When I was in elementary school, I set a goal to travel to Athens. There was something about the history, and architecture that always stood out to me and was a major influence on my life and career. This used to be a long-term goal, and I had set a plan to visit when I had completed my masters. One can imagine my excitement when I was offered a 3-month internship working for the Canadian Institute in Greece (CIG). Working for 3 months allowed me to gain experience working in a library while offering me more than enough time to see many of the sites I have read about. What I didn’t expect was how this job may change me and my plans, and allow me to discover Athens and discover myself and my interests. So without any further introduction, what did I do while in Greece?
The first responsibility I want to discuss is my work at the CIG. For the past 12 weeks, I was tasked with a myriad of jobs in the CIG’s library. Most days were spent sorting and shelving books, while accessioning any new books that were delivered. Additionally, I was responsible for posting on the CIG’s social media, posting about my trips and announcing any upcoming events that occurred at the CIG. At first, this work was somewhat new to me, especially working in a library. However, as the weeks continued, I found that I enjoyed the library work. Creating order and structure out of disorganized books brought me a sense of joy, especially when reorganizing the library. As a result, this helped me to consider working in a library when I am back in Canada. The final jobs I received in this position were event work. During events, I prepared foods for the event and served wine. Compared to the library work, these events were far more familiar, and acted as a great way to refine my serving skills.
While the work was important to my position, travelling around Greece was another major aspect, and was probably the best part of my stay. At first, I was nervous about planning my trips, so I stuck to visits around the city’s sites and museums. My visits to sites like the Panathenaic stadium, Temple of Zeus, and the Ancient Agora helped me learn how to navigate the city, as well as build up my confidence in planning trips. If I were asked what my favorite site in Athens is, I would say that the Acropolis lived up to and exceeded my expectations. Having the opportunity to visit the Parthenon, and take photos of the surrounding architecture was one of if not the most memorable day I had in Athens. Meanwhile, my trips to museums helped me to see many artifacts and statues that I have studied firsthand. Take for instance my trip to the National Archaeological Museum, where I saw the mask of Agamemnon, the Statue of Poseidon, and the Antikythera mechanism, which had all been discussed in my university lectures. Seeing these artifacts up close gave me a better scope and size of larger artifacts, while allowing one to see the detailing in smaller artifacts. At the same time, these visits gave me the opportunity to see artifacts I had never learned about, such as at the Museum of Cycladic art, which surprised me in how invested I became in the Cycladic figurines from the Early Bronze Age. By traveling to the museum, I learned more about the Cycladic culture than I ever had in schools, where it was given a passing mention.
Eventually, I built up the confidence to take longer trips outside of Athens. From the seventh week onward, I tried to schedule trips outside of Athens every weekend, with some of my favorite trips being Delphi, Thessaloniki, Aegina, and Cape Sounion. These trips gave me a better view of Greece’s wide and varying landscape, which I came to love more with each trip. Tall mountains, wide valleys, and wondrous waterways and cliffs left me in awe just as much as the temples. Of all my trips, my favorite had to be the Island of Aegina, where the Temple of Aphaia resides. This temple stands out to me due to its archaeological importance in Aegina, as well as its history. Learning that there has always been a temple dating back to 500 BCE, and reading about the evolution of the patron goddess of the temple, from the Goddess Aphaia to Athena. Likewise, the city had so many sites to offer, and some delicious seafood. Finally, the Island reminded me greatly of Tobemorey, a seaside city I visit in Canada every Summer, providing this trip with a slight nostalgic tinge. Walking along the seaside, listening to the waves made me regret leaving, filling me with a need to return so I can visit the other islands in the Aegean sea.
A lot of what I discussed has primarily been what I did on my own. However, I believe that the most important thing I did was meet new people and make new friends. Traveling far from Canada could sometimes feel lonely, but participating in events around Athens allowed me to meet and connect with so many people. Large events were not the only way, as I frequently visited the Red Lion Pub to play darts with members of many of the surrounding institutes. As a result, many of my trips would not be on my own, and I was accompanied by a friend or two.
Overall, my trip to Athens and Greece overall has been a highlight in my life. I learned how to work in a library, visited some of the most beautiful sites, and made some excellent connections. Meanwhile I made some great friendships that will last long after I return to Canada. As a result, I find returning to Canada to be bittersweet, as while I enjoy returning, there is going to be so much more that I will miss. However, I know that I will inevitably return someday soon. So this is not a goodbye, but see you soon. Thank you to everyone I met, and thank you for reading.
Wyatt Lane
University of Waterloo Intern, winter 2025
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