Somewhere over the Atlantic, Wednesday

While the flight has been uneventful, it has also gone on and on and on and on. Between last minute preparations and growing excitement for the trip, I embarked on this journey from Kansas City's airport with virtually no sleep over the previous 22 hours. Other than a cat nap on the plane, I can safely say that I've slept an hour, maybe two, since 10 am Monday. At least Monday was a holiday!

Today is the only day with no agenda on the itinerary. I imagine everyone will deal with the jet lag in their own ways. I know that I will be wrestling with an overwhelming urge to sleep and an equally strong desire to explore the city of Athens.

We are scheduled to arrive at about 9:30 am Athens time. After spending the last five hours on the plane, I'm still marvelling at the sensation of flight. I've never been a big fan of flying, but other than the occasional bump it has been a surprisingly smooth flight. No complaints!

It is a weird sensation standing up and feeling that I'm not on solid ground.

Soon.

Somewhere over the Atlantic, Tuesday

Greece. Whenever I think about Greece, it conjures up images of tall, white, stone columns, ruined architecture and Laurence Olivier. What can I say, too much Clash of the Titans when I was a kid.

However, I don't expect to see Laurence Olivier (is he still with us?), nor do I expect to see Zeus. The ruined architecture, and the tall, white, stone columns, however, oh yes. Of course, I wouldn't mind running into a sexy Greek brunette wielding a crossbow.

So clearly, movies have played a large role in my perceptions of Greece. Beyond the movies, I don't have a frame of reference to rely upon. It's so amazing to imagine what I'm going to see.

As someone who's never been outside of the States, it's safe to say I've never seen anything man-made that's over 300 years old. Now I'm going to be seeing architecture that's been around for thousands of years. I'm going to see buildings seen by the likes of Alexander, St. Paul, Byron. Pretty mind-blowing actually.

I'm hoping to hone my photographic abilities during this trip. I've been a bit lax lately with my camera, and since I've gone digital I haven't made the investment in lenses that I have for my old Canon AE.

But I digress. There are so many things to look forward to on this adventure. There's the Greek cuisine, the friendly people, the escape from the oppressive American culture, and... hopefully... so many lovely ladies to meet.

The days will be fascinating, yet the nights will be what I'm craving. Either way, both are sure to create the experience of a lifetime!