“Write a story for us”, they said, and I was more than happy to embrace that assignment… a month ago. Last night, terrified, I look at the blank paper feeling the weight of the task that had been given to me. Could I speak with enough ardor about more than 40 Odysseus lived by each participant and organizer of the TSU “Sea Wars: The port strikes again”? I am afraid I couldn’t. Sincerely, I will consider this article successfully written even if I achieve to bring only one piece of the atmosphere, of the adventure lived with a group of people that today I call my friends and companions in one of my best summer trips ever.
The time has come to gather all the pieces of one big jigsaw puzzle presenting 35 warriors who came to Greece, maybe to conquer one more countries on the map, but who also learned, seduced by the song of sirens, that Greece could never be that “one more land” you visited. You may leave, but winds of Ithaca will bring you back. As I am opening the jar of memories (that are currently floating in the sweet poison of ouzo), I find out pictures, words, songs, gestures, looks, and those silent moments when it was even hard to hear one’s breath because it had been taken by some gorgeous view.
Though it is against all my trying-to-keep-some-privacy rules, I will offer you my memories, dear readers, hoping that in your head you will live my two incredible weeks. While reading, I suggest you treating yourself with a glass of ouzo, or at least some sangría or Agua de Valencia – that would be so much in the spirit of our SU. So, bottoms up and… Imagine that a policeman is driving you to the opening ceremony of your SU. In the next moment you’re singing the happy birthday song to your sweetest and best organizer in 15 languages! Later, trying to take the last year’s SU reunion photo, you discover that the new guys are in such a mood for taking pictures that you give up telling them “no it’s just me and…”, and decide to cut them off in Photoshop but then, after sharing a room, drinking, laughing moments while watching the changing of the guard, ice cubes, your AEGEE experience, and impressions about the incredible perfection of ancient Greek art you know that you could never cut them off. They are the ones you will sail with for the next two weeks, the ones you will have by your side on the hotel’s roof, while your sight is getting lost between the white colleens and the night sky of Athens, the ones you’ll dance with, the ones who will teach you about their countries in so many different, creative ways.
You must understand, my readers, that you could hardly get to know them better, but let’s say that there was one special moment with each of them. Imagine learning about ancient Rome and the English royal family while the long-awaited bus is passing by your side, not stopping and provoking one big “Kurva!” reaction. Imagine making sweet surprises for your secret friend, sharing music moments with your Bulgarian brother who understands your look even better than your mother tongue, honoring your Slovakian roots by singing “Tancuj, tancuj” with your sweet friend from Slovakia, almost screaming “hijos de puta” to a DJ who, apart for putting like the best music ever, is giving you a cold, refreshing shower. Come oooon, have one more ouzo and picture us sitting and chatting in a must-be-a-pirate cave with the queen of all malakas, then making a modern myth about the Apple of Discord with the most beautiful Aphrodite ever and with the wise Athena that continues her friendship with Hera once that apple rolls-off and that sexy Italian, scusa, Trojan prince kisses the wonderful Helen. Nooow, imagine yourself in the huge cave! After the day visit you stayed there with a small group to camp during the night, you’re telling scary stories and then suddenly, out of the darkness… wait, that didn’t happen! Stop hanging out with that Indian guy, he has those… funny things (laughing balloons, of course).
Come closer, dear readers, to our final destination, Ithaki, where conversation with your lovely roommates is more precious than getting some desperately needed sleep, where one night you’ll get to enjoy in Greek traditional party (panigiri), where you’ll dance Greek national dance (syrtaki), eat free souvlaki with your favorite Spanish girls, where you’ll have a picture with the craziest drivers ever (and the competition in Greece is really strong), and Sponge Bob (???).
It’s the end of our journey and you are just realizing that your destiny is so much alike to a destiny of one turtle and that your first roommate with who you have shared rakija and bed have become your little Spanish sister after having those kind of talks you only have with very few of your best friends. You may be sad but actually you should be glad that you met one special guy who got to know you that well in 14 days that the last thing he told you made you shed a tear (and you don’t cry, cause you’re such a b***).
My dear readers,
I’m afraid that this wasn’t enough to feel the atmosphere of Sea Wars, so I am recommending you strongly to set your sails to the port of Piraeus next summer and dive into a great Greek adventure.
My greatest malakas ever,
You wrote me a story. I say efharisto for that.
P.S. Honey, don´t worry, I won’t die ho…hohoho
Written by SanCHa Uverić, AEGEE-Novi Sad