Kelly's Observations Overseas

Back overseas again, this time with the Greek stray dog, a toddler, and another baby on the way.  

[kellymlyons]

The Blog is Back

The blog is back, b!t*hes!  We’re overseas again, and it only seemed fitting to pick back up where I left off, which was our last overseas post.  The irony is not lost on me that my last blog was about being 9 months pregnant, and now I’m pregnant again.  But don’t worry, I’ll save my pregnancy post for another time.

We left right after New Year’s for our new home in Sarajevo, Bosnia (it’s next to Croatia).  To say the travel process was stressful would be an understatement.  We had a toddler, the Greek stray dog from the means streets of Athens (see previous post), a baby on the way (I was 5 months pregnant in this pic), 2 checked suitcases per person, and 2 carry-ons per person.  We traveled from Dulles to Vienna on an overnight flight (where I couldn’t watch a single movie because of said toddler, and couldn’t enjoy a single alcoholic beverage because of said pregnancy).  We had a 4 hour layover in Vienna where Mike had to find Nikos in the baggage area and walk him around the airport, only to put him back in his crate for the second flight to Sarajevo.  We arrived in Bosnia to freezing cold snow and a whole lot of jet lag.  

How does this compare to 2014?  The first time we moved overseas, we were a couple of fresh-faced newlyweds with nothing but a checked bag each and a sense of adventure.  I miss these 2 DINKS...(Double Income No Kids).

So we’ve now been in Sarajevo for a month.  I finally got to see our yard the other day, since everything had been covered in snow for the last month.  Who knew we had a grassy yard surrounding our house?  Not me.  We live in a single family house up on a hill, with great views of the city and mountains.  We can actually see the big soccer stadium from our front door, which will be great entertainment when the games start (and horrible once the games start given the level of noise and the sleeping children I’ll have inside, but we’re staying positive!)

Our house is actually on this long driveway with about 10 other houses.  It looks like a 1-way street, but it’s not.  So if another car is coming at the same time as you, you have to pull off into the grass to let the car pass.  Luckily I don’t have a car yet, so all the reckless driving is done by Mike.  We can walk down the “driveway” to the corner, where there’s a fruit stand, a taxi stand, and a few stores.  Think 7-11 only bigger.

In the month since we arrived, we’ve found a school for Max, found a dog groomer for Nikos, found a gym for me, and took a day trip to Jahorina which was the site of the 1984 winter Olympics.  I’ll get into all these adventures in future posts. 

But overall, first impressions?  I like Bosnia.  I haven’t run into any issues with the language.  In fact, most people will tell you they “speak a little English” only to find out they understand everything I say and respond back in English.  Most things are super affordable or downright cheap.  I haven’t spent more than $6 on a taxi yet (and I take a taxi every day since I don’t have a car).  The weather isn’t great, but after weeks of cold and snow, I actually find myself saying “wow, what a beautiful day, let’s go outside!” when it’s 40 degrees.

Air quality is pretty bad here.  The embassy actually tracks the air quality every day and posts the score and color on its website, which ranges from green (good) to purple (hazardous).  Most days are orange (unhealthy) and the fact that almost every Bosnian smokes doesn’t help the situation.  Yes, just like in Greece, you can smoke anywhere you want here.  Gym?  Yup.  Mall?  You betcha.  Restaurants?  All of them.  So not great for a pregnant lady with a toddler, but I’m told it gets better in the spring when you can eat outside and not be cooped up inside with all the smoke.  So fingers crossed!

That’s all for now (Max has woken up from his nap and demands my undivided attention to make his afternoon snack).  He’s so bossy.  I’m so glad he seems unfazed by this whole move across the world to another country where he doesn’t know anyone and doesn’t speak the local language. Must be nice :)

[kellymlyons]

Pregnancy Overseas (or maybe this is just pregnancy everywhere?)

As I wrap up my last month of pregnancy, I’m reflecting on this 9 month experience. Well actually, 10 months, since I’m 36 weeks now and still have a month to go. Whoever started saying it was 9 months was a liar.  Jerk.

As women, we’re constantly thinking about our appearance.  How we look in clothes, if our stomach is hanging out, if jeans make our butt look big.  Then you get pregnant, and people literally comment on your appearance for almost a year.  It’s so uncomfortable.  It’s like every insecurity you’ve ever had, magnified and suddenly on the table for discussion.  How did this happen?!

Here are just a few of the comments that people have made to me while I’ve been pregnant.  I won’t say whether they were American or Greek, but there’s a healthy mix of both.

1. Wow, you look really pregnant.  You’re due almost any day, right? (I was 7 months pregnant at the time)

2. Are you sure you’re not having twins? I think there could be 2 in there.

3. You’re definitely having a boy.  Your face looks mean.

4. You’re definitely having a girl.  Your face is fat.

5. You look tired.  If you’re not sleeping well now, just wait until the baby comes.

6. How much weight have you gained?

7. From the back, I can definitely tell you’re pregnant.  You are waddling. 

8. Your skin looks really bad.

I’m obsessed with celebrities.  Everyone who knows me knows this fact.  I live for the day when my USWeekly and People magazines arrive in the mail. My summer reading list includes a book called “Where the f*ck is my latte: Tales from a celebrity personal assistant.”  

Being pregnant, at least overseas, is much like being a celebrity (or at least I assume so).  People talk about you, strangers stare at you on street, people come up to you and act like they know you.  I have a new-found appreciation for celebrities after being pregnant.  It’s not as glamorous as you might think.

Pregnancy is an amazing, wonderful gift and if you tried for any length of time to get pregnant, you understand how hard and complicated the whole process can be.  But it’s also a pretty private, intimate thing, and yet people feel comfortable asking you the most inappropriate, invasive questions.

1. Are you planning to breastfeed? (um, I’ve literally talked to you twice in my life, why would I share something like this with you?)

2. You really shouldn’t be drinking coffee. (I’m gonna defer to my doctor on this one, and he said I can).

3. You’re not finding out the gender?! Jeez, I could never do that. (Well you’re not doing that, I am.)

4. Are you still driving? Can you still work? (I was 5 months pregnant at the time, so yes, I could still drive a car and go to work every day).

5. Should you be working out? That can’t be safe for the baby. (actually, it’s GREAT for the baby, and I don’t need you telling me that body pump or swimming is gonna harm my baby)

Just so you don’t think it’s all bad, there have been a (very few) perks to being pregnant, at least in Greece.  For one, I don’t think I’ve opened a door at work for months.  Nobody wants me to “strain” myself opening a door. Second, I “parked” my car at the taxi station at the airport to pick up family who was flying into town.  Nobody made me move my car or tell me that it’s a “no loading” area. (Technically, everybody does this, but no one said anything to me as I waddled out). And I get to see the baby at every doctor’s appointment, since they do ultrasounds here for every visit.

So the moral of the story (and my diatribe) is to be aware of what you’re saying. And remember, if we want your advice, we’ll ask for it.

[kellymlyons]

#ChiosHalfMarathon

As summer comes to a close, Mike & I wanted to squeeze 1 more island in. What better way to pick from the 227 inhabitated Greek islands than to choose one with a half marathon?  We flew to Chios, the 5th largest Greek island, which is just a stone’s throw from Turkey.

Since we only had 36 hours there, we had to be efficient.  First stop: scooter rental. 

Next stop: food (obvi)

Our hotel was in the heart of the port.  When we saw this boat, our first thought was “Captain Ron.”  Kurt Russel, circa 1992...anyone?

We had a great view of the Full Moon on Saturday night. 

Chios is known for mastic, a resin gathered from the mastic tree, a small evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean region.  From this, they can make liquor, gum, lotion, shampoo, candy, etc.  We tried a little bit of it all. 

On Sunday morning, we got up with the sun and traveled to the starting point for the race.  Pictures cannot do it justice, but on the bus ride there, we had the sun rising to the east over the ocean, and the full moon from the night before to the west.  It was a surreal moment.

When we arrived at the starting line, I would like to say that we were suprised, but we weren’t.  The race organizers were still blowing up the race arch, there was exactly 1 bathroom for everyone to share, and the roads weren’t blocked from the residents of Chios.  On several occasions, I almost got run over by old Greek men on their scooters, clearly in a rush to get somewhere at 8am on a Sunday.

As we gathered at the starting line, a runner next to me opened his belt. Now usually, one carries a few dollars, a key, and some running refreshments in their belt. Not this guy- his belt had a pack of Marlboros and a lighter. Because we wouldn’t want to wait 2 hours for a smoke break during a half marathon.

The run itself was beautiful.  Part of the race took us through an olive grove, and through beautiful neighborhoods in Chios. Mike and I ran the first half together, then he left me in the dust to make his time.  There were a good 3 miles where I didn’t see a single soul. It was both peaceful and concerning; I wasn’t always sure I was still on the trail, but somehow I stayed on course.

The race started out pretty full, but by the end, it felt kinda empty.  We imagine a lot of runners did the first lap (10km) and then said, “forget it, I don’t need to keep going” and just stopped. This was further evidenced by the email we recieved, which informed us that Mike was runner #70 and I was runner #87, not in our category, but out of EVERYONE. 

After the run, we took our steal horse to Agia Fotina, which is St. (Elmo’s) Fire beach.  

Crystal clear water, stone beach (not sand) and a perfect way to refresh our tired feet.

Before we knew it, our 36 hours were up, and we had to head back to Athens. At 7:50pm, we walked out to the plane for a 7:55 flight, cuz that’s how they do it here. 

[kellymlyons]

1 Down, 1 to Go

Today marks our one year anniversary in Greece.  We had no idea what to expect from this crazy adventure, but we were up for the challenge.  Now that we’re halfway through our tour, I decided to reflect on the highs & lows of the last 12 months.

Highlights of the 1st Year:

Nikos -  We rescued this little Greek hare hound from the mean streets of Athens, and it was the BEST decision we ever made.  He needed us (he was literally eating out of dumpsters and drinking from a polluted river, covered with ticks and fleas) but let’s be honest, we needed him more.  He has brought such happiness to our little family.  Because of him, we’ve hiked the mountain in our neighborhood, met friends at the dog park, and bought every toy available through Amazon Prime.

Original Marathon - As soon as we learned we were moving to Greece, we both said that we HAD to run the authentic marathon.  I ran it in 2014, and Mike will run it this year with some of our closest friends Kellie & Sean.  It truly is amazing to participate in something you’ve read about in history books.

Food & Drink - If there’s something the Lyons do well, it’s eat & drink. Greece has some of the best food.  I could eat a Greek salad every day (actually, I almost do...) and there’s nothing better than grabbing a chicken gyro for $2 at lunch.  And the wine!  Once you get used to the idea of just picking red or white, it’s kinda liberating.  No need to ask about Cabernet vs. Merlot, or what year varietal it is...you just say red or white, and they bring you a water bottle jug full of house wine that is delicious and a bargain.  Wine is cheaper than soda and beer.

I “learned” Greek - Greek is a hard language to learn, but I made a promise to myself that as long as I wasn’t working, I was going to take classes.  After 1 hour a day, 2 days a week, for 10 months, I graduated from survival and beginner Greek.  What does this mean?  I can order off a menu, hail a taxi, talk about the weather, and make it out of the farmer’s market with everything for the week.

Travel - Athen’s location has allowed us to travel a lot, both inside & outside Greece.   We’ve driven north to wine country, south to the beaches, we’ve visited 3 islands already with 2 more this month, as well as Istanbul & Rome.  We figure we might as well take advantage of this while we can.  

Lows of the 1st Year:

Not Working -  I started my full time job on Monday, which was almost 1 year to the date of our arrival.  While I know a lot of people who would love to take a year off work, it was definitely hard to do that in a foreign country, where I didn’t know the language, didn’t have many friends, and didn’t have a car for the first 4 months.  

Buying a Car - Although it’s a funny story now, at the time, finding and buying a car here was so stressful.  If you don’t remember, see my past post.  

Unproductive Sundays - We take for granted in the U.S. that almost everything is open on Sunday.  Here, you have to get all your errands run on Saturdays because nothing is open Sunday.  And since everyone else is running their errands on Saturday, places are packed. 

Being Far from Family & Friends - When you’re 7 hours ahead of the East Coast and 10 from the West Coast, it’s hard to keep in touch with family & friends.  Even though you know you’ll be far from everyone you know and love in the job, it doesn’t make it any easier.  A big shout-out to the 10 visitors we’ve already had here, and the 6 more on the calendar for later this year!  

[kellymlyons]

Greek Gyms: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

As I wait for my new job to begin (which is another topic that requires its own post), I’ve been going to the gym religiously every day. As I try new classes and experience the Greek way of working out, I’ve noticed some interesting observations.

1. Classes never start on time. A 10am BodyPump class usually starts around 10:08am. But don’t worry, it definitely ends on time at 11:00am. We’ve got things to do, people! Sorry if you were looking forward to the bicep track today. Not gonna happen.

2. Do you get to a class a few minutes early to lay your mat out and get a good spot in front by the mirror? Don’t worry about doing that here. Someone will come along and move your mat if that’s where they want to sit. No saving spots here!

3. Gym memberships are a steal. I paid $150 for the YEAR. Granted, you have to pay extra for spinning classes or use of the pool. But still, $12 a month is a bargain.

4. Equipment etiquette: In the states, I always pick a treadmill or elliptical machine a few down from the next person. But here? You could have an ENTIRE row of empty machines (which I do at 8am because no one gets there until 10) but inevitably, someone always comes along and chooses the ONE machine next to me. Coincidentally, the same thing happens at the movies. You can be in an entire row by yourself, but someone comes by and sits RIGHT next to you. I don’t get it, but I digress. 

5. My gym has a DJ. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s like a club every morning, listening to loud techno music while you sweat it out. But wait, you think to yourself, where IS the DJ? Don’t worry, he’s outside having a cigarette on his coffee break. He’ll BRB...in about 20 minutes. And if you can read the sign next to the DJ stand, it says “When the music hits you, you feel no pain.” I’m not sure that I agree with that, but I appreciate the words of encouragment in English.

6. There is a coffee shop adjacent to the gym. There’s a coffee shop next to every building in Greece, so that’s not really saying much. But people will come to the “gym” only to go to the coffee shop, drink coffee, and smoke cigarettes in their workout clothes. I guess that’s better than not going at all? Now I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure that the smell of cigarettes wafting through the air as people open and shut the cafe door is the worst kind of thing to inhale as you’re working out. I come home from the gym smelling like a college bar. (Oh Highlawn, how I miss you...)

7. My gym is on the corner of 2 of the busiest streets in Athens. The entire place has floor to ceiling windows, so it’s great for people watching. And since traffic is ridiculous from 7:00am to midnight, cars are just stopped in bumper to bumper traffic, watching everyone working out. 

[kellymlyons]

Nothing is EXACT in Greece

In general, I’m a rule follower. Okay, there were those rebellious years in my teens when I broke all the rules and got grounded on a regular basis. But in general, I like to have order and structure. I was raised to believe that there was a right way and a wrong way to do things. Part of that is admittedly being American. We like order and structure, and most of our decisions are black & white, not shades of grey.

So imagine my surprise (and horror & frustration) when we moved to Greece last summer and my mind was blown. Rules are more like guidelines. We call this the land of 70%...things are never quite what you need.  For example:

1. Hot Yoga: I’ve taken hot yoga classes in several states, and it has always been a 90 minute class in a 104 degree Fahrenheit (40 degree Celsius) room. Don’t believe me? Even Wiki agrees. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikram_Yoga

But In Greece? The class is 70 minutes in a room that’s 35 degrees Celsius, which is like 95 F. I’d call that hot-ish yoga?  Don’t get me wrong, I still took the classes. It just wasn't EXACTLY what it should have been...

2. Pharmacies: They are not like pharmacies in the States. Here, they are on every corner, literally, and they sell beauty products, not prescriptions. But some have really good, high end cosmetics and beauty creams. So the other day, we went in and spoke to a friendly saleswomen who spoke perfect English.  Mike said he needed hand lotion for the dry skin on his hands, and she raved about this one hand lotion. She even put a sample on his hands. When we got home, Mike said it felt really heavy and thick, but he guessed he just didn’t remember what it felt like in the store. Then we looked at the bottle, and it was FOOT cream. No wonder it felt thick, it said MUD foot cream. It’s nice lotion, but it wasn’t EXACTLY what we needed...

3. Body pump: I've taken body pump classes for years. It’s a standardized, global workout routine; 60 minutes with 10 tracks (8 workouts plus warm up and cool down). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BodyPump

But here? They never start exactly on time. Sometimes my 9:00am class starts at 9:05am, sometimes 10 minutes after, and if someone comes in late (which they always do) the teacher starts over. Seriously? And then halfway through class, the teacher realizes we won’t get every workout done (because we started late), so they will ask the class which body part they want to skip. Biceps? Not today. Abs? Sorry, maybe tomorrow. It’s a workout, but it’s not EXACTLY a body pump class. 

4. Parking. I've written about this topic before. You can literally park anywhere in Greece. Sidewalk? Yup. Middle of an intersection? Go ahead. 2 lane major highway through downtown Athens? No problem. And recently, I've been the victim of double parking. You read that correctly. They actually park BEHIND me, so I can’t leave. Sometimes they’re running into a store, sometimes they’re grabbing a coffee with friends, but it’s not EXACTLY a parking spot (not to mention it’s rude).

5. Massages: I love getting a massage, so when we moved here, I tried to find “my spot.” When I got to the spa, I was asked if I had my towel. My what? I didn't realize this was a BYOT massage place. And no, I don’t usually bring my own towel with me to massages. I asked if I could rent one from them. The woman looked at me like I had 10 heads. Rent a towel? We don’t do that. So off I went to the grocery store down the road, where I bought a beach towel. When I returned, all sweaty and frustrated, I was asked if I had worn a bathing suit. No, we go naked in the US, so I said I was fine and would go au natural. When I entered the room, the massage table was covered by 3 little paper towels, clearly taken from the bathroom. Needless to say, it was the worst massage experience of my life. And while it was technically a massage, it wasn't EXACTLY what I expected.  

[kellymlyons]

The best job doesn’t come with a paycheck

I’ve always loved dogs, and even wanted to be a vet when I was growing up. I volunteered at the SPCA in college, but it wasn’t until I got to Greece that I found a more consistent way to help dogs. 

After adopting Nikos last summer, I knew I wanted to help get other rescue dogs adopted. 

I started volunteering with a local animal shelter that rescues dogs that have been abandoned and are living on the streets. They take them to the vet, and try to find homes for them. I go once a week to walk the dogs, play with them, and socialize them. I’m also helping the organization with their website and Facebook page.

This is Lefke. The word for “white” in Greek is lefko (I learned this word early because it helps with wine orders), so this is “whitey.” 

This is Gabby. Her front legs are shorter than her back legs, so she always looks like she’s in the yoga pose downward facing dog.

This is Caruso. He’s got tons of energy and will do anything for a treat.

Fidelio is a Dalmatian who is absolutely gorgeous. 

And then there’s a mother dog with her 3 puppies. They were born in October and they are 3 girls, so I’m biased towards the 3 sisters :)

I was able to organize a volunteer day through the Embassy. 31 people came out to help at the shelter, and we even got 1 dog adopted!

He took Alex home that day, and now “Bandit” has a forever home. This is definitely the best job, but it doesn't come with a paycheck. 

[kellymlyons]

Rome by Vespa

One of the perks of living in Europe is the short, affordable plane rides to other countries. When I found round trip tickets to Rome for 50 euros each, I had to book them. We had 48 hours to see as much of the city as possible, so we decided to do it on a scooter. 

Our first order of business was food, obviously.  We figured what better way to kick off the weekend than with pizza and Peroni?

We took a tour of the Vatican museum, including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. It was all pretty amazing to see, and you could never see it all in even a few hours, so we saw the major highlights in about 3 hours. 

We had gelato after dinner. I also had gelato on the second night. My pants may have been a little tight on the flight back Monday.

Most museums are closed on Sundays, so we spent the day riding the scooter along the river, seeing the city including the Colosseum. The size alone is incredible. And I could totally picture the Russel Crowe moment in Gladiator when he entered the ring to fight. 

Our hotel was right in the heart of downtown, so we could walk to almost all of the sights. Trevi Fountain was under construction, and the Colosseum was being power washed on one side, but it didn't stop us from seeing them. 

I found a few old Italian lira in our change bucket at the house, so since Italy now uses the euro, I suggested we throw them in one of the fountains and make a wish. (okay, Italy hasn't used the lira since 1999, and I had never been to Italy before, so I don't actually know why I had the coins, but that's besides the point). Here's hoping our wishes come true...

We found this cool hole-in-the-wall restaurant for dinner, where he had mussels and a gallon of wine...okay maybe not a gallon, but a pretty big jug for 5 euros, and it was delicious.  

We packed a lot into 48 hours, and hopefully we'll get a chance to go back again. 

[kellymlyons]

Riding a Vespa

[kellymlyons]

48 hours in Rome

[kellymlyons]

Year 1: 50% Done.

Today marks our 6 month anniversary in Greece, which means we're halfway through our first year and we've completed 25% of our entire tour.  I've heard the saying many times, "the days are long but the years are short."  And it holds true even here. 

6 months ago, I had no idea what this adventure would look like. But as I reflect on the first half of our first year, we've done a lot. 

73 Restaurants dined at

32 Gyros devoured (Mike has had way more)

27 Greek Salads eaten

2 Island visited

4 Flights taken

8 Beaches been to

11 Historical sites visited

15 Metro Stops navigated

4 Hotels stayed in

8 Gym classes taken in Greek

9 Greek cities visited

14 Athenian neighborhoods explored

72 Taxis rides hailed

11 Greek coffees consumed (they're intense)

3 Greek beer brands drunk (there are only 3)

8 Books read (I'm usually watching Netflix or Amazon Prime)

[kellymlyons]

Missing Things From Home

Sometimes you just need a little bit of home.  For me, home is:

A tall, skinny vanilla latte at Starbucks

Going into Target...because you always find something you "need"

Turning on my DVR and picking what I want to watch

Opening my mailbox on a Friday to find an US Weekly or People magazine 

Meeting up with friends for dinner or drinks on a whim, instead of scheduling it a year in advance

Getting into my car and driving we solved this! (see previous post)

Most importantly: FAMILY.  Luckily, my parents and younger sister came to Greece for the holidays, and I got to spend 12 days showing them around Athens, visiting Crete, and speaking English almost all day. 

Here's a short video of our holiday.

[kellymlyons]

Cummings Christmas in Greece

[kellymlyons]

The Adventures of Buying a Car in a Foreign Country

We've been looking to buy a car here in Greece for the past few months. At first, we thought we'd buy a car from another American family who would be leaving the embassy, but we couldn't find anything in our price range. So we asked the local Greeks how to buy a car locally. They recommended a dealership that sells used cars, or buy a car online, similar to cars.com or Craigslist in the US.

We went to dealerships and found a few cars that we liked. When we asked about payment options, we were shocked. Do you take credit cards? No. Do you take checks? No. Cash only. These are established car dealerships, like Toyota and Kia. But cash only. And when we went to the ATM, it only lets you take out 500 euros a day, so we had to keep going back to the ATM every day taking out the maximum, until we had enough for a car. The inefficiency is astounding. 

After that, we were told by Greek colleagues, just go to cars.gr and there are lots of cars for sale. So we went online to said website, and found lots of cars in our price range. We called 9 different sellers about their ads, and ALL 9 said the same thing to us: "That car? We sold that car months ago!"  To which we would respond, "Um okay, well then why do you still have a current ad up on the website?" As Mike likes to remind me on a daily basis, "Don't try to understand why..." This went on for several weeks.

Then one day, I was telling all of this to someone at the embassy and they said, "Cars.gr? No, the site is Car.gr (without the "s"). And low and behold, there IS another site! This site had current car ads, and we found 2 viable buyers.

After test driving a disgusting car that smelled like cigarettes and looked like an ashtray, we drove a really nice 10 year old car that was in great condition. The owner DID NOT smoke (hallelujah!) and the car was in our budget. But oh wait, don't get too excited yet, as we've learned in this country, it's NEVER that simple. 

Last Sunday, the seller came over with the car, let us test drive it, and showed us all the paperwork from the mechanic. Mike and I both said in unison: "We'll take it!" (nod to all Dumb & Dumber fans). 

We literally had an envelope full of cash in my purse (again, see previous D&D video link) but the seller said "Oh no, I can't sell the car to you today. We can't do business on a Sunday. We must wait until Monday." So we said, okay let's meet back up tomorrow. And the seller said, "No, I can't sell you the car tomorrow, because I don't have another car yet. I need to wait until I buy myself another car before I give up this one." UM, ARE YOU SERIOUS?! Then why are you selling this car?!?! Serenity now...

So on Wednesday, he called and said he was ready to sell the car. We met him at the Greek version of the DMV, and when we got to the front of the line, low and behold, another problem. The title to the car was still in the bank's name, not the seller, so technically it wasn't his car to sell. He had to go back and get the title changed to his name. He said don't worry, we can meet back up tomorrow (which was our Thanksgiving). We said okay, but on Thursday morning, we woke up to a civil servants strike, where all Greek government employees were on strike. Not only were all flights cancelled coming into and leaving Athens but the DMV wasn't open. Unbelievable. Or maybe believable, having lived here for 4 months now. The seller said no problem, let's meet Friday. 

So after this crazy adventure to buy a car in Greece, we FINALLY have a happy ending. Introducing Edith, our sky blue 10 years old French Peugeot. She's a stick shift, so I feel like I'm back in my first car, a 1985 Honda Accord. She only plays CDs that aren't burned, it costs 70 euros to fill the gas tank ($100), and the key doesn't fit in the driver's side door so I have to lock her from the passenger side. But I love her and can't wait to drive ANYWHERE I want :)

And for those who see a VW Golf in the background, yes that is our U.S. car that we shipped from DC back in July. It arrived the same day that we purchased the Peugeot for me. The irony is not lost on us. 

Gotta represent the JMU hoodie in Athens :)

[kellymlyons]

Unlike Pheidippides, I Survived the Marathon

Yesterday was the 32nd Athens Authentic Marathon. In case you were curious what my name is in Greek, you can see it on my bib.

What I observed during my (almost) 5 hours of the race:

Body hair: Greek men are some of the hairiest people in the world, and when they're wearing tank tops and short shorts, it's not pretty. I spent an entire mile thinking about this scene from 40 Year Old Virgin.

  http://youtu.be/oRKbez1LpWU

Running etiquette: I've run at least 10 organized races in the States, and there are a few basic rules that most runners follow. You don't abruptly stop without warning, you don't walk in the middle of the road when everyone else is running (move to the side!), and you don't take a swig of your Powerade and then throw it behind you without looking.  I got doused not once, but twice yesterday by someone tossing their cup without looking first.

Kilometers make a race both harder and easier. While 42.195 kilometers feels farther than 26.2 miles, the benefit is that there are water stations more often because they're every few kilometers instead of every few miles.

2 men were pushing their disabled children in joggers, and the spectators were cheering them on saying "Bravo!" and "Kalo Douleia!" I had to choke back tears because it was so sweet and moving. I was also crying a little because they were passing me.

I set a goal for myself to run the marathon in under 5 hours. Below are my unofficial results on the site, which clocked me at 4:58:57. Boom! 

My wonderful husband came early and waited at the finish line for over an hour to get this 2 second clip of me finishing.  Clearly I was so intent on hitting my time goal that I didn't even acknowledge him. Sorry dear.

I'm glad I ran the original marathon, but I am done.  Kellie Tucker and I had agreed to "1 and Done" but I made an exception for this race. Considering I passed out after the race and had to spend 20 minutes at the Red Cross tent, I'd say I'm confident that this was my last marathon. Back to half marathons, which are a much more manageable distance.

Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to get in the bathtub with a beer. 

[kellymlyons]

Mike filmed the last few seconds of the marathon, as I entered the Panathenaikon Stadium. The clock is the running time from the start of the marathon, but because I was in starting block #5, I didn't start until almost 9:15am. While the clock said 5 hours and 9 minutes, I actually completed the marathon in 4 hours, 58 minutes, and 57 seconds.

[kellymlyons]

F*ck The Mediterranean Diet...at least in Greece

For years, people have said that the Mediterranean Diet is the best diet in the world.  People live the longest in this part of the world, have less instances of cancer and heart disease, and reduced incidences of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801

But I call bulls*it on those claims, at least in Greece.  Here's why:

1. There's no fish here. Yes, you read the correctly. I live in a country surrounded by water, but the sea has been over-fished, so it's almost impossible to find salmon or shrimp on restaurant menus or in the grocery store.

2. Bakeries line every corner.  You can't walk 10 feet in Athens without running into a bakery. And people eat baked goods all day long.

3. Cigarettes; most Greeks smoke.  Now I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health, and it ruins all that "healthy heart" olive oil that they eat. 

4. Feta cheese: Greek salads come with a block of feta cheese on top, which is the saltiest cheese you can eat.  The high sodium content makes you retain water, which causes bloating.

5. I've gained 6 pounds since we got here.  I'm eating the typical Greek diet here with little to no processed food and TONS of veggies. I walk everywhere (15,000-20,000 steps a day).  And I'm training for the marathon.  And yet I've still gained weight. And don't tell me that muscle weighs more than fat.  If my jeans are tight, my jeans are tight.