Italy and Greece

Last week we returned from an amazing trip in Italy and Greece! I want to share some photos from our trip and a little bit of the story behind why we were there.

First stop- Rome, Italy

Rome, as you may know, is a very old city with a lot of history. And while the history of this beautiful town is important, it's not what brought us to see it. Four years ago we joined Mobilizing Students as Trek-X missionaries, a 4 year missions journey for young adults. We have officially finished our 4 years and thanks to Mobilizing Students, we celebrated the end of our journey in Rome. We toured The Vatican, The Coliseum, St. Pual's Basilica, ate a lot of gelato, and roamed the cobblestone alleyways. Here are just a few (because I took too many) of our photos.

 Touring the Vatican

 St. Peter's Basilica

 Touring the Coliseum

 "Graduation" Ceremony in the Coliseum- the reason for our trip

We received medals! Oh, and #selfiestick #photobomb

 Me, Mitch, Chris White and Sean Wilson #MobStu15

 All around Rome are natural springs. The water is completely fresh and cold. It was a perfect spot to fill up our water bottles, or like Mitch is doing, drink it straight from the source. 

 Old cobblestone roads 

 St. Paul's Basilica- the prettiest one we saw! 

Second stop- The island of Santorini, Greece
Because traveling within Europe is so affordable, Mitch and I hopped over to Greece after visiting Rome to celebrate our 4 year anniversary. We had some much needed alone time and it was absolutely perfect. Also, Mitch is currently studying Greek in Seminary, so this was a great opportunity for him to practice the language and be in the culture. Santorini was our favorite place of our whole trip. It was a dream come true! Mitch and I just might retire there one day.

Greek food was so fresh and delicious!! 

In the town of Oia in Santorini, it's a tradition to watch the sunset. Everyone lines the streets and fills the restaurants to watch the sun go down everyday. Some people even clap when it's done (yay, go God!). I can see why it's such an attraction. It was truly one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen...and the photos don't even do justice!

 The town of Oia at night.

The best way to see the island- rent a 4 wheeler and just drive! 

 Red Beach- quite a trek to get to, but totally worth it.

Third Stop- Athens, Greece

 The Parthenon

The Parthenon. The one in Nashville is cooler (seriously). 

Leave it up to the Americans to find a Starbucks in Athens.

Where we ate for our anniversary (and the next night). Authentic Greek food with a cool atmosphere.

Athens, Greece. We didn't care for Athens that much, but it was cool to see some of the famous sites.

Fourth Stop-Corinth, Greece

From Athens we took a day trip to Corinth for a tour of Ancient Corinth where the apostle Paul preached to the Corinthians. 

Mitch standing in the exact spot where the apostle Paul preached to the Corinthians.

Apollo's temple

Fifth Stop- USA

We are beyond thankful for our trip to Europe and it wouldn't have been possible without Mobilizing Students. It was absolutely perfect and I'm already missing Greece! However, we're excited to be in the states for several weeks to visit with friends and family. We hope to see some of you while we're in town!