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Graffiti. Thank you, Athens, for reminding me of this vital piece of urban culture. Turns out I kind of missed it.

Taking the subway from the airport into Athens felt like a homecoming for me. While Egypt was a totally unique culture-shock experience and Cyprus really felt like being on vacation, Greece is a modern Western country, and I couldn’t be happier to be here. The place I’m staying at, “Hostel Aphrodite” (or the “Mighty Aphrodite” to its fans) is the first place I’ve stayed that actually feels like a hostel. And for once, I’m the oldest person in the room, not the youngest.

I’ve already met a lot of really cool people here. Too many to enumerate, though I desperately want to just so I don’t forget any of them. Hannah, the Australian bartender here at the hostel, is by herself a reason to visit Athens.

I spent yesterday seeing the sites around the acropolis with Manuelita, a sweet Argentinian still working on her English. We went to the beach afterwards, and I got the chance to go swimming in the sea during a beautiful sunset.

Tonight I am spontaneously headed by ferry to an island called Paros, to experience the famed Greek island life with a Vancouverite named Melissa. She convinced me to join her after a shot of ouzo where we toasted to Joss Whedon instead of with “yamass,” the Greek for “cheers.”

Saturday I’m planning on a day trip by bus to Delphi, and maybe I can convince someone to join me for that.

On a totally separate note, I ate traditional Greek meals yesterday: mousaka (a kind of meat and potatoes pie) for lunch and a chicken-bacon kabob gyro for dinner. Yum.

And on yet another note, the only issue I’ve really run into traveling is that I use my phone for a timepiece and I haven’t been able to charge it, so I really need to buy a watch somewhere.