Wow!!! What an amazing trip and educational experience. he whole wee! wa" "erial. #t wa" more than # had e$er e$en hoped it would %e. he archeological "ite" that # had read a%out and "een picture" of and finall& to actuall& "ee them fir"t hand wa" amazing. 'ur fanta"tic tour director who wa" the mo"t accommodating per"on( and all of the tour guide" at each "ite were a"tounding. # "aid to "omeone( it felt li!e each tour guide wa" meant for their location( &ou could feel their pa""ion and !nowledge in their deli$er&. Almo"t 2 month" later and at time" # can)t %elie$e that # wa" actuall& there. *rom the %eginning of the wee!( "tarting in Athen" at the +arthenon( # felt a little in"ignificant in the realm of life. ,i"iting the"e "ite" that ha$e %een here almo"t three thou"and &ear" put" life in a different per"pecti$e. What if an&thing will # do that might "ur$i$e that amount of time- .ow will m& life and m& famil& %e remem%ered- What will ci$ilization %e "a&ing a%out the /nited 0tate" after 1000 &ear"- 2ot "o "ure! 3i"tening to our guide" and 4atherine our tour director tal! a%out the Gree! financial 5cri"i"6 and "eeing fir"t hand the toll it ha" ta!en left me $er& hea$&hearted. ,iewing all the half %uilt hou"e"( the empt& "tore"( hearing a%out the unemplo&ment rate" wa" trou%ling. And &et( all of the local Gree!" that we met and tal!ed to were $er& up %eat( friendl& and happ& to ha$e u" around. he& went out of their wa& to accommodate an& need or want we had. # wanted to "upport each and e$er& %u"ine"" that we $i"ited( e"peciall& in the "maller town" of 7elphi( 'l&mpia( 0pet"e"( and .&dra. +er"onall&( the "ite of the fir"t Ancient 'l&mpic game" in 'l&mpia wa" one of m& fa$orite "top". # imagine thi" i" true %ecau"e # am !nowledgea%le a%out thi" e$ent and it i" "omething that continue" on toda&. Wal!ing acro"" the fini"h line of the $er& fir"t 'l&mpic" wa" incredi%le. Watching m& %rother "tand on the hill o$erloo!ing the "tadium wa" $er& mo$ing( # could tell that thi" "ite wa" meaningful to him a" well. 3earning of the "tatue" of "hame wa" great( # %rought that %ac! to m& "tudent" and we had a great di"cu""ion a%out doing the right thing and %eing hone"t. 8$en m& 9: ; &ear old" !now that it doe"n)t feel good or right if &ou win "omething %& cheating and not %& per"i"tence and hard wor!. # ha$e thought often of our $i"it to 8pida$ro" and li"tening to heodoro" tal! a%out the heater and the wearing of ma"!"( %oth when in co"tume and figurati$el& in life. hi" idea of ma"!ing "till hold" a lot of meaning. <ou need to find &our center where &ou can re$eal the real &ou to %e happ&. All thing" "hould %e done in moderation. *inding happine"" within &our"elf i" nece""ar& for &ou to %e happ& with other". 'ne "tatement he made( and # am paraphra"ing( traged& i" nothing %ut a %ridge to learning( held "pecial meaning to me %ecau"e in m& cla""room we)$e tal!ed all &ear a%out how we learn "o much more from our mi"ta!e" than we do %& doing e$er&thing correctl&. #n fact( we need to ma!e mi"ta!e" and fall and then ha$e the courage to learn from tho"e downfall". # thin! often of a couple of different "tudent" # ha$e thi" &ear who hate to a"! for help or admit that the& don)t under"tand "omething. # often pull them a"ide later to remind them that thi" i" how we learn( there i" nothing wrong with ma!ing an error. 'ne other me""age # too! awa& from heodoro" and %rought to m& cla""room i" the reminder that we need to %e aware of what could or "hould happen when we do a particular action. When we practice( we %ecome %etter reader"( when we pu"h "omeone in line( "omeone will get hurt either ph&"icall& or emotionall&. All action" ha$e reaction"( thin! %efore &ou "pea! or act i" a great le""on for !id"! #t i" alwa&" more $alua%le in m& opinion to ta!e a "ite %a"ed cla"" and witne"" fir"t hand what # want to teach m& "tudent". # am trul& than!ful for %eing a%le to ma!e thi" $o&age with two "i%ling" and man& trul& wonderful friend". 'ut of nowhere a memor& and "mile appear on m& face a" # remini"ce a%out Greece 2014!!