The Mediterranean Sea and the states that surround it offer several distinct cultural experiences as well as their own interconnected history as a region. Over the last month, our group has witnessed several different ways of life from the quiet villages in the Crete mountains to the cosmopolitan life in Rome. In Alikianos, we were surrounded by each other for weeks eating traditional meals and focusing on our studies. In Crete we were able to distance ourselves from the hustle that we experience back at home. It was an almost therapeutic experience being far away from the endless advertisements, the rotating media cycle and the constant bombardment of information. However, as far as we get from home we are constantly reminded of our globalized world around us. We saw Ben and Jerry's in Chania, McDonalds in Sicily, KFC in Malta and Starbucks in Cyprus. The most glarring experience happened when we went to find food and drinks following our tour in Mdina, Malta. Our group decided to follow a street ornate with several flags, banners and decorative lights. We found ourselves in a crowded square as an orchestra echoed through the streets. At this point we decided to sit down and take in the unexpected experience. As one piece came to an end, the orchestra began another, however, this tune sounded eerily similar. There we stood, thousands of miles from home, on another continent, on a minuscule island in the middle of the Mediterranean, listening to the Star Wars theme song.
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