By Luciana Lazzarino

We woke up at the crack of dawn in the center of the Hellenic world, or the city of Delphi. We gathered together outside the hotel to begin our run to the spring. Dr. Collins gave us to the location and said that this was to be a silent run in order to empty ourselves and then refill our minds with the inspiration of the Castalian spring. The run for me was a very spiritual experience. I listened to the wind, to my breath, to the running waters of the stream and to the cicadas buzzing in the air. The run to me was the most beautiful song of the earth I had ever heard. We all stopped at the location Dr. Collins had previously described to us and looked to the southeast toward the mountains and waited for further instructions. Dr. Collins then revealed Gaya, the Mother Earth to us, who was embodied in the mountain. It was the most spectacular panorama that is capable of inspiration over a lifetime. Then we all lined up to drink from the spring one by one. We learned earlier that the spring was very special to the Greeks and many famous writers, poets, philosophers and mathematicians such as Pythagoras drank from this same water.

After each had drunk we silently made our way back to the hotel for breakfast. Everyone was very calm and in a peaceful state while dining. Then we packed and boarded the bus to continue on our journey to the monastery of Osios Loukas, built in the 11th century. Our visit to the monastery was very interesting and a great contrast in style to the architecture and artistic expressions that we had seen throughout Greece. After our visit we returned to the bus and found ourselves in Athens for the last time. We had our final meeting and discussion, and then were allowed some free time to prepare for dinner which would be atop Lykavittos Hill. The view above the city, on the highest hill in Athens, was the perfect grand finale to our adventure. The Parthenon was in sight far below our perch in the sky. The restaurant too was perhaps one of the classiest places I had ever been. As we ate, realizations struck one after another – the entire trip seemed to have brushed by, and I am going to miss my friends so very much. We all vowed to never lose touch with each other, and I was so happy that such wonderful people had entered my life. The experience opened my mind to another level of appreciation for the history and the culture of Greece, and I cannot wait to return someday. This trip is truly one of my most treasured memories.