Month: April 2017

Our first taste of Greece was when we arrived in Athens. Athens is an unusual city in that it is home to beautiful ancient ruins surrounded by streets packed with hurried cars and motorbikes, walls and shops plagued with graffiti, and tourists roaming the sidewalks. This couldn’t be more of a contrast to what was in store for us on the island of Ikaria.

Warm smiles. Clear water. Delicious foods. Natural beauty. Quiet. Brilliant stars. Charm.

Ikaria had more surprises and secrets to offer than I imagined. Our time in the village of Nas on the island of Ikaria provided many opportunities to learn about the life and culture of the island, many of which we hope you read in our blog. But what made the experience truly special was the people. The people we met along the way – truly strangers to us—made us feel welcome, connected, happy, inspired, and grateful. By their example, we learned to not live by the clock, put down our cell phones, reflect on our relationships, and found permission to relax and simply enjoy. Ikarians showed happiness and contentment, evidenced by constant smiles, laughter, and socialization with family and friends. They embraced life, exuded it! They knew their purpose and set out each day to accomplish it.

Returning home, I think each of us carry a piece of the island—its beauty, people and lifestyle. Having the opportunity to travel to Ikaria (something not even many Greeks are able to do), I hope we all feel compelled to share our experience with our family, friends, and communities, helping them to achieve happiness and health unlike what they have previously known. Thank you, Ikaria, for opening our eyes and giving us gifts to help change the world.

Stephanie Woodcox

  

  

  

 

Yia Sas means hello, goodbye, cheers and thank you in Greek.  In a short 10-day span I said hello to Greece and never want to say goodbye.  Before the trip I listed many things I wanted to learn more about and do while there.

Food!  We gathered greens for our meal and learned to prepare dishes their way.  There were no processed foods on our table and no fast food on Ikaria.  Everything was fresh and raised locally.  Arriving back home in Indiana, I’ve incorporated new ways of food preparation.  My first stop at the grocery store included purchases of fresh herb plants, beans and more fresh produce than ever before.  I’ve made several new recipes and I’ve been tweaking them to my taste.  Less meat and more beans should make a healthier me.

Community was something I knew about but really didn’t understand the Ikarian version until living it.  Both communities are about the same size, 8500 people.   I live in a county community.  Ikaria is an island community.  They share what little they have, laugh and visit without calling or a text.  Life happens, life flows, no worries. We visited a farm and we were invited inside.  Fifteen of us squeezed into their small home.  Greeted as honored guests, we ate goat meat, homemade cheese and homemade wine.  Even though their English was limited, toasts were made with smiles.  Quick friendships were born.  Spur of the moment times are the best.

Exercise in Ikaria is a way of life; it’s called activity.  It’s not scheduled.  It flows and is a part of life.  You want to gather herbs for dinner.  You walk up the mountainside to gather them.  If you want to enjoy the sunset, you walk down to the beach.  Visiting neighbors is up or down a path.  Going up or down is how you get from place to place!  The only flat surface was at the airport.  Gardening the rocky soil and irrigating was a necessity, as you ate what you raised.

The trip to Ikaria, Greece was a once in a lifetime experience.  We learned so much about the people, the Ikarian way of life and immersed ourselves into their culture.  Language was not a barrier.  Diving into the community with both feet and an open mind makes for wonderful memories, great learning, and great friendships.  Until we meet again, Ikaria.

Jean Akers

  

  

   

 

 
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Reflecting over the cultural immersion trip (which was just one month ago), I am still thinking about things I saw, heard, and learned that will stick with me forever. A few key things that stuck out to me are…

…THE FOOD. As hoped, the food was absolutely incredible! Someone recently asked me what my favorite food was, but I couldn’t answer them because it was how the foods were prepared and worked together that made it so special. Everything was so fresh and had just the right amount of seasonings (usually done with fresh herbs and spices).

…THE PEOPLE. I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming, generous, and gracious Grecians were. Everywhere we went, people greeted us with smiles and welcomes. Most were willing to stop and talk for a while, and this allowed for those spontaneous authentic conversations that you can’t plan. Many of the lessons I learned were from those talks and chance meetings.

…THE SCENERY. Words cannot express the beauty we witnessed. Even our pictures don’t do it justice. The mixture of ancient and modern architecture, the way they keep the natural landscape as much as possible (i.e. building into the mountain instead of flattening the land to build), and all the colors on the island was just stunning and spoke to the respect everyone has for their land.

I hope to go back again sometime in the future, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a different destination to visit.

Meagan Brothers

  

 

If there is any downsize to the marvelous trip we just took, it’s the fact that we had to come back.  That’s how magical our experience was.  Thank goodness I took the pictures that I did.  It’s such a wonderful reminder of the highlights of our time there.  I loved both Athens and Ikaria but for completely different reasons.  It’s one dimensional seeing the Parthenon on a post card or a website, climbing the hill upon which the Acropolis and its magnificent structures rests gave us a 360 degree view of the ancient Greek’s way of life and culture.  I won’t soon forget stepping out of my room at Thea’s Inn first thing in the morning and listening to the sounds of the island: a dog barking up on a hill, an elderly man commanding his sheep and goats in Greek to move to a new pasture to graze and waves from the Aegean Sea pounding the rocky beach.

I’ve been asked numerous times since my return what’s the secret to long life?  Upon reflection I have come to the conclusion that while there are many factors which can contribute to a long, healthy life I believe the number one factor is having a reason to get up and out of the home each day. The centenarian whom I interviewed prior to our trip spent on average six hours per day sewing outfits for orphan girls and boys in Africa.  The Ikarian elderly were up every morning tending to their livestock and walking up and down steep hills foraging for their greens. They all have a purpose.  We learned there is no formal word in Greek for ‘retirement.’ The Ikarians aren’t waiting for that time when they’ll get the gold watch and head to Florida; they’ve already found their version of paradise.

Since our trip I have found myself eating more Greek yogurt and honey, staying active every day and gently nudging my 88 year old mother to take on family research projects to keep her engaged in life.  I plan on staying engaged as well, long after my retirement.

Naomi Bechtold

    

   

 

 

When we set out on this journey of traveling to Ikaria, Greece with a small group of educators and graduate nursing students, I think most of us had an idea of what we wanted to learn and experience.  I wanted to learn more about the amazing people of this island and what we could bring back with us to help our communities.  I know I learned far more than I ever expected.

What resonated the most with me on this trip was the purposefulness of the people of Ikaria.  It is reflected in what they do every day.  From the youngest to the oldest, everyone has a purpose and I think many of us were most surprised with the older adults who we saw still walking up steps on the side of the mountain to complete their daily chores.  These were people in their mid-80’s! Or the 90+ year old man who was still tending his sheep next door to our inn.  They were all very alert and very engaged in conversation and what was happening around them.  How different their lives are compared to many of the older adults in the U.S.  We have much to learn from Ikarians.

The simplicity of their lives allowed them (and us) to take many moments to sit back and enjoy life, and not watch the clock. To live in the moment was most important rather than browsing the internet and social media of which we did not have time for.  It was good to see how we were all engaged with each other and the Ikarian people, truly immersed in our cultural experience.  It was amazing how our lives were so different those five days in Ikaria.  This difference I pledge to work into my daily life here in Indiana.

As I browse through the pictures of the trip, I can’t help but smile and be reminded of the many beautiful sites we visited and the amazing people we met, talked with, laughed with and danced with.  What we learned from the island of Ikaria and its people is invaluable but even better, can be shared with the people in our communities as well as our families to fulfill our ultimate goal of helping to make our lives healthier.  We can ALL aspire to be like Ikarians.

Christina Swathwood

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I went to Ikaria with anticipation to learn how to lengthen the number of our days and improve our health.   I believe the one thing that was woven into every aspect of daily life in Ikaria, is to live life to the fullest by slowing down and experiencing life through relationships.   They also ate healthy, fresh foods grown on the land, walked a lot, worked with passion and purpose, and served others.

As I think back to my interview with Ed from Northeast Indiana, he told me to “Enjoy my work and enjoy life to the fullest.  Get out into the community!  Remain active. Don’t let yourself become a turtle. Don’t isolate yourself!  Enjoy all your associations. Just be a part of the community.”  I guess it doesn’t take scenic views of the Aegean Sea and living off the land to know the secrets to longevity!

This experience has brought me great appreciation for the wisdom of those who have lived a long life.  I will treasure the memories and lessons learned through the people I met through this opportunity!  I will end by raising my glass and saying “YAMAS!” (Cheers to good health!)

Molly Hoag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ikaria was more beautiful than I ever imagined. My pictures don’t do the island justice. I believe that this beauty is what encourages the people of Ikaria to get up every day and venture outside to enjoy their surroundings. Greece is 80% mountains and this allows for beautiful views as you drive and hike around the island. The same is true in Athens as we walked to the Acropolis and we were able to look down over the city of Athens. One evening a few of us walked to Areopagus (Mars Hill) where the Apostle Paul preached. We watched the sunset from the top of the hill.

Since I have returned, I have been asked if I learned the secret to living a long life. My aha! moment was realizing that they have a sense of purpose. A reason to get out of bed every day. We met the 90 year old man who walks down the mountain twice a day to feed his sheep. The grandmother who gets up every morning to make breakfast for her family and the woman who milks the goats and makes cheese. It made me realize that we try to protect our parents and elderly family members by taking away their daily chores to make life easier for them. These tasks are often the reason that encourages them to get up move and remain active.

Another lesson that I learned is to live with nature. They eat what is in season and they consume very little processed food. We ate broccoli, cabbage, and greens from their garden. We stayed in Nas which is at sea level so it doesn’t get below freezing there so they are able to grow winter vegetables.

The third lesson I learned was to enjoy what you do, slow down, and try to avoid stress. We have become a society that is always in a hurry. I was reminded of my youth growing up on a farm and the time spent on the front porch. We shelled a lot of peas and snapped hundreds of green beans on that front porch as well as had great conversations in the evening. I am going to make more of an effort to enjoy my surroundings and stop sweating the small stuff and take time to have a cup of tea.

Jane Horner

     

 

Looking back on our Cultural Immersion Trip I am truly amazed at the lifelong lessons and experiences I have gained through this trip. Visiting the Blue Zone island of Ikaria has provided me the opportunity to learn of a different culture and embrace tools and knowledge that will benefit my community. One of those lessons learned is the importance of socialization. On the island, we noticed that everyone had a genuine concern for his or her neighbor.  I recall one time on the island, our tour guide became so embraced in a conversation with her neighbor that we lost her in a crowd and we soon began to talk to others around us. In fact, through programming and shared partnerships I plan to immerse this concept into my community. I feel as though developing a community of compassionate neighbors will help us ALL age healthier and live longer– a concept that I eagerly look forward to implementing!

Jennifer Cannon

       
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My hope was to learn from the experience and connect with others that would translate into a positive refresh of our Extension work. I feel that this experience accomplished that and more.

First, the people we met; our hostess, tour guides, physician, pharmacist, dietician, store owners, and village residents were so giving and welcoming, it was impressive.  We were embraced and invited into their homes with such ease.  The thing I liked the most was visiting with locals about their home and lifestyle.  “There’s a magic, if you listen”, one resident’s description of the island.

The attitude about life was inspirational. I learned that living a long healthy life wasn’t just about eating fresh and healthy foods and being physically active, I felt a crucial reason for their longevity and quality of life was the positive attitude towards life.  Specifically, there is a positive attitude related to aging.  I learned that the people of Ikaria are not waiting for retirement to enjoy life- as one islander figuratively said “there is no word for retirement”, instead they have purpose throughout life.  It truly is the slow and peaceful life that allows the Ikarians to be in the moment and appreciate the little things.

Now that we have returned I am looking forward to putting this new found appreciation for living into our Extension programs. I think the doctor who we shared dinner with one evening sums it up well with these tips for a long healthy life: laugh often, dance often, fall in love, work enough, don’t stress, and don’t eat too much.

I am so grateful I was able to share in this journey with a great team of Extension Educators and friends in the School of Nursing.

Efharistó,

Kelsie Muller