Wow! I cannot believe it has already been an entire month since I arrived in Greece. This milestone has put me in a very reflective mood, and I can't help but smile thinking back to the person I was getting on that twelve hour flight from Chicago. I remember being absolutely terrified. Terrified of speaking Greek (and sound like a toddler), terrified of taking on responsibility at my internship, and most of all, terrified of being alone. In that fear, I knew I had to do two things: get comfortable with myself as an individual, and build a community. A whole month later, I am extremely grateful that I did those two things, or at least made progress. From solo day-trips to the islands or journaling at a cafe, I became so much more at peace with being by myself. I am a naturally social person, so I also made an effort to meet people. Saying yes when those nice girls on the beach invite you to dinner, or joining a Facebook group for solo travelers looking to make friends. Those are the risks I had to take to build a community. And although I am sad to be leaving Athens in just two weeks, I feel so fortunate that the life I've built here is worth missing. 

I absolutely cannot talk about my community without talking about the connections from home that I maintained here. When talking on FaceTime every night (yes, every night) just wasn't enough, I knew I had to go visit @Madeleine Martin at her LiA in Copenhagen. She welcomed me into her temporary home, and we had the most lovely weekend together exploring the city. I even got to join for a day at her office and meet the folks she's been spending her summer with. I could see the value she brings and the appreciation they have for her work ethic, incredible spirit, positivity, and creativity. It was an incredible opportunity and a great reminder that our people are always there for us, even if they can't be physically. Madeleine is an incredible community member, scholar, researcher, and friend. I feel so fortunate to have become best friends in our first Laidlaw summer -- feeling all the same fear we felt going into this one. We helped each other through then, and we are helping each other through now -- despite the Germany, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria between us. 

One of the greatest blessings and strengths of the Laidlaw program is the focus on leadership in community with others. We are only as strong as those we surround ourselves with. We have the responsibility and the honor of nurturing those connections, supporting each other's growth, and showing up when we need to. As I think about finishing out my Laidlaw summer, I want to bring back this energy to Barnard and New York. No matter how comfortable we are somewhere, it is an ongoing effort to maintain strong relationships, and I look forward to continuing to grow my community with love and strength.