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Greece 2023
  • Grace Whisenhant
May 2023

Greece 2023

Adventure is out there, and I found it in Greece Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 9, 2023
    Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Learning about myself as a leader (Q1)

    May 9, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Question 1: What are you hoping to learn about yourself as a leader on this trip?
    In the past I never really considered myself a leader. It wasn't until I got invested with Leadership at SC that I saw the ways in which I was a leader and could be a leader. I felt somewhat behind my fellow first year team members because I hadn't taken Intro to Leadership, but during second semester through the travel class and putting more into leadership I felt like I was catching up. I learned the big parts of leadership and started to understand better what it meant to be a servant leader partially due to the servant leaders around me. On this trip, I was hoping to learn more about how parts of life work like airports, metros, and other things I haven't experienced, but I also wanted to learn how to lead in unfamiliar situations. The reality is, I'm not going to be comfortable or experienced in every situation I'm dealt in life, but I can't let that stop me from being a leader. As someone with anxiety my tendency in these situations is to look to others to follow the lead, but I might be the person other people are looking to. My goal for the Greece trip was to develop my ability to think on my feet and lead in situations I'm not use to. I do think I learned more about this, perhaps not through doing but through observing. I didn't plan the trip, so I wasn't faced with situations like these, but Maddie, was. I learned a lot from watching how Maddie handled different situations and problem solved. One of the biggest being, that you can look to those around you for help and that leading, it's a team effort!Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Sleep when you can, where you can!

    May 9, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Traveling from Winfield to Athens took a crazy number of hours. To get to Greece we had a 6 hour bus ride, and 3 flights and coming home we had two flights (with a 10 hour layover imbetween) and another 6 hour bus ride. All the changing of time zones and running from place to place made sleep a sought after commodity. This trip definitely taught me to sleep when I can and where I can!Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Shenanigans with Marteen!

    May 10, 2023 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Martin and I hung out quite a bit towards the beginning of the trip. Honestly, we're besties. I'm so glad he got his passport figured out because the trip would have been very different without him!

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Contextual Factor 1 (Q7)

    May 10, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Question 7: Talk about one contextual factor in the Greece leadership system and what you learned while we were in Greece that helped you understand that factor more in depth

    One contextual factor we learned about was driving in Greece. While we didn't experience this directly, as none of us were behind the wheel, we did experience the craziness that the streets in Greece were. During the bus ride from the airport to the apartment in Athens I was sitting near the front so I could see out the windshield. It was crazy! People were driving like there were absolutely no traffic laws whatsoever. They weren't abiding by the traffic lights, or the lanes marked on the street. It was pretty scary. We also experienced the auto craziness when waiting for buses and crossing the streets. Also, the prevalence of motor bikes in Greece is very high. The way people drive these was just as dangerous. The would zig and zag in and out of traffic. Then, there was of course, Martin and Trey's accident. People drive with such lack of caution that coming around the corner Martin and Trey had to swerve out of the way to avoid being hit. Driving in Greece seems very scary to me, but I didn't grow up with it. It's similar to how someone from a very small town might find driving on Kellogg in Wichita to be frightening, but for me it's just part of every day life. To us, driving in Greece seems chaotic, dangerous, scary, etc. but for Greeks, it's just their everyday. That's what they are used to.Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    New Experiences! (Q2)

    May 11, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Question 2: What about being in Greece area is a new experience for you?
    This entire trip was FULL of new experiences! The first and most obvious is being in another country, but also being in such an urban area. Yes, I am from Wichita, but Athens is a very different type of city. Everything is much closer together and it is more densely populated. Something new for me was walking everywhere and taking the bus. Before this trip I had never been on this type of public transportation. I've obviously been on school buses and charter buses but those are very different from the experience of hopping on and off different buses and being shoulder to shoulder with strangers. There is a bus system in Wichita, but I have always been driven everywhere. Another new experience for me was the metro. That isn't something we have in Wichita and I haven't traveled anywhere that does. Before this trip I had also never been to a beach or the ocean. This trip was also the first time I was ever on a boat. I also road on a four wheeler for the first time which was so much fun! This trip also gave me a lot of new food experiences! I tried lamb, cod, squid, and other things I never would've eaten otherwise. The lamb and cod were good, but I am not a fan of squid. Before going to Greece, I had also never been on a plane, but we weren't technically in Greece yet so I'm not sure if that one counts for this question.Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    LWB Service Work (Q3)

    May 11, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Question 3: What about the service experience is different than the service we do on the team at home?
    The service work we do at home is what I would label as "physical." At home we do yardwork, paint houses, clean, pick up trash, etc. While we did do some physical labor, like Faith and Dalton painting the steps and whatever Martin and the other boys were doing upstairs, that wasn't the majority of what we did. Most of the work we did for LWB was what I would call "emotional" or "awareness" service work. We started by learning about Love Without Borders, it's origin, mission, and the people within it. After listening to Kayra we were given the opportunity to look at the art work and read about the artists who made it. Reading the biographies of the artists put into perspective problems in our world that we don't hear about enough and often don't think about in our little world of Winfield, Kansas. Throughout the trip there were people expressing that they didn't feel like they were doing anything to help. I think this is because the results of our work weren't necessarily immediate or tangible. For example, if we paint a house, we see a painted house when we're done. While learning about these issues and this organization didn't have immediate effects, it planted a seed. A seed that we can bring back with us and plant in other places to spread and grow Love Without Borders. Some of our work did have tangible results (the painting and flooring), but I also saw the effects of the emotional work we did. We sang, danced, and played with the refugee children. Throughout both days we did this I could see the joy on the kids' faces and the relief on their parents' faces. We gave the parents a safe place for their kids to play and safe place for them. They didn't have to constantly worry and be looking over their shoulder.Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Servant Leader In The Wild (Q5)

    May 11, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Question 5: Write about one Greek leader you have met on this trip: introduce him or her, describe the parts of the leadership system in relation to him or her, you might want to use the leadership system diagram to help you explain.

    Throughout this trip we encountered many different people that demonstrated aspects of being a servant leader, but the one that had the most impact on me was Kayra. Kayra is the founder of Love Without Borders, the NGO we volunteered with while in Greece. One of the reasons Kayra stood out to me was her incredible story of how Love Without Borders came to be. I am still in awe of her initiative. She saw a group of people that needed help and she found a way to provide them help. She is setting an amazing example of the quote "Be the change you wish to see in the world." She also is so humble in everything she does. I am so inspired by Kayra and moved by the stories of the artists. I think bringing LWB to Southwestern in some facet would be an amazing thing. I think, if possible, it would be amazing to have Kayra come speak at Southwestern. What we learned from her I feel is so important. As young adults from small town Kansas we do not hear enough about the refugee crisis or ways we can help. At one point, while talking about starting LWB, Kayra said something about at the end of the day, everyone is a person. This is something that I have thought for a long time. We're all human. We all deserve safety, love, and to be treated with kindness. Kayra demonstrated this so well. I hope to take what I learned from Kayra and use it to bring awareness of LWB and the refugee crisis to Southwestern and Winfield.    Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    D-dawg and G-dawg

    May 12, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    One thing that I really enjoyed about this trip was getting to know Dawson better. Before the trip, I'd been led to believe that Dawson is the party frat boy type, which maybe he is a little, but I got to know a different Dawson. He can be a lot, but he is kind, funny, and a good guy. I'm glad I got my new nickname too😉Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Greek Leader (Q4)

    May 12, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Question 4: Regarding the Greek leader that you researched, what did you learn while we were in Greece that helped you understand him or her in more depth?

    Agnodice of Athens is know as the first midwife and female doctor. She was a strong woman and a strong leader. Some scholars think Agnodice was just a story, that she was not a real person. After traveling to Greece and being in a lot of different parts of Athens, I did not see or hear anything in regards to Agnodice specifically. I still believe Agnodice could have been a real person. There were many places in Athens (and Greece in general) we did not get to go, so it is possible that there is information on her somewhere we did not get to visit.
    I was really worried that I would not find ANYTHING suitable for this question while we were on the trip. While walking in Athens one evening we walked past the place in the photo. When I originally saw "Med Homecare Athens" I thought it was some kind of home healthcare agency which fits well with Agnodice's story since she was a midwife and doctor's back then traveled to their patients. As I am writing this I looked at the photo again. I believe my original thought was incorrect and that this is in fact a store for in home healthcare items and devices. I still think this place relates to Agnodice well, whether it is what I originally thought or what I think now. I think a place like this would really intrigue Agnodice and perhaps a place she would find useful.    Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Contextual Factor 2 (Q8)

    May 14, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Question 8: AGAIN-In regard to the contextual factors, talk about one (which of course is not the one you just talked about) and what you learned while we were in Greece that helped you understand that factor in more depth?

    Another contextual factor I learned a lot about was the Greek's laid back culture and tendency to take their time. In the book we read in preparation for our trip it talked a lot about the fact that Greeks are often late for things. As someone who is rarely late, this was something that surprised me while preparing for the trip. I thought it was probably not as common as the book made it out to be, however, we encountered it quite a bit. Our ferry back to Athens to head home was running late. Both days we worked with the refugees they came later than the start time. Fotis Vazeos was late for dinner. I learned that Greece's lack of punctuality isn't because they don't care or because they are lazy, but rather the opposite. In Greece people care about relationships. They take their time to have conversations with each other and enjoy life. This is why there are hardly any fast food type places and why most places don't really do food to-go. Greeks would rather take their time and sit and enjoy their coffee or food than be on the go 24-7 like we are so used to in the United States. I honestly really like this way of doing things. I wish we had a little more time to just sit back, take it all in, and enjoy the little parts of life.    Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Adventures with Mal!

    May 15, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    When we went on the boat tour to Agistri, Mal and I ventured off on our own. We went and found a lake and then another little cove. My favorite part was the conversations I had with her during our adventure!Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Mom and Dad! (Q6)

    May 15, 2023, Aegean Sea ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Question 6: Describe one act of a servant leader that you have witnessed in Greece.

    A display of amazing servant leadership that I saw during the trip came from two people: Cierra and Dalton! Cierra and Dalton displayed incredible servant leadership both independently and together! First, they came to Wichita to pick me up the day before we left for the trip and opened their home to me. They let me stay the night before leaving and the night we returned from Greece. Throughout the entire trip they were always checking in on me and the rest of the team. As much as we joke about them being "mom and dad" they really are the parents of the leadership team in a lot of ways. They always make sure everyone is accounted for and that everyone is feeling valued. Dalton really stepped up to the task of driving both to and from Dallas! It was something that was sprung on him that he wasn't planning on, but he did it without a second thought and with a great attitude. Cierra encountered several bumps with food due to her celiac, but didn't let this put a damper on her experience or anyone else's. She also took time to find aloe vera gel for everyone who was sunburned. She then also put aloe on my back for me. Cierra just took care of others when they needed her to. I am so grateful to know Dalton and Cierra and to call them my friends. I don't know what I would do without these two!Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    Adventure Is Out There! (Q9)

    May 17, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Question 9: Kouzes and Posner suggest exemplary leaders should "treat every job as an adventure." What have you learned about how to do this on this trip?

    As Russel from the movie Up! says, "adventure is out there!" I, personally, am not a very "go with the flow" person. I like to know what the plan is and specific details of said plan. This trip taught me how to better adapt to changes, partially because I watched those around me do it so well! One person that I saw really take on adventure and change was Trey! He was always exploring, no matter where we were. Also, watching Martin treat his accident as an adventure taught me to be more open. He didn't let a (what turned out to be broken) foot injury stop him from having a good time on the rest of the trip. Also, watching Maddie's ability to adapt and have a positive and upbeat attitude the majority of the trip was incredible. I look up to Maddie a lot. I think part of what makes adventure adventure, is the ability to adapt and change during the process. Being able to take this skill into the workplace and other more serious settings is very important. Projects and assignments do not always go as planned, so being able to realize this, accept it, and move forward with a different plan is a very important ability to have no matter your profession.Read more

  • Grace WhisenhantGreece 2023Traveler

    My Growth (Q10)

    May 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Question 10: What kind of influence did this trip have on you as a leader?

    Wow. This was the trip of a lifetime. All I kept thinking was "We're in GREECE!" There was so much lead up to this trip it just felt crazy once we were actually there. I grew as a person in a lot of different ways on this trip. I learned how to say things in a new language! I got to experience a lot of firsts on this trip as well. I grew as a leader as well. During this trip there were moments where we had a lot of choice and I think a past version of me would just be quiet and go with whatever someone else decided. On the trip though, these situations came up and I did voice my opinion. I didn't insist on one way or the other, but I did let my voice be heard. I also, asked others in the group what they wanted to do to. I think this was an example of enabling others to act. I tried to make sure everyone on the trip felt valued and included because I think this is one of the most important parts of being a leader. I also developed judgment about safety. In Athens there were big crowds and all types of people. I decided to go off on my own at one point, but I made sure I was listening to my surroundings and kept other groups of my teammates within sight. I think the most valuable lesson I learned though, was that you don't have to be loud to be a leader!Read more

    Trip end
    May 19, 2023
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