When I first signed up for the trip to Paros, I was extremely nervous, and had no idea what to expect. I barely knew any of the people who were going and felt that I should have gone earlier. I was extremely lucky in the fact that Albert convinced me to sign up for it. I can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions that I have made in a very long time. In the short time that I have been in Paros, I have had incredible experiences that I will always remember. We’ve spelunked in deep quarries, explored historical sites, kayaked across a sea, stuffed our faces full of food, and shared a lot of laughs together, and lucky for us, we’ve still got lots of adventures to share together.
Today we did a variety of different things. The Farm Team (which I am not on) went out to Elena’s farm to shoot for their project. I was told that the farm was incredible, and they got to eat all sorts of fun fruits off of the trees. While they were out filming, Matt and I had a meeting with a friend that we made in Paros. His name is Markos, and he works at Nufaro Pizza. He’s an extremely kind and friendly person, and he bought us juice for the meeting this morning. We talked about what we are doing for the school, and he offered to help us with our personal projects. He led us around Paros and told us about some of the people who lived in different places, as well as introducing us to several people that we could interview. It was incredible to me how Paros has a community of people that know and care for one another so deeply. I learned things about Paros and its people today that I never would have learned otherwise. We passed a bakery, and Markos told us some of the history behind the bakery, and the fact that it was passed down by the baker’s family. Thanks to Markos, we met people that we easily could have never talked to due to our language/culture differences. After speaking with different people and spending some time with Markos, we were honored by being invited to see his house for a few minutes before returning to the Institute. Within a few days, I felt like I had a new family member. Markos even told us that we could refer to him almost like a big brother or a crazy uncle. I’m extremely glad that we made such an impact on each other, and if I ever find myself back in Paros, I can depend on a friendly face to be there to welcome me back here.
Later, I left with the Paros Park Team (which is the project that I am involved in) to shoot B-roll for our project! I can say that this was my favorite part of the day. The trails through Paros Park are extraordinarily beautiful, and I would gladly go back out again for another hike. When we pulled in and got out of the car, I was already brimming with excitement. As a kid, I would hike on trails over rocks and hills, so I didn’t have any troubles whatsoever. The view from on top of the first hill was gorgeous. I couldn’t believe how beautiful the views were in this park. From that point, you could see the buildings from the town on the left, as well as the ocean crashing into the rocks that formed the base of the gargantuan mountains.
As we walked, we were surrounded by the beautiful golden grass, with splashes of white, purple, yellow, and many other colors among the shades of the rocks and bushes. I was glad that I brought my camera, since the pictures I took are probably some of the best that I have taken over the entire trip. We filmed at various locations along the trail and earned the pleasure of watching one of the most beautiful sunsets that I have ever seen.
So far, this trip has been a life changing experience, and I’m glad that I get to cherish this time with a group of people that I care about.
Written by Jake McCarty