Natalie Cassello
The Meaning of Home
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The word of the day on Aprill 22 was "home." We took the time after exploring the Melissani Caves, also known as the Cave of Nymphs, to relfect on the activities we had experienced so far. Using the word home, many people wrote poems, but Reyonlds and I decided to take advantage of the firepit in the center of the field.
The hearth is a symbol of the Greek Goddess, Hestia, who also represnts family, domestic life, the house, and relationships between cities. In order to ensure a good well-being, communal security, and personal happiness, families would keep the fire burning and offer the largest portion of food before and after meals in honor of the goddess.
Hestia literally translate to hearth, so we thought it would be creative to combine both of Hestia's symbols into one piece. Using flowers, sticks, and stones from nature, we wrote the word "home" on top of a hearth to show what home means to us, and to me, home is the center of family and love.
"Hestia." Greek Gods and Goddesses. N.p., 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 May 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fgreekgodsandgoddesses.net%2Fgoddesses%2Fhestia%2F>.
Journey vs. Odyssey
Each of us was posed a question, "What's the difference between a journey and an odyssey?" I had no idea how to respond to this, so it got me thinking. We had just gotten back from our TGS Odyssey, but was it simply just a journey. The definition of a journey is tralling from one place to another, which is what we did. The Panagiota sailed from port to port each of the five days we were aboard. A journey also takes a long time. I guess five days can be considered a long time to get from one place to another, especially if you lallygag in he different villages like we did. Our trip does fit the definition of a journey, but did we actually go on an odyssey? I would say we did. We went on a series of wanderings from one island to another. It also included many notable experiences, such as the trip to the Melissani Caves and the shipwreck, and harships, like the hike up the goat path mountain. I guess I thought too hard about the question because it was a trick. The terms journey and odyssey are synonymous.