A year in italy

They say if you wish for something wholeheartedly, you will surely get it. I was just 18, when I dreamed of standing at the acropolis and admiring the beauty of the beautiful Greek architecture. 6 years later I moved to Milan and 6 month after that I with a friend of mine was at the Athens international airport. 10° C mid winter was like raining hailstones in midsummer, finally I could let go of my 1.5 kg overcoat and let my shoulders breathe some fresh air. The warmth of the sun was something I had been longing for in months. Finally the day had arrived; I was there, in Athena, my dream destination.
Athens, first glimpse of the city was so not up to my expectation. The journey from the airport to our hotel gave me all sorts of negative vibes, the chaos, the shops, the architecture, the people, the culture, dressing, those massive dustbins right in front of the vegetable venders, dirty streets, the pet stores, tailors, shopping malls, English speaking people, sign boards in Greek and English, the vegetation, Cheetos n Lays, Dominos pizza, Marks and Spencers; suddenly felt like i was in India, back home. An unknown fear and insecure emotional state just rushed in. I dint really understand if the negative vibe was because I was missing home even more or had I gotten so used to Milan that the disorder and chaos was causing the uneasy feeling. So I finally made up my mind, to let go of that negative emotion and look forward to 3 great days in the city of Athena.
Well unlike the first impression, Athens kept surprising me with its beauty, hospitality, history and culture. The scrumptious food, the aromatic coffee, breath taking sight of acropolis, the outstanding Olympic stadium by Ar. Santiago Calatrava, the beautiful simplicity of the new acropolis museum by Ar.Bernard Tshumi, the hot Greek men, the weather, the sea breeze, the warmth of the sun, the sea shore, the smell of the sea, Tangerine trees filled with bright orange tangerines; it barely took me any time to fall in love with the city.
Greek men, they were mesmerizing..! Their eyes are hypnotizing..! How? How can every guy, irrespective of thin or fat be so handsome? No wonder they are known as Greek Gods.!
Greece has such a strong Asian influence. It is so Asian n yet it is European. Although I went through mixed emotions throughout the journey, all in all it made a very positive impact, its culture and heritage stole my heart.