One of my most interesting/liberating experiences I’ve had since being here is lying out on a Mediterranean beach nude. Even though aproximately 80% of the people around me were completely bare, my prudish american upbringing made it incredibly difficult to pull off my top and bottoms comfortably. With a male classmate and friend already disrobed to my right and egging me on, saying that I’d be arrested if I tried this at home, I reluctantly pulled off my suit and braced myself. I knew that no one was going to point and stare and that this was considered natural in Europe so within about a minute I was fully relaxed, feeling such an overwhelmingly liberating feeling that I was almost instantly addicted. 

Growing up in a society where we’re constantly taught not to be comfortable with our bodies (because afterall there is a product out there that will make us look better if we just buy it and use it religiously), I found how surprisingly comfortable I could be in my own skin. It’s one of the things I am most excited to take home with me.

With the European acceptance of the naked human form, it wasn’t startling to see that at most kiosks pornographic magazines are displayed in plain view. No concealed rooms with signs glowing MUST BE 18 OR OVER, but right there for the world to see. It’s considered normal, beautiful even and as a outsider I find it tremendously refreshing. 

In Greece there really is no such thing as a non-smoking section. EVERYONE SMOKES, and I mean everyone. The McDonald’s here for example will have three rows of tables with ashtrays on each one, then one last row without any. That’s their way of accomadating the non-smokers. Also, it’s perfectly legal to walk around town with a beer in hand. Forget paper bags, it just isn’t an issue. With the Europeans’ lax view on alcohol, the drinking age is 18 and people are rarely carded. Because alcohol is so readily available and isn’t made into such a big deal, you’ll NEVER see anyone falling down drunk here, unless of course it’s a young tourist taking advantage of their newfound privilages.

One of the most obvious cultural differences between the U.S. and all of Europe is it’s form of money. With America’s weakening economy, the dollar is worth a lot less than the euro right now. The conversion rate is currently about 1.6 american dollars to 1 euro, meaning that yesterday when I went to convert my 100 american dollars I walked away with around 61 euros. Depressing!