By Christopher Koczan II
“Appearances are often deceiving” – Aesop
When we think of an adventure, we think of the grandeur of setting off solo or with a group to experience new things, to brave the unknown. In modern times there is often this deception that everything can be learned on the internet, that information is free and available to all through a Google search. But how wrong they are, just as the quote from Aesop says, the appearance of experiencing something by Google searching the topic and learning about it is deceptive compared to first hand going to and learning about that topic.
An experience of a lifetime is how best to describe studying abroad in Paros. Paros is this wonderful island part of the Cyclades, which has recently become quite the hotspot for tourism in recent years. Before setting out on my journey to get to Paros my main concern was that I wouldn’t know how to navigate my way through Airports, and that I’d be a nervous flyer.
You see, I come from a family that hasn’t really traveled through the world. My father used to travel a lot during his time in the U.S. Marine Corps, and my sister as part of her college program(s) has been to Spain, Ecuador, and recently Mexico, whereas I have never been abroad. I found however that my years of adventure leading up to and as an Eagle Scout have done well to prepare me for this new adventure. Leaving the airport and Indy behind was a bit scary, but ultimately was just a small ripple in a big lake.
Coming to Paros was rather straight forward, albeit tiring. The real challenge began after landing, dealing with a minor amount of jet lag and adjusting to the lifestyle of Paros. The first two days was going to bed at 23:00 and waking up at 05:00 because of jet lag. Finally, after the third day a normal pattern of 24:00-08:00 was established. That first morning on Paros, waking up at five in the morning to catch the Sunrise at 6:15 was breathtaking, to be awake before nearly everyone else on the island and to see such a sight was spectacular.
After being on Paros for a while you get a sense of leisure and carefreeness. The people here don’t usually seem to be in a rush, the Sun though blazing, provides a special kind of light that can only be described as paradise. The island frequently has a gentle sea breeze that some wish was more constant to stave off the heat. Parikia, although a hub for tourism, offers excellent food for our hungry bellies. Everywhere you look on Paros is a picturesque scene. In fact, Paros could be described as photogenic, especially on clear days where the neighboring islands like Antiparos, Mykonos, and Naxos can be seen, just to name a few out of the many.
I had many worries coming to Paros, the flight here, although long and tiring and not without a little stress, was but a pebble. Living on Paros for the past 7 days has been comfortable, minus the heat, which rapidly drains your energy on any given day. The biggest takeaway from my journey so far is the reinforcement that mountains can be climbed and while being prepared is good, knowing how to take the step forward and lean into what you want is easier than it appears. Because appearances are deceiving.