The last week has been nothing short of
hectic. Let me touch on a few of the beautiful things we covered and enjoyed
during week three on the island.
To start, we spent a few hours
volunteering at the local dog shelter, SAWA, walking dogs and learning about
the organization. The Santorini Animal Welfare Association takes in abandoned
dogs as well as donkeys and horses from all over the island. Tourists and
locals don't domestic their animals like we do in the states and use them for
work instead. Most of the animals are left to fend for themselves after the
owners realize how much work they are. Some of the Concordia students are
spending their month long journey caring for and walking these dogs. We were
lucky enough to take 30 dogs out for walks. And let me tell you. It was more
than eventful.
If you know me at all, you know that
dogs have my heart. Ever since my dog died nearly five years ago, I have
asked for a new dog. Every. Single. Day. So, as you can imagine, getting to
walk a dog for a couple of hours was oh so exciting. Although, it was
heartbreaking to hear some of the tales of the dogs, it was a beautiful sight
to see and hear the dogs excitement for all the visitors. The shelter relies
mostly on tourist volunteers with virtually no help...I was paired up with a
little white dog named Captain Zach. He had ADHD and the energy of 47 small
children, so naturally we fit together quite nicely and ended up bonding by the
end of the walk. I was extremely surprised at how quiet and gentle he was on account
of his living situation. I hope a family adopts the rambunctious little guy
otherwise he will stay in the shelter.
Now, for some other island related
business. For my photog class our assignment for the week was to find a Greek
myth to reinvent or modernize in a way. I chose to portray Dionysus, the god of
wine in female form. My lovely model, Kristi and I even rented a 4-wheeler for
this in which we tooled around the island like the adventure-hungry bosses that
we are....I shot tons of photos for the final product (photos at the bottom).
She looked like a badass in all of them so it was really hard to whittle them
down to 8... For Kristi's shoot, I got to partake in a dream of mine and become
a mermaid for a day along with a snake and a bird. I had to revisit my
beginning acting skills for this shoot as well in order to portray the goddess
Metis to the fullest. These shoots made me feel like none other than Tyra
Banks, hair, makeup, lighting, the whole shebang.
Thursday, we took a round
trip 2.5 hour hike to the tippy top of the island, Profitis ilias. Even though
it was a bit foggy that day, the view was nothing short of spectacular.
Yesterday, we returned from a one-night trip to the neighboring island of Ios. We took a speedboat ferry to the island that was nauseating to say the least. We stayed at a bare minimum hotel and enjoyed the gorgeous white sand beach and view. Then all 19 of us showered, dressed, and hit the town for some food and clubbing. It was a quick little trip but being away from Kamari for just one day made me miss the quiet atmosphere and simple nature of Studios Marios and the surrounding area.
Tonight, we're headed to Oia on 4-wheelers for the breathtaking sunset that is a must see when visiting Santorini.
We're down to the homestretch and it couldn't be more depressing to say the least. Homeward bound on Friday.
Check out my fav photos from my Dionysus shoot!
Love.
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