Author Bio – Athena Lamberis

Athena Lamberis
Author Bio

Athena the Globe Trotter

Whether she’s dodging donkeys in Santorini or sipping coco gelado in Ipanema, Athena is always planning her next destination. It all started at a young age, going to Greece during summer breaks to visit her YiaYia (grandma) and visiting her Uncle Terry in Belgium. She was always mesmerized by the “gypsy lifestyle’ of young traveling backpackers that are ubiquitous in Europe. At 15, she asked her mom if she could ‘island �hop’ the Greek Isles like the rest of the young people that flooded the port Pireaus. Her mom replied, “When you turn 18, you can do whatever you want.”

After graduating from Evanston Township High School, Illinois, Athena, known to friends as Tina, enrolled at Michigan State University studying Elementary Education, specializing in Teaching English as a Second Language and Special Ed., Learning Disabilities. With her degree, she hopes to learn different teaching methods and systems of education from around the world.

After her first year at MSU, she made her first independent travel choice and applied for a MSU study abroad program in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. After a four-week course on Western Europe education and society, Athena jetted on Ryan Air for 15 euros and landed in Venice. With her over-packed backpack, she would begin her independent “Greek isle-hop” and took the 24 hour ferry from Venice to Corfu, Greece. Unfortunately, her saved pennies for post-traveling went to train tickets to Amsterdam and eating brie sandwiches in Paris. So when she docked in Corfu Town, she took a bus to Agios Gordios and worked in the Beach Kitchen at the Pink Palace.

On that crazy summer, Athena met and established great friendships with people from all over the world. She became inspired by the crazy Aussie and Kiwi globe-trotting adventures, discovered a whole new respect for Canadians, fell in love with the Mexican travelers, danced with Norwegians, drank ouzo with Brazilians, and wore pink togas with the Portuguese. After that travel/work experience, it was difficult for Athena to adjust back to academia for the start of her second year at MSU.
Athena was later diagnosed with the “Travel Bug.” Her passion for traveling and education are equally as strong so she has decided to balance the two. She travels on schools breaks, saves up dough for destinations, and seeks out jobs that would fund her next adventure. Since then she has gone to Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, back to Europe and worked in Mykonos, Greece. Starting February 2005, Athena will be studying for 5 months in Durban, South Africa at University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.