Ioanna Post #1

Living in Greece I did not appreciate certain aspects of my culture enough like our language, our foods and certain aspects of our views. Coming to the United states however, has made me more aware of those aspects and made me miss them. But lately I have been in kind of a weird place. I feel like I’m in a void. Sometimes I feel less Greek because I don’t speak Greek as often, eat Greek food or dance as often as I used to. I have started feeling more acquainted with certain aspects of American culture, while not knowing much about the country’s history or what life is like outside the bubble of a New England boarding school. Going to Greece is always awkward since my views have changed so much and divert from the generally conservative ones that most people share, so it tends to be harder to connect with people. I also tend to make grammar errors or pronounce words funny since I don’t speak Greek as often in the US and my friends tease me. I’m also not that familiar with the latest developments in Greek pop culture and politics, so sometimes keeping up with conversations is harder. I guess this whole thing is inevitable. I’m starting to feel more and more like an outsider towards the culture that I grew up in, just because I started going to a boarding school in a foreign country. I go to church whenever I can to connect with the Greek community of the nearby town, but somehow I still don't fully feel a part of Greece or America.