Day 24: Exam Review & Study Day!
Sunday, August 17th
Today’s travel blog is brought to you by Dean in Ms. Amelio’s English class.
I felt my heart racing and my stomach aching as I rushed to finish my assignment. My mind was spiraling, trying to juggle final projects, the upcoming exam, and this blog that I just wanted to get over with. If I could just finish everything, it would all be over. One more day of hard work, and then it would finally be done. But today felt different from the past three weeks. It wasn’t just another day in Greece—it was a test of how much I had grown since arriving here.
I woke up exhausted, having stayed up far too late thinking about the work ahead of me. As if the culminating project and studying for the exam weren’t enough, this blog was also on my list. It felt almost unfair that a day so full of pressure didn’t come with some kind of break. But when the sunlight hit my face through the balcony doors, I stepped outside instead of hiding under the covers like I might have on the first day. Standing in the same spot I had when I first arrived, looking out at the same view, I felt a full-circle moment. The three weeks in between had flown by, but I knew I wasn’t the same person who had stood there before.
I showered, got ready, and took the elevator—the kind with doors you had to open by hand, not the automatic ones we’re used to—to the rooftop patio for breakfast. I greeted everyone and filled my plate with crispy bacon, a croissant slathered in Nutella, Greek yogurt with honey, and, unusually for me, a cup of hot coffee. I needed every bit of energy for what was ahead. After breakfast, we met in the lobby for our last class of the trip. Mrs. Amelio walked us through key concepts for the exam and checked in on everyone’s progress. As soon as class ended, I buckled down and worked non-stop for two hours before finally allowing myself a break for lunch.
A quick walk with friends led us to one last gyro stop. Along the way, I interviewed one of the history students, Caleigh. She told me her day was pretty relaxed and that she didn’t have much left to do besides studying for her exam in her room. I also talked to Simon, a photography student, who said he was buried in work and feeling stressed. I was surprised—I had assumed photography would be easy. Eventually, we picked up our gyros, and maybe it was just because I was starving, but it was easily one of the best of the trip. Still, I couldn’t enjoy it for long. More work was waiting back at the hotel. After wasting half an hour scrolling on my phone, I forced myself to focus again. I finished the script for my culminating video—but only after recording it more than twenty-five times before finally getting it right. By then, it was already time for dinner.
We went back to a restaurant we had visited on our second night—another reminder of how things were coming full circle. I ordered beef kebab, which tasted even better knowing this might be one of our last group dinners in Athens. On the walk back, I spotted the same man I had seen on my first day: wearing a Superman robe, walking three pit bulls with baskets hanging from their collars. It felt strange to see him again, like Athens was winking at me one last time before we left.
Back at the hotel, I dove into the hardest part of the culminating: putting the whole video together. I worked from 8:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m., glued to my screen. The hours slipped away without me even noticing. By the time I finished, I was completely drained—and I still had this blog to write. I set my alarm for 7:00 a.m., hoping I’d somehow find time to cram for the exam.
Looking back, I realize the most important lesson from today wasn’t about Greek mythology or history, but about myself. At the start of this program, I procrastinated everything—even the pre-departure work, which I left until the very last day before flying here. But now, on day 24, I can see how much I’ve changed. This program has forced me to grow up, manage my time, and take responsibility for my work. More than the incredible sights, meals, and adventures, that lesson is what I’ll carry into grade 12 and beyond.
Tomorrow comes the exam, and after that, the banquet. Just one more roadblock before this journey ends—and before I go home as a different person from the one who stepped onto that balcony three weeks ago.
