Life happens in moments. We experience it as an endless stream, but we remember it a series of discrete events.
We have been planning our trip to Greece for four years. The pandemic was only one of the things that delayed it. We planned the trip as a celebration of Deborah completing her dissertation. And she has successfully defended it.
Through all of that planning, we read books and blogs, watched videos, looked at pictures and it all seemed so far away. Both in time and distance. And it just didn't seem real.
Before we left, we looked at the city of Athens on Google Maps. The 3D version of the satellite view (similar to Google Earth) showed how much the Acropolis dominated the city. But it didn't seem real.
After a long day of travel, including a 5-hour layover and a 10-hour flight, we are riding into the city from the airport. The landscape is interesting with low mountains and lots of white buildings. The number of buildings grow as the highway gets closer to the city.
Our driver tells us that we will see a glimpse of the Acropolis through the trees. We are watching. Waiting.
How will we react?
Suddenly, the trees part and there it is. The temples on the hill I've pictures of my whole life. And all the recent views as we planned the trip.
It was overwhelming. It was real. I was speechless. Except for a quiet utterance of an expletitve. It was so much more than a monument of antiquity. It meant we were here. In Greece. Our trip was finally happening. It was real. Deborah and I had so much to celebrate. It was a sight to behold. And a site to behold.
