After our 10-day jaunt in breathtaking Switzerland back in 2014, Scott and I started saving up and counting down the months until our return trip to Europe. The location of our next escape was a toss-up between Croatia, Italy, the UK, and Greece—but Greece eventually won out, beckoning us with its warm Mediterranean climate, famous sunsets, interesting history, and fresh seafood (we're suckers for the stuff).

And, okay, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants might also have had something to do with it, too. (I'd been dying to see the picturesque blue domes of Santorini in person since junior high, and luckily, Scott was on board.)

So, in the months leading up to my NTA graduation, we booked the first cheap flight from Dallas to Athens we could land. (Fellow nomads: Scott's Cheap Flights saved us a thousand dollars on tickets!) Total flight time rounded out to about 13 hours, with a short layover in London. (Had Scott had more vacation time to kill, we most likely would have stayed a night or two in London to break up the traveling.) The plan was to spend two nights in Athens, make our way to Santorini for four nights, and round out our week-and-a-half long voyage in Mykonos.

I'm so happy we didn't forego the capitol and skip straight to the islands, because Athens was majestic in its own right. We were lucky enough to find a nice apartment (if you haven't yet joined Airbnb, here's a discount!) right across the street from the Monastiraki main square, making it easy to get up and just go each morning without having to hop on the metro. Scott and I aren't into planning every moment of our trips (like at all), so for two days, we blissfully—and somewhat blindly—wandered the charming Plaka District, ate gyros and Greek salads from street vendors, and roamed the Acropolis (where we saw the infamous Parthenon). I honestly can't even recommend specific restaurants because we simply stumbled into the closest place when we got hungry, and I didn't take note of any of the names. (Eateries are everywhere, and no meal we had was subpar!)

I loved how ancient this part of the city was, with its stunning architecture, outdoor cafés, and narrow winding roads forming a maze we would get lost in for hours. We really only made it into the more modern downtown area once for Easter mass—which, come to find out, is celebrated a week after our Easter—and the numerous skyscrapers made it feel like we were in a completely different country. It's amazing to me the uniquely beautiful blend of new and old that define major European cities like Athens, which (in my opinion), leaves something to be desired in the States.

We probably averaged about 6-8 miles a day on foot, and by 7pm each night, this pregnant lady was pooped from all the walking. Even though Athens is known for their booming nightlife—as was confirmed by the loud music and bright lights streaming in through our apartment window each night until 5am—we opted instead for a plate of freshly-cooked loukoumades or frozen Greek yogurt, followed by some (disrupted) shut-eye.

For me, 48 hours felt like just enough time to really soak in the history and intrigue of Athens, and by the end of our stay, I was ready for some island time. So back to the airport we went to hop on a quick 1-hour flight to Santorini! (Post coming soon!)