What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

I think every experience we have is like a small stone piling up our hill of wisdom. However, the one experience that had the most impact on me has a little story to it.

It was when I waited for the result of which university I had been accepted to. There were two options: the University of Athens or the University of Thessaloniki.

Athens is Greece’s capital, and Thessaloniki is the second largest city. The last one is closer to Xanthi, where I live. For that reason, it was preferable that I be accepted at Thessaloniki.

But surprise! It was Athens. First, it was a shock for my father, who feared me living alone in such a big city and told me not to go. On the other hand, my mother said, “Do what you think is best for you.” So, I went to Athens.

Living in a big city like Athens has a profound effect on you, especially on me. Before I moved to Athens, I was an introvert, but slowly, after a couple of months, I started switching. After a year, it completely changed, and I became an extrovert.

Besides studying, I worked in a hotel in the heart of Athens. When I say the heart, it literally was the heart. From the hotel’s terrace, I had a panoramic view of the Acropolis, so close that I had the impression I could grab it. My work as a receptionist helped me meet many people from around the world, and this experience widened my horizons. They were people from Argentina, Brazil, the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, China, Dubai, Russia, Kuwait, and of course from Europe.

The cherry on top was that I gained new knowledge through my studies, which was the key that opened a new world to me.

All these three combinations of experiences transformed me into a different person.