Day 43:

High: Seeing the sea, feeling the sun on my skin, saying yes to the calmness and serenity (despite the fact that I am very stressed about midterms). 

Low: Going to an Irish pub for lunch. Not that I don’t like pub food, or Guinness, but I don’t like pub food, or Guinness. 

Gratitude: I’m am grateful for the sea, pebbly beaches, and people who willingly give you their time. Because time is precious, more precious than rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. We are all given equal opportunity to experience this moment. And what we choose to do with this moment is precious. Today, Ηπω (Iro), a young athenian woman, gave us her time by taking us to the crevasse of Γλυφαδα, in southern Athens. She took us to see the sea.

Learn: I learned that I have been out of the country for 43 days. I also decided what I will sacrifice for lent: sugar (even honey), alcohol, caffeine. These things aren’t good for anyone to begin with, let alone the feebleness for which I fall to them in times of weakness (i.e. my period, being stressed about school, being stressed about boys, being stressed about being stressed, being stressed about dishes in the sink, etc…) And Lent, just in case you didn’t know, is a season in Roman Catholicism celebrating the time Jesus Christ walked in the dessert for 40 days and nights without food and water. During the 40 days leading up to easter one is supposed to make a sacrifice like Jesus did. I’m not religious or anything– just spiritual. I think it’s a nice practice to sacrifice things you might think you are attached to. Attachment is based on ego, but non-attachment is based on spirit. We must let go of our ego self in order to live spiritually in light of love and happiness. So, that is why I am giving up these vices! So, that I may become freed from the ego self attached to them.