I woke up at 7am every day covered in sweat, as the hotel we stayed in did not have air conditioning. Air conditioning on the island of Lesvos was a rarity. I showered, got dressed, and went down to breakfast to meet my colleagues prior to class and our internship.

We all ate together, talked to each other without our phones, and did not worry about what our day would look like since we did not know what to expect. With this, it allowed us to live in the moment and not stress about the past or future but embrace where we were and what we were doing at that time.

After breakfast we walked to class, a three-quarter mile walk to the local middle school which were big, revamped storage bins. We sat there, embracing the heat, listening to Brendan or Sophia lecture to us about the refugee crisis on Lesvos, Greece. Our teaching assistant, Boye, a refugee himself, chimed in sometimes and told us about his personal experiences which were always very eye-opening.

Afterwards, we would go to different NGOs where refugees would come during the day instead of staying at the camps. I worked at an unaccompanied minors house that looked like a jungle when we first stepped into it. The trees were extremely overgrown, there was trash everywhere, and the grass went up to my knees. The boys who lived there did not seem to care though as they mostly stayed inside the house. Our goal there was to encourage the boys to reclaim their space in the garden and make themselves proud of living there. At first, my group was gardening by ourselves as the boys watched us, but that was not the point of this exercise. We encouraged them to help us because we could not do it all alone and they should do it how they want as it is their space, not ours.

Each time we went back to do more work, more boys came out to help and interact with us. Almost all of them did not speak much English and we did not speak their native language, so communication was hard at times. Sophia told us that 75% of communication is through the body and face and I learned that to be true while interacting with the refugees. By speaking English to them, they were able to learn a bit which was necessary to their continued journeys as refugees across Europe.

By the end of our time at the house, it looked completely different and most of the residents were willing to come outside and be happy with their space.

Afterwards, we would go back to the hotel, shower and head to dinner which was always served family style. This was very different since Greece isn’t an individualistic culture like the U.S. but a collectivistic culture. With this type of dining, we were able to connect with each other more and share our experiences from our days instead of keeping to ourselves.

Greece taught me to show more humility, which is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.

Name: Kira Binkowski
Status: Junior
Major: Sociology
Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Program: Contemporary Culture, Politics, and Society in Greece