I came to Greece expecting blue seas, ancient ruins, and way too much feta (spoiler: I was right). But throughout my travels, I learned just how much my identity as a diverse duck would shape my experience of this country. From the start, living in Greece has been the most eye-opening chapter of my 22 years. My time abroad has shown me how different the world is from Eugene to UO, full of both the familiar and the unexpected. These differences have helped me understand not only Greece, but my own identity as I navigate new spaces.
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Things I expected:
Tourists
Beautiful sights and ruins
Lots of cats
Lots of good food
Things I didn't expect:
The number of kind people
How long people spend in the restaurants/cafes
The number of people who don't care if I am here or in their space
With this comes some hard parts: the obvious, missing home; my family; my partner; and my pets. I have struggled with how I am perceived on a day-to-day basis with how I wear my clothes and do my hair and wanting to make sure I don't stand out enough to be singled out by the people we interact with. One thing I have noticed is how different the culture was in the classical Age of Greece versus now, after the colonization of their religion. Past everything was very free and felt welcome to how it's been told and taught to me thus far, but now, after the Byzantine empire took over and turned the religion from that of the 12 gods, it feels different and more restrictive, even just from observing the art of the time. One thing I have learned from this is that most people ignore you if you don't fit their standards of gender in their head. I haven't been catcalled by anyone when I am dressed feminine, and no one refuses to serve me when I dress more masculine. However, with that said, we are in parts of Greece brimming with tourism, and I am just another person to make money off of in Plaka or the Agora. But I wouldn't say every part of Greece is this accepting of people.
One personal experience not related to the people of Greece is a cultural shift. Something I have spent a few days dealing with. It started with feeling isolated and out of place, even in places full of tourists. Not wanting to go out, being exhausted all the time, lots of emotions that I don't get when I am at home. I wanted to go home. I did not want to go through the rest of my trip. I felt out of place, and I was getting angry at things I should not be angry at. To respond to this, I called home. I talked to them, and they reminded me of the amazing experiences I am having every day. They reminded me to drink water, eat food, and get sleep when it's time to sleep. I also hang out with my friends and we do activities together to keep our minds occupied while also remembering to take time for ourselves as well. We also remind each other of different cultural things in Greece that we may not know, to remind us that we are no longer in our home country.
Being in Greece as a diverse duck has been equal parts joy, challenge, and discovery. I've wandered through ruins older than anything I could imagine, eaten food that will certainly ruin American feta for me forever, and met people who have shown me unexpected kindness. I've also sat with the harder moments — feeling out of place, missing home, and navigating what it means to stand out in a space where I am both visible and invisible at the same time. What I've learned is that travel isn't just about the views or the history, it's about how those things interact with who you are and how you carry your identity across borders. Greece has shown me that even when I feel like a duck in a pond of swans, I still belong here in my own way. And maybe that's the real gift of this experience: learning that being different doesn't mean you don't fit, it just means you experience the world through a lens that is uniquely yours.
Lane Abraham, Diverse Ducks Ambassador