The morning started off early. We hit the road running at 6:30 AM sharp, waking up around 6:00 AM and eating a nutritious on-the-go breakfast. We hopped on the bus and went straight to the dock, where we boarded a cruise. As we waited for departure, the cold began to strike. The wind was strong and had many of us regretting our choices of clothing. First, we travelled to Hydra. It was a long yet beautiful journey. While sailing on the awe inspiring Aegean Sea, and taking in the different shades of blue on the water, the crew slowly began to migrate inside of the boat due to the cold weather. We continued to enjoy ourselves inside the warm boat with each other for the rest of the journey to Hydra. Upon arrival, the crew split into two groups: one that went on the walking tour and one that went to explore on their own. We, Room 303, decided to take the road less traveled. We went to a peak above the city, where there was a flagpole. Viewing the city from above, we were once again taken aback by the beauty of the Greek Isles. After Hydra and a wonderful lunch atop the boat, the crew dropped their cortisol, picked up their vibes, and headed to Poros. There, we took a quick touristy pitstop, scanning the shops, taking in the views, and laying the seed for our future Instagram posts. Then, we embarked on another stunning boat ride, this time to the land of pistachios, otherwise known as Aegina. On Aegina, we took a bus tour across the island to The Cathedral of Aegina, the first cathedral of free Greece, and then to the Temple of Aphaia, which was built in the 6th century B.C. and impressively still remains today. After this, we took a long journey on the Aegean Sea, accompanied by the vibrant sunset. We then ate dinner at the London Hotel and promptly went to bed after an enlightening culture bomb of a day.
Monday, March 16, 2026
Sunday, March 15, 2026
Saturday, 3/14, by Chad, Cole, and Crosby
Saturday was a full and meaningful day. A group of twelve guys started the morning the right way by running a couple of miles before breakfast. After we watched a presentation about the work we’ll be doing with refugees who have fled here to Greece because of war and about the upsurge in refugee populations to Greece over the last 12 years. We talked about ways we can serve them and what our role will be during the trip. Later in the morning we went to the beach together to look out at the Aegean Sea. We took some photos and played around by the rocks. The view of the water was beautiful and we then walked across the street to a Greek Orthodox Church then to a coffee shop. It was a great way to spend our free time before lunch. In the afternoon we traveled into Athens and visited the Hellenic Parliament building and spent time exploring the Kotsanas Museum of Ancient Greek Technology with a few of the teenage refugees whom we will be working with in the coming days. It was really interesting to see how advanced some of the inventions were such as a house alarm and a pulley lever system and to learn about how music was created and used in ancient Greece. It gave us a cool glimpse into the creativity and intelligence of people from thousands of years ago. We then watched the sunset on the bus and headed for dinner. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out, talking, getting snacks, and enjoying each other’s company before getting ready for the next day.
Day 1 in Greece - Friday, March 13, 2026
Friday, 3/13
Already, on day one we experienced Greek culture, religion, food, and architecture. After arriving at the Athens Airport on an overnight flight and some frustrating time waiting on the tarmac, we met our Squads guides Yana and who escorted us by a nice coach to the Hotel London in the beautiful Glyfada area of Athens. After a delicious traditional Greek lunch at the hotel and a little rest, about half of the group headed out. Our friendly tour guide Yama took us to a nearby park adjacent to a beach on the Aegean. The beach not only was an ocular masterpiece, but also gave us a chance to bond as brothers of MBA. We also visited the Greek Orthodox Church in the neighborhood. The Church’s circular structure and beautifully ornate interior conveyed to us the Greeks’ pride in their beautiful religion and culture. To end our tour, we stopped to get delicious Greek espresso at Cafe Vesti. At the end of the night, we finished off by getting a quick smattering of some Greek concepts, geography, history, and phrases and participating in a team review game directed by Stella and Yama, our two lovely tour guides. Most importantly, we learned to say efcharisto! Consistent with ancient times and a recent pattern with Nashville’s team, the Titans fell to the Olympians 10 to 5.