The first thing you notice about Crete is how beautiful it is. It’s an Island of mountains, breathtaking sunrises and undisturbed land, the likes of which is not seen in America. But it’s easy to be trapped in that; to be hypnotized by the aesthetic. That is a trap; while parts of the land look as though they have never been touched, in reality, the Island has more history than any place in the United States. Just down the street from the institute, there is a castle that used to belong to the Sultan of the province, whose land was divided up and built upon and later taken over by the Nazis to be used as a base of operations. Today, the people of the island are building small homes on the land. But I would have never learned that if I just thought “oh, cool, a pretty old building”. If this trip has taught me anything it’s to look, not just see.
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