored by the people around us.
One full week of the burning sun on my skin and the humidity sticking to my body and what a wonderful time it was! This trip as my first break after the semester came to an end was a perfect way to begin my summer holiday. It was my first time in Greece and I immediately fell in love with the place. There is a certain kind of tranquility and laid-backness that is so irreconcilable with the Netherlands. I couldn’t help but feel extremely calm and relaxed from the second I entered the dark airport to the moment I got back on the plane. I have always said that because this world is so big, I would never want to go to the same destination twice, but I think I will definitely make an exception for Greece.
From the bountiful portion sizes to the delicious flavors of the food and the strength of the drinks, my palette, stomach and wallet were incredibly happy with me throughout this week. Now, let me be honest, I went for a certain type of holiday and that is exactly what I got. As my introduction to the summer, I wanted a trip in which I did absolutely nothing and that is exactly what Greece gave me. So I have to be honest and say: if you are looking for excitement and adventure, I am not sure the place I visited would be ideal for those purposes. However, if you are looking for food, drinks, sun, beaches, and sleep, then Hersonisos, Greece is a place that would make you very happy.
I chose to do my very first piece for Tabula Rasa on this topic because I thought it was important that any potential readers get acquainted with the way I write. From here on out I will try and provide you all with exciting weekly articles on getting out and about, both inside and outside of Middelburg.
Alisa Adams, Class of 2021, is a Law and Politics major from Harare, Zimbabwe.
Sources
Image Source: https://www.traveldailynews.asia/hersonissos-a-wedding-paradise-in-greece
