Spectacular Santorini

Today was our third day in Santorini and I think I speak for everyone when I say it was an absolute blast! Most of us decided to explore the unique beaches of the island. The first one we went to was the Red Beach. We arrived by bus and had to hike for about five minutes to actually get to the area. The red, rocky beach was surrounded by immense reddish brown cliffs – quite different from what we normally see! After a couple of hours in the hot sun and swimming in the refreshing ocean, our group decided to explore other parts of the island. Some of us went to the local wineries, and others (including myself) went to Kamari, the Black Beach, to spend the rest of the day. This was by far my favorite beach. The pristine black pebble beach was bordered by quaint little outdoor restaurants and cute shops selling jewelry, clothes, souvenirs, etc. The best part of this beach are the cliffs that line the edge of the beach – perfect for cliff jumping! In light of that, a few friends and I made our way over to the jagged cliffs to try it out for ourselves. Surprisingly, it was quite scary! With the encouragement of a few locals, we jumped off the edge into the crystal clear, emerald – blue sea. After doing our adventurous activity for the day, we laid on the beach for some time just enjoying the sun and one of our last days together. What a wonderful last day in Santorini! Tonight should be amazing as well…we can’t wait to get it started!

Brooke Lane

Another Ferry Ride

Today we sadly packed our things and said a sad goodbye to Santorini. Today marks the 10^th ferry ride of our trip. We have all become avid sailors and hardly ever suffer from seasickness anymore. We are all so excited to see what exactly is in store for us in Mykonos. We have heard so many stories about it from the locals. It is a bittersweet feeling as the trip’s end is nearing. We have all had so much fun traveling around the Greek islands but there are just some family members and things that we are all missing. We are all going to look back and remember this summer as being packed with adventure and meeting tons of new friends.

Ali Dyson

Don't Just Go

Life is filled with moments. Some may be just the blink of an eye, seemingly insignificant, and others can change you forever. However, I have found that the most inspiring, earth-shattering moments are those that leave you breathless and wanting more.

The days have begun to run together like thin water colors, but the moments remain bold—whether sailing from the island of Crete to the sheer cliff faces of Santorini or leaping from boulders into the icy sea, savoring the applause from locals and travelers alike. Two days later, and I am amazed at all the things I have done here in Santorini. I have slept in the sun on black sand beaches, explored the chasms and mysteries of an ancient volcano, breast stroked in the hot springs, and climbed the winding roads of Kamari to the ancient city of Thira in pursuit of geocache treasure. However, for me, one moment has defined my experience in Greece.

After a day of non-stop going, of adventure, of heat, a group of us sat on a crumbling brick wall, high above the caldera and watched as the orange sun sank into the haze of the waves. To my right, white washed buildings jutted out of the rock, domed in brilliant blue and bathed in crisp green lemon trees and purple bogenvelia, and over my left shoulder islands floated in the mist. Hundreds of feet below my dangling nikes, the harbor unfurled and little orange and blue sailboats cruised the coast, yet the most awe inspiring view was directly ahead. The sea undulated blue upon blue, rolling and falling like the breathing belly of the earth and the sun hung by an invisible string, lowered to sleep by God’s hand. All around me there was commotion—tourists taking photographs, chattering children, and couples holding hands, laughing, yet within me there was silence and resolution. Time stood still. As the crowds began to fade, after the sun had dipped below the curve of the world, a few of us remained to watch the lights come on in the city and the stars burn in the dark sky. Listening to Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah and enjoying the moment with a few close friends, I felt full, not just content or satisfied, but filled with joy and purpose.

After experiencing a moment like this, I can exhale—truly release and reflect. My advice for all of you would be to get up, right now, and exhale. Don’t watch, as your life slips away beneath the curve of the world, don’t wait for opportunity and direction—stand up, go out, and find it. As my amazing friends here have taught me, have a sense of humor, especially concerning your shortcomings. Give yourself enough time to enjoy life. Don’t just learn, understand; don’t settle for happy, feel joy; and don’t solely exist in space, live in love and faith.

Don’t just go. Lead.

-Annie Herndon

One WIld Ride

Today we went on a boat tour of Santorini. We first went to a volcano that we hiked up. It was really strenuous because of the heat, but getting to the top was worth it. On this trip I have felt such wonderful feelings of accomplishment, and today I felt another after hiking the volcano. Next, we sailed to the hot springs, which were actually not too hot. After that, we went to Ia, which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. To get to the actual town we had the option to either hike or ride a donkey to it. Since I have never ridden a donkey, I decided to try it. It was a decision I will probably never try again. I was more terrified going up that mountain on a donkey than I was when I went bungee jumping in Corinth. It was a wind ride! However, once we got up to Ia, it was extremely picturesque and beautiful. We went shopping and saw some of the most creative and wonderful pieces of art around the town. There were canvas paintings of Santorini, glass-blown ornaments, and exquisite Greek coin necklaces. The people in Ia were extremely kind and accommodating as well. As our day ended, we headed a beautiful church to watch the sunset over the water. Unfortunately, we had to leave after the sunset, and made our way back to the hotel.

Today was so wonderful but every time I look at my clock on my phone I realize what day it is. It is June 13, meaning that we only have 7 days left on our amazing trip. We have learned so much on this trip about Greece, service, leadership, and most of all, ourselves. This trip has really made me take a hard look at myself and see how I can improve myself to become the person I want to be. I know that everyone else has felt this way too. While we may not be in a traditional classroom, the lessons I have learned are so much more valuable than anything I have ever experienced. My biggest hope for this group of leaders is that we can all take back what we have learned here, and help to make the world a better place each day.

Austin Bloom

What Matter's Now?

You failed. You messed up. No matter how much you soak in disappointment or despair, life will not stop for you. The sun will still tomorrow. The music will still play, and the beat goes on. So what matters now? Rhythm. It’s what makes or breaks a dancer. You may have the ability to count the most intricate beats, you may have the most graceful pirouettes, you may have lightning fast footwork, or you may have the crunkest moves the street has seen, but if you don’t have rhythm you have nothing. Even when your foot slips, your heal breaks, and you mess up, if you mess up on beat, you still look fly…and now you just have a whole new dance move. Life is nothing but a mind blowing, heart stopping, oh my God…I think I’m about to blow my speakers out kind of beat. Listen to the beat. When you’re done, listen to it again…because this beat never stops. Do not let the beat be your master, and do not try to make the beat your servant no matter how much your pride insists on it. Let the beat sink into your bones, and wait…make sure you still here it thumping. Have the courage to let it sink deeper into your into your heart, and then let it marinate your soul. As your body effortlessly moves in a trance with the beat, you will feel the rhythm you were made to dance to. It does not matter how badly you mess up or fail in life. Just listen to the beat. All that matters is that you keep dancing with your rhythm. If you feel lost, take the intensity down and do the “white boy shuffle” for a minute. If you have truly found your own rhythm, it will come back to you. You will fall on beat, and your failure will become a part of your dance. Rhythm. Be grateful for it. Without this beautiful gift, your failure has no hope of redemption. Right now I have failed. I have fallen and I have messed up. What matters now? The unyielding strength of my Rhythm. So failure where is your sting? You might be strong, but I am stronger. Your resulting shame might last long, but I can dance longer. I will not try to pretend you do not exist, or avoid your consequences. I will let you dance to the beat, but you will do it with my rhythm, and this rhythm will redeem you. Failure, when I am done with you, I will have an awesome new dance move. I will not stop dancing, because the beat will always go on.

Amrutha Renganathan

Last Leadership Lesson

Today was our last day of lecture and our last day in Crete. Vince and Barbara shared many great stories and lessons on leadership with us and Kevin did a great job tying everything back together. Here are 10 of my takeaways from leadership week.

1. Prepare yourself to be lucky
2. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
3. Speed of trust = Speed of change
4. Authentic Happiness = Family, Faith, Friends, “Flair”
5. Attitude is the only thing you can control in life
6. “Women are the thermostat of their family” -Barbara Dooley
7. “If money can solve it or cure it, it’s not a problem” -Vince Dooley
8. Adversity if not the exception, it’s the rule
9. We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give!
10. “Big Team, Little Me” -Vince Dooley

Rachel Harwood

Never Give Up!

Today was a fantastic day in Crete, Greece. We began our day with a few of the most inspirational speakers I have ever had the privilege of hearing. The kick off was from Coach Vince Dooley. He spoke to us yesterday about “building a team,” but today he coached us on the importance of trust. He said that the more value placed in our aspirations, the better we will perform. Dr. Betty Siegel followed Coach Dooley with what it means to be a true leader: trust, respect for difference, and optimism. She, of course, had some hilarious stories and examples to share with us.

Our last speaker, Mrs. Barbara Dooley talked to us about overcoming obstacles. She was able to make us laugh and cry, and I know her talk meant more to me than she could have ever imagined. I have chosen my life in three words to be “never give up” after Mrs. Barbara Dooley. She inspired us today to keep going no matter what by keeping a good attitude, setting goals to complete, keeping our integrity, and staying true to our faith. She taught us that no matter how hard and rough life may seem, it’s never worth giving up the fight. She was an excellent speaker, and I know now that I want to live everyday with Mrs. Barbara’s perspective.

After our class, our room was fortunate enough to have lunch with the Dooleys, Siegels, and our current teacher in residence, Dr. Sandra Whitney. It was probably one of the best meals that I have had while in Greece, for both the company and food. Mrs. Dooley is one of the most amazing women I have ever met, and with her there is never a dull moment. I thoroughly enjoyed lunch, discussing everything from books, plants, and the current UGA administration with all of our elders. It was a blast, and I hope to keep contact when we return to Athens, Georgia!

I know most of us are dreading have to write our paper that is due Sunday, but we have to get it out of the way so that we can enjoy Santorini!! I’m extremely excited about riding the donkey, volcano tour, and jumping into the hot springs once we get there (so I better get this paper done ASAP). I have enjoyed our time here in Crete, but I’m definitely going to miss our front desk host, George. At least we are Facebook friends so that I can look him up when I come back to Greece. Off I go to start on my paper….or maybe just go to the pool for a little while.

Ali Dyson

Living It Up

We are all having an amazing second week here in Crete! Today we continued with our lectures by listening to Dr. Betty Siegel discuss the importance of ethical leadership and maintaining trust, respect, optimism, and intention when leading a group. Then Mrs. Barbara Dooley talked with us about overcoming obstacles, including stories of her own such as dealing with cancer. It was very interesting to listen to both of them speak and feel very privileged to have them here on the trip with us! We’re also starting to work on our papers that are due Sunday, as we don’t want to have to deal with them in Santorini during the activities they have planned for us there.

We have been having such a great experience here in Crete, along with our time in Greece as a whole. I think we have all gotten a lot closer since coming here to the islands and it’s hard to believe we now have less than two weeks left here with Global LEAD and in Greece. This last week and a half we all plan to make the most of our trip and take advantage of everything that is offered to us.

Katie O’Brien

Prepare for Luck

We started the morning off with a tour of Knossos Palace in Iraklio. We saw the ruins of the palace and learned about the lifestyle of the early Minoan civilization. After we toured the palace, complete with its own indoor plumbing system and exquisite murals we visited the Knossos museum, which housed artifacts found in the building. My favorite of all the artifacts was the jewelry of course, which was still intact and exquisite even after thousands of years (firmly supporting my belief that jewelry is always a good investment).

After the tours, we headed back to the hotel and got ready for class. Coach Dooley discussed how to build a successful team and what it takes for one to become a great leader. He told stories about coaching, and about players he had worked with and people he admired, but the theme that stuck with me the most was the idea of preparing yourself to be lucky. It’s never something I had really thought about before. I know that great things don’t just fall in your lap, you have to work for them, but I never thought about the fact that I might miss out on something great just because I’m not focused enough or prepared enough to take on that opportunity. He said there are 5 P’s we should remember -Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. By having goals and knowing what you want you can focus your efforts on achieving that outcome no matter when the opportunity arises.

He also told us to not feel defeated in times of adversity but to realize that adversity creates those opportunities.

Coach Dooley’s talk left me determined to focus on what I really want and push harder to prepare myself and I can’t wait to see what can happen when the opportunity arises.

Kaitlin Byard

Living the Life!!

Living the Life!

I feel like everyone is extremely happy here in Crete! We have all become great friends with the hotel owner George and everyone has clocked in some major laying out time. Besides spending time by the pool (which has been VERY relaxing), I feel like we have all bonded a lot more and learned a whole lot about each other this week. After hearing Betty Siegel speak to us about the importance of storytelling to send a message, it was great to hear everyone slowly get more comfortable with sharing some pretty deep stuff with each other. I feel very blessed to have gotten to hear such a strong woman tell her story and spread her word to us and I am excited to hear what the Dooley’s have to say this week! I have really enjoyed getting to see this part of Greece. I went sea kayaking the other day with a group of people and it was one of the most beautiful settings I have seen in my life. The water was beyond blue and getting to be on the water simply magnified its beauty.

To put it simply, I am living the life here in Greece. There has not been one moment on this trip that I regretting choosing Global Lead. I am getting to see this country in a way very few people will ever get to see it in their whole life and I don’t take one second of it for granted. Its weird to think that we have less than two weeks here and even weirder to think we have already been here a month! It seems like just yesterday we were scavenging the streets of Glyfada. It’s going by way to fast L

Jordan Luedde

Legendary Lunch

My alarm went off around 7:30 this morning and I immediately got out of bed. I got ready and went down for breakfast just to find out that our class had been postponed until 2. Yesterday, the Dooley’s arrived in Crete and my roommates and I, as well as Matt and Dustin, were given the opportunity to take them to lunch. I sat anxiously for 2 hours trying to figure out something to do. As the clock approached 11:45, I started to get butterflies. What are we going to talk about? I tried to think of questions to ask Vince and Barbara but I couldn’t think of anything. And then I met Barbara. As we started to walk out the door for lunch, we turned around and realized that Vince was still inside. “Vincent, come on!” she hollered at him. The girls and I decided to start walking to the restaurant to get a table while the boys waited behind for Vince who was busy sending an email on his BlackBerry. We ate lunch at a cute little restaurant and we were literally the only people there. The conversation was great. I learned that the Dooley’s have a lake house very close to mine in North Georgia which was really neat to talk about. We learned about their four children and eleven grandchildren, the renovations going on at their house in Athens, and their experiences from traveling all over the world. Lunch concluded with shots of Raki and fried Greek pancakes for everyone. We quickly made our way over to the convention center where class was held. Today was Kevin’s first lecture about leading with values and vision. We watched a quick video and then broke out into community groups and discussed what we wanted to do in life, like our bucket list, and what we wanted to be. From there we narrowed it down and created our vision statement for life. Tonight, we are having our last group dinner in Crete at a tapas restaurant on the water. Tomorrow I am looking forward to the tour of Knossos and another lecture in the afternoon. As I sit back and reflect on today, I can’t help but think about what an amazing opportunity we have been given through Global LEAD to get to know the Dooley’s.

How many people can say that they’ve spent a week in Greece with UGA coaching legend Vince Dooley? Looking forward to tomorrow.

Rachel Harwood

Beautiful Day Trip!

Although the glass bottom boat ride and snorkeling trip got cancelled due to weather, our day in the city of Heraklion, Crete was one of my favorite days in Crete so far. A group of us left Monday morning to catch a bus to Heraklion- a city about 40 minutes away. After arriving, we split off into two groups. Some of the girls wanted to catch a movie at the cinema. The rest of us walked around town to get lunch, do some shopping, and explore. After eating a tasty hamburger at a café in town, we stopped in a few shops (including the most exciting stop of the day- Starbucks!) and then made our way to the port. On the water, we discovered the Venetian Fortress. Before exploring the fortress, built to protect the city, we walked around the port, taking hundreds of photos of the water, the mountains, and all the cute little fishing boats. When we got to the top of the fortress, the view of the water and the mountains of Crete was amazing. We spent the majority of the day in the city. We were all exhausted by the time we got on the bus back to Hersonissos. Even though I love the little village we’re staying in, it was so much fun to go and explore the city of Heraklion.

Jordan Martin

Sic ‘em Dawgs!

We started bright and early this morning and headed out to visit Knossos Palace. We covered about 2000 years in 2 &1/2 hours with the help of our tour guide Marina. We learned a lot of interesting information, a lot. I’ll do my best to hit a few key points. Knossos Palace was one of four palaces on Crete. These palaces date back to around 2000 B.C. Knossos was the head of all the Minoan civilization. The site today has been reconstructed to resemble what archaeologists determined the palace once looked like. In the center there is a three-part shrine/temple. The three parts represent the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. The queen’s quarters had running water. How amazing is that? 4000 years ago civilizations had access to running water in their palaces. The theatre on the grounds of the palace has been determined to be the oldest theatre in all of Europe. Sadly, around 1700 B.C. a volcano erupted in Santorini and brought Knossos temple to the ground. After visiting the reconstructed palace we took a tour through the museum. The museum is filled with ancient jewelry, vases, and other artwork that once adorned Knossos Palace. The tour was fascinating and I learned more than you care to read about so I will stop here.

We took a brake for lunch and then it was class time. We all took the DISC personality test and learned a few things about ourselves and each other. Coach Dooley wrapped us up with a talk about the importance of teamwork. I think we all could have listened to Coach Dooley for hours, but Barbara cut him off at about one hour.

I was lucky enough to end the day by having dinner with the Dooley’s! Needless to say, today was a great day! In honor of Coach Dooly; my life in three words is Sic ‘em Dawgs!

Abby Burke

Egg-celent food here.

On our four-day weekend we had some adventurous days. On Saturday we decided to go for the calorie-burning route and hike thirteen miles (the last mile was from the bus stop back to hotel, in Greece every step counts, and you’ll soon find out why) in the Samaria Gorge here in Crete. It’s the biggest gorge in all of Europe. It was beyond beautiful and we all felt extremely accomplished when we finished and saw the ocean in front of us.

Sunday was a relaxing day. Our first paper was due so most of us, summer procrastinators, worked on writing it the whole day. After 5 pm (the deadline) we hung out by the pool and then we went to our last dinner with Doug and Jack Toma. Unfortunately, they left this morning for Norway where Doug has an academic conference. Jack was sad to go, although I’m not sure if he was sadder to leave us, or the mini golf course he found here in Crete.

Monday was a day of eating. Starting with breakfast here at the hotel. It’s what they call “continental.” We had cereal, Greek yogurt, breads, cheeses, meats, toast, different jams, coffee, tea, and of course orange juice. Not exactly the continental breakfast we have back home, but it’ll do. A few hours later it was time for lunch. I went to this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Rahati. Usually my eyes are bigger than my stomach, however today that was not the case. I ordered a delicious farmers omelet with vegetables, AND a Dutch pancake with apples and cinnamon. The owner of the restaurant didn’t want me to order both, I had to insist that I would finish both meals before he would serve me. I finished everything, after all we did hike THIRTEEN MILES on Saturday. I needed the extra energy. The mentality on the trip is that while we are here in Greece we have to try everything, even if that means eating more meals than usual. I think it’s a pretty good way to look at life. You are what you eat, and here in Greece I am adventurous (trying everything once). Dinner was another authentic Greek meal, I know I’ll miss the food here!

This afternoon we also welcomed Kevin Scott, our fourth program director for Global Lead, and Barbara and Vince Dooley. Tomorrow Kevin is giving his first lecture, or as I like to call them “life lessons.” And the Dooley’s will give theirs later this week. We are definitely looking forward to hearing what they have to say, and are so excited and happy that they have finally joined us here in beautiful Crete.

Until tomorrow, or at least the next meal.

Rock My World

The Samaria Gorge was an eighteen kilometer feat and it rocked our worlds! The five hour hike was worth the trouble because of the GORGEous views!!

Abby Burke

21 Hikers Dominate 16 KM!

Today has been a rough day! I am extremely sore after hiking the Samaria Gorge yesterday-we hiked for 12 miles straight and I woke up barely able to move. We woke up at 4 a.m. to get on a bus that took us to the beginning of the gorge. The bus ride was about five hours long, and when we got off the bus it was overcast and kind of chilly. It turned out the weather was perfect-I can’t imagine what it would have been like with the sun in full force. As we were walking down the hill for the last mile or two, we saw beautiful water that was the most amazing blue colors. I think our eyes were so used to looking down at rocks for the previous four hours that the colors seemed brighter than they really were; either way it was a great end to a beautiful hike. We had a couple of hours to ourselves and six of us just sat at a restaurant the entire time and could barely move. We got on a boat to take us to where the bus was picking us up, and we got back home around 11. It was a long day but definitely worth the early morning!

Memma Sikes

The past four weeks that we have been here in Greece Global Lead have truly been an amazing, awesome, eye opening experience. This past week in Crete has been spent listening to some incredibly engaging lectures that have been quite thought provoking. We have had some great lectures from Garret, Betty and Joel Siegel, and Doug Toma. Dr. Siegel taught us that who we are?, where we came from?, and where we are going? are questions that will last us forever. We also learned that rock solid values are quite possibly the most important things in anyone’s life.

Today, most of the group went to the Samaria Gorge for an 18 kilometer hike, while the rest of us stayed at our amazing hotel and stayed by the pool or went a water park nearby. Today also consisted of writing our second paper, which is due tomorrow at 5 P.M. We have been asked to incorporate what we did while serving at the Praksis organization, in Athens, and what we have been experiencing throughout the whole trip, with the ideas and theories we have discussed all this week. This week of lectures really brought together what we have been doing here at Global Lead Greece. We have learned that service can provide meaning and understanding to life. We also learned that life is made of many experiences, and that each one should be enjoyed to its fullest. This week has truly been an incredible learning experience.

Matthew Roos

Rock My World

Ahhhhh, we love Crete. Today we (Garrett not so much) went sea kayaking. We kayaked to an old fortress that was used to isolate people with Leprosy. Ok, actually I just heard that it wasn’t a place for Lepers, but I still think it was. After we returned to shore, we stuck to our specialty of laying out. The beach was all rocks, so we did homemade hot stone massages. Matt also tried to prove his rock skipping skills. All in all it was a successful, and most of us will be hitting the sack early.

Tomorrow we are accomplishing another great adventure, hiking the Samaria gorge. We plan to wake up at 5am, take a 5 hour bus ride, hike for 5 hours, and hopefully celebrate to the next 5 am. Yet, our Crete to do list is still no complete. Activities: an observatory, three way banana boat, water park, aquarium, haunted winery, eat pizza from hotel, and most importantly crash a Greek wedding. RULE # 9 (movie quotes, Wedding Crashers) “Whatever it takes to get in, get in. “ If I spoke Greek, a toast would also be calculated into the wedding crash. However, we all know yamas…so yamas to another perfect day in Greece.

Kelsey McDonnough

WHAT KEFI IS

The feeling of accomplishment when you jump off a bridge into Corinth Canal while 24 of your best friends cheer you on.

Eating an orange every day fresh from the nearest tree.

Standing in front of the massive pillars of one of the oldest monuments in the world still standing.

Learning more about ourselves and recognizing the capacity we have to make a difference.

Hiking through the longest gorge in Europe.

Learning about the ancient Greeks while sitting in the Theatre of Dionysus—right in the heart of the story.

Sea kayaking to island of Spinalonga and climbing to the very top (where we aren’t sure if we were allowed to be!)

Watching the sunrise on a 6am bus ride to our hotel in Crete.

Spending post-dinner evenings wandering around town in search of the BEST gelato in the area.

Spending every day in one of the most beautiful places on this earth with 27 new friends.

Hannah Springston

Children dream big

Wouldn’t we be lucky if we could look at the world through a child’s eyes? These past few days have taught me a few things, one of them is to hold on to my childhood dreams and run with them NOW, and make them WOW.

This week I have had the pleasure of meeting five new people in Crete. Each of these five people has made an impact on my trip in a way that I didn’t know would happen. I can honestly say that I am looking at life differently today then I was on Sunday.

This week we learned about the Power of Living, the Power of Giving, the Power of Wow, and the Power of Now. It was a combination of all of these life lessons, the twenty-seven other students who have completely and utterly opened up to each other, and these five new people, that opened my eyes to the things that really matter.

Each day we did different activities to help us look at life and really evaluate why we are living and what our purpose is for the short time we have on earth. We worked on our Dash Project, or as Dr. Siegel would call it, the Hyphen Project, where we wrote two-hundred words on what we would want to do with the time between the day we were born and the day we will die. We wrote out our Bucket Lists. And today we each chose one word to describe “What matters now” and then wrote two-hundred words on why that single word means the world to us now.

As for the five people I met in Crete, my own little version of Mitch Alboms’ The Five People You Meet in Heaven, each of them taught me a different lesson that I will take with me from today forward.

Dr. Betty Siegel taught me many things, but there are three specific things I want to share. The first is that life should be intentional. No matter what you do or how you do it you should always have intention in every single action. Make things count because you don’t want to look back and ask yourself why you wasted that precious time in the “hyphen of life” on an action that wasn’t intentional. The second point she made was about the book Remembrance Rock by Carl Sandburg. The book basically says to make it a point in your life to ask three questions to remember your purpose. Those there questions are: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? When ever I get lost or forget why we I am here on this earth I will always ask myself those three simple questions, think of Dr. Siegel, and remember the lessons she taught me. The third lesson she taught me (but definitely not the last) was that everyone is a teacher. We are all teachers even if we don’t have the title. Look around the world and think about all of the people who have taught you something about life and you will realize that everyone you have ever come into contact with taught you something.

Jack Toma is the six-year-old sun (because he truly lights up the room) of Professor Doug Toma. Jack is absolutely incredible. He is, as Dr. Siegel said, not only smart, but intelligent. When you ask Jack a question he tends to pause before he gives an answer; his six-year-old mind works together answers that many twenty-year-olds wouldn’t be able to come up with. The lesson that Jack taught me is that you should look at life for the fun possibilities that it has. While he’s only been in Crete for five days he has already managed to find all of the arcades, water parks, and even McDonalds on the island. I had the pleasure of playing mini golf with him yesterday and he got FIVE hole-in-ones. He’s working on becoming the next Tiger Woods (pre-drama of course). Jack and I spent the entire afternoon together having an adventure and it was truly amazing to watch him as he saw everything, and I mean everything as something new. Things excited him that I would usually take for granted or in some cases not even notice. He showed me that kids see everything and that as we grow up we tend to get “selective sight” only really looking at the things we think are important. I plan on holding on to my childhood dreams, and looking at things from Jack’s perspective as much as I can.

Jack’s dad, Doug Toma, taught me that every person is the stories they have. Today Doug told us his life story. He went to college, ended up being a lawyer, and then was courageous enough to go back to school to become a professor because that was his passion. Doug not only shared the story of his life with us so that we could get to know him better, but he also shared a part of himself with us. There aren’t many people in the world who have had the opportunity to go back on their original decisions and change them to do something with their life that they are really passionate about, but Doug was able to do that. He showed me how special being happy with the job you choose is and because of him I now know that I won’t settle until I am 100% happy with what I am doing in life.

Joel Siegel, Betty’s husband, is also an extraordinary person. The one thing he said that matters most now is “what?” He said it’s the constant questioning of our selves, our lives, and our world. It’s not about the answer, but about the question and the journey that gets you to the answer. Everything is a work in progress; nothing is ever complete because we have to always question what’s next.

The fifth person I met this week is Garrett Gravesen. Garrett is one of the program directors of Global Lead. One of the many things I have learned from Garrett is how to be humble. Garrett seems like your average twenty-something guy, full of life, looking for love, and enjoying his time in Greece. But, in reality he is more than what you might see on the surface. Garrett not only helped co-found Global Lead, but he also started UGA Hero. He is a perfect example of live then give, and he has truly dedicated his life to service and to helping other people see what it truly means to live and to serve.

The Five People I Met in Crete, the twenty-nine people I met before Crete, and the other people who I have yet to meet, have become my teachers, peers, and most importantly my friends. It’s truly awesome, in every sense of the word, how many things I have learned so far. Together we have pushed limits, laughed, and even cried. We have served, we have listened, and we have taught. I think it’s safe to say that now, more than ever, Global LEAD Greece is living in the now and holding on to our childhood dreams.

Meredith Broudy

Tighten the Knot

We have finally arrived in Crete! It is absolutely amazing here and I never want to leave. Our hotel has such a breathtaking view looking over the island and the ocean.

This week we are finally in the classroom and it has been a great experience. We have talked about the Power of Living, Now, WOW, and Giving. Today was the Power of Now. We heard a lecture from our professor, Doug, and he gave us his testimony. We watched a few videos on the Power of Now and heard from our guest speaker, Betty Siegel. The Power of Now is really a great thing. We talked about what matters now in your life and what you are going to do about it. You need to truly live and put yourself out in the world and make things happen now. We need to take things slow and enjoy them now before they are gone and we can never look back.

We had to choose a word and have it describe what matters now. My word was knots. Knots hold everything together and in my life it is my family that helps tie my knot together. At the end of the day when things have gone wrong and my knot has loosened, it is my family who I know will make it tighter. Live in the present, not in the future or past. I have so much going for me and want to make so many things happen in life that will be worthwhile. One day this week we had to write a bucket list for our life. I never really thought of things I would want to do until I sat down and wrote out the list and it made me realize there are a lot of things I want to do in my life before I die and I hope to get as many of them accomplished as I possibly can.

So today my life in three words in “tighten the knot” because I need to remember that no matter what, I have people in my life that will help get my knot together and they are what matters most in my life and should never be put on the back burner. Nothing should come between family or friends for me.

This week has been truly amazing and it only makes me that much more excited to be in the classroom this week. Our program directors and all of our speakers and TA’s have made this such a worthwhile experience and I feel like I have already learned so much and will walk away from this trip a better person.

Madison Weiss

Live Wide Open

I had the breathtaking opportunity to climb Mount Olympus on the off week. This picture exemplifies my current life in three words. Live Wide Open is a broad, slightly idealized attitude that I am striving to achieve. If we can all be as open as this depiction to what is coming our way, be it physical or emotional adventures, challenges or opportunities, it will truly be hard to fail.

Rememberance Rock

Every once in a while, we should all stop. Cease the activity and turn off the noise that floods our daily lives. Reflect. Think about our own lives – the past, the present and what is to come. Dr. Siegel has generously taken time to accompany the members of L.E.A.D Greece this summer and share her experience, wisdom, and passion for leadership, service and education and to help us to do just this.

One year while Dr. Siegel was serving as president of Kennesaw State University, she had a crazy idea, a HUGE idea. She recently read a book, entitled Remembrance Rock and thought, “Why not put a rock in the middle of this campus?“ A huge rock. A rock for reflection. A rock for remembrance. This rock would be for students and community members to literally sit upon and as themselves several questions: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? What is the meaning? How do I matter? What is my legacy? To whom to I belong? To what do I testify?

These seemingly unanswerable questions are intimidating initially, but vital to personal development and growth and must be answered, and not just answered once. As young adults we are ever changing and in the middle of a metamorphosis of self. Awareness is the first step and answering these questions can be the next in our journey to greatness. A greatness that is not determined by salary, material wealth, popularity or power but rather by unwavering moral values, positive influence, selflessness, gratitude, and the amount of love, compassion and hope we are able to share.

Maybe we all do not have daily access to a huge boulder, but a small pebble in on the desk will suffice. A small, solid reminder to keep remembering who we are and what we intend to leave behind other than the physical possessions dispersed in our wills. And every once in a while, I think we should all find a big rock and park it for a half-day. There’s one in Kennesaw if you’re looking.

Hannah Jayne

W.O.W.

Day 2 of Leadership Week, and all I can say is WOW. Literally, WOW! We headed to our classroom a little after 9 in the morning to begin our discussion on the Power of WOW. Garrett started us off by sharing an inspirational story about a a man doing an anonymously good deed for a stranger in order to illustrate the type of lifestyle that WOW people lead. After, we read an article that explained the difference between living your life and living a WOW life. What I learned? The secret lies within one's expectations. The sky is the limit; anything is possible; don't stop until you accomplish your goals. WOW is for the strong, the determined, the willing. And the best part is...it's totally obtainable! We had a group discussion about different people in our lives who really stand out as motivators and encouragers. We spoke about family members, teachers, coaches, friends, mentors, everyone and anyone who has touched our lives. This real life application made me realize that anything is possible, and I can be anyone I want to be. Appropriately, we were given the chance to create a Bucket List after our discussion. Things we want to accomplish in our lifetime. Just to name a few of my favorites from my list: I want to meet Sarah Jessica Parker; I want to experience a live Mardi Gras; and I want to be at the ball park during a grand slam. The more experiences I have, the more likely I will be able to reach these hopes. The more WOW I put into my life, the more I will gain from each experience. WOW is not just a good deed, it is not just a great moment. WOW is continuous; it is a mindset; it is a way of life.

Jessie Friedrich

What It’s REALLY About…

Today marked day three of Education Week here in Crete. The past few days have been inspiring, enlightening, and emotional to say the least. After two great lessons from Garrett, we walked over to the conference center this morning for our first guest lecturer, Dr. Betty Siegal. Dr. Siegal was the president of Kennesaw State University before her retirement. She holds the title as the longest serving female president of a college or university in US history. Dr. Siegal has traveled all over the world and met with various national leaders. So needless to say, we had the opportunity to listen to a great lecture and have a discussion with an extraordinary woman.

Her topic of discussion was “Ethical Leadership.” She discussed people she had met, experiences she and her husband had shared, and then came to a close by offering us a quote that really hit home for me: “What you know is not as important as what you are.” That is what we’re learning here. We’re not spending hours a day in a classroom and skimming the pages of a textbook memorizing facts and dates. Instead, we’re studying ourselves—who we are and what we want to become. And with the help of Robbie, Beth Ann, Garrett, and Dr. Siegal, we are learning how to get from one point in our lives to the other.

In hopes of not sounding cliché and cheesy, I am having a blast learning about myself and creating new relationships with the other students. But, I am so excited and motivated to come back to Georgia and share my thoughts and experiences with my family and friends. I think they will without a doubt see a significant change in my goals and views of how I want to spend my day-to-day life from now on.

This afternoon, most of us will be lounging by the pool and walking through the shops in our town. Tonight will be the Grecian soccer team’s first game of the World Cup, and some of us will be heading over the sports bar next door to cheer on our new team.

The picture I chose for my “Life in 3 Words” was a picture of me upside down after jumping off the bridge in the Corinth Canal. I know you all have already seen pictures, but I chose this particular one because bungy jumping was definitely a statement for me of conquering my fears. I hate roller coasters, so for me to jump off of this bridge was a rebellious moment. From the moment I decided to actually jump, I have a new view regarding fears and apprehension—you shouldn’t have any. This has been for me ‘learning what I am.’ So, my 3 words are: Have No Fear.

We are all loving Crete and are so excited for Mykonos and Santorini in the weeks to come! Thanks for reading!

Loree Anne Thompson

Emotion-filled Day

I often find myself wondering how I get to be so lucky. I am so fortunate to be able to not only spend six weeks in this unbelievable country discovering and exploring the lessons of life with the most incredible group of people, but I was able to celebrate my 20^th birthday yesterday—truly the experience of a lifetime.

Yesterday did not begin how most of my birthdays usually have in the past. We began with our first class, The Power Of Living. On any normal day, I could spend hours pondering the ways of the world, discussing what makes people “tick,” and attempting to figure out my purpose for countless hours, so it came as no surprise that I was thoroughly excited for our first lecture. Emotions ran rampant as we watched the incredible story known as “Darius Goes West.” Emotionally stirred, we left the lecture to head to an undisclosed location for an undisclosed activity. When we arrived and the gates opened, my heart immediately skipped a beat. I found myself amidst heaping bouquets of flowers that showered countless tombstones in a small Greek cemetery. I sat in silence, unable to control the tears falling repeatedly from my eyes. It all seemed surreal, speaking of life and death on a day that marked my entrance into this world, when suddenly I felt an arm slip onto mine and a head resting on my shoulder. And although I already knew it, hearing the words, “you are never alone,” made me so incredibly thankful for this incredible bond that we have formed, and will continue to develop, here.

As the day continued, the emotional mood shifted to one of pure relaxation and celebration, and by the time night rolled around we were ready to take our newest home by storm. As one cohesive unit, we all shared an incredible meal and an even more unforgettable night on the town. We ate, we danced, we sang, and quite possibly made fools of ourselves, but every single moment was absolutely perfect. I cannot possibly think of a better way to have spent my birthday, but more importantly, I cannot think of a better group of people to have shared it with.

Lauren Shuster

Keep on Living

Today was Day 1 of leadership on the beautiful island of Crete. I was excited to refocus and get in the right mindset for this learning portion of our trip. Our lecture this morning was given by Garrett who spoke about the Power of Living. First we split into community groups to discuss what it really means to live. My group had so many great ideas and I enjoyed listening to each person’s opinion about what was important to them. Afterwards we read a powerful article about a man named James Shepherd whose horrible surfing accident and tough recovery inspired him to open The Shepherd Center, a catastrophic care hospital in Atlanta. One of the takeaway points of the story was persistence even in difficult situations and it helped illustrate a theory that Garrett presented: it either takes an incident or a tragedy to truly live life; sometimes called tragic optimism which leads to reevaluating one’s life. Robbie gave us three things that he strives for in travel and life in general: be intentional, be aware, be grateful. After sharing personal stories about this topic, we watched the film Darius Goes West. Even though I have seen it multiple times it still makes me laugh and cry every time. After the movie, we walked to a local cemetery. It really was one of the most beautiful cemeteries I’ve ever seen. It was small and surrounded an adorable little church. I loved how it was set up. All the graves were above ground and made of white marble. Each one was different and most of them were decorated with flowers, pictures, and letters. Some had glass keepsake boxes with various personal things inside. This is where we ended the lecture with an activity call the Dash Project. Basically this was a way to examine our lives by writing about what we plan to do with “the Dash in the Middle” which represents our live from birth to death. Visually it is the – between the two dates on our tombstone. It was a powerful activity that really made us think hard about what matters most in life. Today was very emotional and I believe everyone was a little shaken by the reflection, atmosphere, and location within the cemetery. I really enjoyed writing and reading mine out loud. If I wasn’t so verbose, I would insert my entire Dash in the Middle Project here but I’ve already said enough. So I will end with the last two sentences of my Dash assignment: “I want to use the whole dash- no dotted lines. I want my life to be made up of moments and memories that I’ll never forget until the end of my Dash.”

Jenna Chancey

OMG

Definitely just had the best week of my life. It started with a 5 hour train ride to Mt. Olympus, which we happened to get last minute “seats” on (sitting on the floor outside of the bathroom). However, we later managed to grab real seats with some Greek guys playing chess in the cafeteria. The Greek chess players, I will call them, spoke pretty great English and told us all about the cool places to go. They also mentioned how they liked our very white teeth. We also played a four-way game of chess that got pretty intense. My team won…of course. In the midst of our new friends we were also enjoying the most beautiful sights I have ever seen outside the window. My fellow Harry Potter fans, it was the train ride to Hogwarts. We arrived at our stop and said goodbye to our Greek chess players, who asked us for our emails (still haven’t received any mail).Once we arrived at our stop, we needed to find our way to the bus station. Luckily, we met this awesome old man who hopped on his bike, with cigarette in hand, and kindly guided us all the way to the bus station.

Climbing Mt. Olympus was indescribable, and I recommend that any who haven’t get on a plane ASAP. There was something so much more than feeling accomplished that took place on that adventure. As Dustin would say it was filled with a few of those moments in life that you will remember always, and change you forever.

Kelsey McDonnough

CRETE, WE’RE HERE

Take the Leap

We arrived in Crete at 5 am this morning after taking a ferry overnight. Although everyone was a little tired traveling to the hotel, we got to see the most amazing sunrise. Pinks, yellows, and oranges…it was amazing. We checked into the Galaxy Villas and are all very excited for a change of scenery. Our villas are perfect! The hotel sits up on the hill so every room has a balcony overlooking the town and water. We went on a walk around our little town this morning (although nothing was open at 7 am) and checked everything out. From the streets to the food, Crete is definitely a place that comes to mind when you think the word “Greece.” We all had the day off – some went exploring, some laid by the pool, and some caught up on sleep from the ferry! We are having a lecture tonight and then a group dinner to celebrate finally being in Crete!

Garrett joined us yesterday and got everyone excited about the upcoming Leadership lectures/activities. All of the speakers we have coming, including Garrett and the whole LEAD Staff are all so inspiring to our group. I think we have a good vibe going into leadership week and I am excited to see how everyone uses these lessons on life and leadership when we return to Athens.

Lauren Shields

Leap of Faith

Off week came to an end yesterday with a tour of the Ancient city of Corinth, a scenic boat ride down the Corinth canal, and most exciting of all, bungee jumping off a bridge over the canal. Coming on this trip, I knew that we were going to have the opportunity to go bungee jumping. This is never something that I would not have considered under normal circumstances however; I figured that spending the summer in Greece is a once in a lifetime kind of thing so I might as well do it.

When we arrived at the bridge, the people at Zulu Bungy got the 24 of us or so that decided to do it suited up in harnesses and ankle straps. At this point, I was excited and ready to go. Once we all headed down to the rickety bridge where the platform was, I realized what a long way down it was and my fear of heights started to hit me. I stood on the bridge for about an hour watching those go before me and felt myself get more and more scared. Finally it was my turn and after some tears and a pep talk from the staff at the bungee place and my friends, I knew that it was now or never. The guy on the platform counted down from 5 along with everyone on the bridge and when they got to one I jumped. It wasn’t the most graceful jump and I’m pretty sure that I screamed the entire way down, but the feeling of conquering my fear was incredible. The fall was so fast the it is hard to explain what it felt like, but soon enough it was over and I was safely back on the platform. Bungee jumping was surly a leap of faith for me because it is something that I never thought that I would ever do. I am so glad that I was able to take that jump because the reward of actually doing something so out of your comfort zone is incredible.

Today, Saturday is out last day in Glyfada for a while. Tonight we have a dinner with our community groups before heading out on an overnight ferry to Crete. I am excited for the change of scenery and to spend the next two weeks taking classes and exploring a new part of Greece.

Kelsey Foster

We’re Freaking Out

Today was our final day on the island of Andros for our getaway trip during off-week. We woke up early and hit the beach around ten or so, and me, Hannah, Beth Ann, Dustin and Madison grabbed some brunch at a local café (same local café we went to for lunch and dinner yesterday, we like simplicity) and all got omelets. They were delicious and Greek omelets we found out come with French fries in them.

The main event today was what all of us could not stop talking about, as the tomorrow the day will finally be upon us… bungee jumping. Now what seemed as an activity that seemed far off in the future and not even real is quickly becoming a reality as we count down the hours until we all go off the bridge. Unfortunately, this blog entry as well as today is kind of like the opener of an Eric Clapton concert… everyone is excitedly anticipating what is ahead and isn’t really that interested in what’s currently happening. But we’ve all been motivating each other and keeping sprits up for the big jump tomorrow, some of us even preparing face masks (Hi Madison Weiss) or Superman capes (oh hey Carrie) to show off our originality. But we all made the best of our fears and had a great time at the beach for our last few hours in Andros, soaking up the sun, playing Paddle Ball, and reading. Then later in the afternoon we checked out of our hotel, said goodbye to our new friend/hotel manager/break-dancing aficionado Roberto and took the taxi ride to the port. It was a close call but this time we were 17 for 17 in everyone making it on the ferry ride back home safely to Athens and then to the hotel in Glyfada.

After getting back, some of us went to our standard dinner staple of Zaxos for our “Last Supper” before the big jump for some gyros and spicy cheese dip. Then after that we grabbed some gelato and came back to the hotel to try to relax a little bit and calm our nerves before tomorrow. I can’t wait to see what these next three weeks has to offer full of adventure, learning and growing as well! I think it’s safe to say we all are having an amazing time here in Greece, and cross your fingers none of us ruin Corinth’s perfect bungee jumping injury record!

Katie O’Brien

Life's a Beach

After a 2-hour ferry ride, 17 of us arrived in Andros yesterday morning. We hitched a taxi from the port to the hotel. (It was the scariest 10-minute ride of my life.) After much anticipation, a tiny little bit of seasickness, and almost having a heart attack in the cab we were here. It’s incredible! The island is beautiful. We’re staying at a tiny little hotel that’s built into the side of a hill. I wake up in the morning and look out over the sea. Life is so serene and calm. The streets are practically empty, except for the shop owners who sit in chairs by their doors. I’m pretty sure we doubled the population of the town whenever we got here, and EVERYONE knows were here. The jewelry stores are offering half off, the restaurants are busy and the grocery store is being hit up multiple times a day.

A couple girls and I found a little cove where the water crashes onto some rocks. The water is so clear you can see straight down to the bottom. There are bright red anemones living in different nooks and crannies and snails cover most of the wet part of the rocks. We laid out our towels and enjoyed the sun, the seclusion and the sound of the ocean. After a couple hours of baking we finally got up the courage to jump in. Well, more of a slow dipping in, we never really had enough guts to actually jump. Today I bought a mask for 6 Euro and swam around chasing the fish. Best 6 Euros ever!

It’s been a blast and a nice little break to fully reflect upon all we saw and experienced last week, and to prepare for classes next week. Every morning I wake up and I thank God so much for this incredible opportunity to live, learn and grow. I look around and life seems surreal. I can’t wait for the next adventure… But for right now I’m enjoying life at the beach!

Kaitlin Byard

More Kefi Please!

It’s finally the off week and the only way to describe where I am right now is Heaven…aka the island of Naxos! I am here with Abby, Memma, Lauren, Matt, and Loree Anne and we are having the most amazing time. We had to wake up at 5 in the morning yesterday to catch a giant cruise ship to Naxos. As we pulled in, it was everything I had ever imagined the islands would be and more. White buildings, blue tops, and blue shutters painted the coastline. The water went from deep blue to a vibrant turquoise and you could see giant white rocks scattered across the bottom. As we got off the ship, we were basically running to get to our hotel, into our bathing suits, and head straight to the beach. We are staying at Hotel Galini; a little Greek family, who could not be more excited that we are staying here, runs it. We are right by this beautiful beach called St. George and today we hopped on a bus to a more secluded beach called Prokopios. Last night we went to a Mexican restaurant called Picasso and we ate more food than I have ever seen 6 people eat in my life. We then walked the streets of “The Center” and had a brilliant idea…we decided to pretend that it was Loree Anne’s bachelorette party so that we could get some free stuff. As soon as our waitress figured this out, we got the royal treatment. We lived it up and had a great time being given free things; we’ve decided it’s going to be Matt’s birthday tonight, Happy Birthday Matt!

Going from service week to this week makes me appreciate where I am even more. Seeing what these families go through and how difficult their lives are makes me realize I truly have “won the lottery in life” (as Robbie would say). I see now that I have been given gifts and opportunities that allow me to help others. I am so thankful that I chose Global Lead as my study abroad program because it has opened my eyes to a world I had only heard about!

My life in three words is “More Kefi Please!” I chose these three words because this trip just keeps getting better, and I can’t wait to see what the next three and a half weeks have to offer!

Jordan Luedde

Time to Relax

After an exhausting two weeks of non-stop activities and service, most of us were ready to catch up on some rest and relax. Our off- week started this past Saturday. While some of our group decided to spend the first part of off- week going on the adventure of climbing Mount Olympus, the rest of us decided to spend our days lounging on a few of the nearby beaches. Yesterday, Beth Ann took a group of us to Cape Sounion to see the temple of Poseidon. I can’t even begin to describe how gorgeous the sight was on the top of the mountain overlooking the sea. We spent a while at the temple taking pictures before we headed back down the mountain to a private beach. We snagged several lounge chairs and spent the rest of the day relaxing and sunbathing. We caught the bus back to Glyfada and stopped in town for dinner before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Today, a group of us took a trip to one of the private beaches here in Glyfada. After a few of our beach trips were cancelled due to weather, we were finally able to spend a beautiful, sunny day at the private beach. After a quick tram ride, we spent most of the day at the beach reading or napping. After getting some sun, we headed back into town to do some shopping and get dinner. We finally found the two-story grocery store this afternoon! We stopped to get some groceries and snacks for our trip to the island of Andros.

We’re leaving tomorrow at 5:15am to catch cabs to the port in Athens and then get on the ferry to Andros. I am so excited to visit this quaint island and spend a few more days at the beach before bungee jumping in Corinth on Friday!

Jordan Martin