Home is Where the Feta Is

(So. Much. Feta. I actually keep buying it on accident thinking it’s different types of cheese. I am still not giving up my search for goat cheese.) For anyone wondering, being a “Big Girl” and living in my own apartment is amazing! My flat is a one bedroom and bathroom place and perfectly sized for me (meaning the ceilings are short). Aside from the amount of feta in my fridge, I have learned a lot about living on own for the first time–in a foreign country nonetheless. A quick break down:

• The church down the street rings its bells every hour with the frequency and pitch of a fire alarm. I almost evacuated my building on the first day.
• My shower is built on an incline. Sound uncomfortable? It is.
• I HAVE KILLED FOUR SPIDERS!!! (Those who understand the level of my paralyzing arachnophobia also understand that this is a big accomplishment. Especially since I don’t know how to say “Hi I live next door, can you come kill a spider for me?!” in Greek.)

I am located about ten minutes from the center of the city in a quiet residential area packed with lively cafes, quaint bars, and a really delicious gyro shop two doors down (I have to restrict myself to one per week, but I have gone so often that the workers can now almost understand my order in butchered Greek!)

My favorite part of the day is coming home after work and stopping by the fresh produce shop next door to my building. Owned by two brothers in the mid-60s, they are dedicated to making sure I learn Greek before I leave this country. I go in daily, prepared to be quizzed on the vocabulary taught on my previous visit and ready for the names of the new things I am buying. Thanks to them, I have expanded my knowledge of Greek from 7 words to 13!

My biggest trials come in when it comes to domestic issues: cooking and laundry. I’ve learned that I am rather good at watching my mom whip up dinner, but when it comes to actually doing it myself, I am lacking in talent (Exhibit A). Due to the fact that my kitchen is only equipped with a toaster, fridge, and a hot plate, I have been working very hard to be creative with what I make at night. Turns out I am also lacking in creativity. My current diet consists of pasta, toast, pasta, scrambled eggs, pasta, Greek yogurt, pasta, apples, and pasta. But the good news here is, I’m definitely not going hungry!

Regarding laundry: I have no washer and my underwear situation is quickly becoming desperate. I will update you all when I come up with a solution.

So other than the feta, the spiders who I’m sure will come to avenge their fallen brothers, and the laundry situation, Greek life has been treating me very well!

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