KBOO really DID do GREECE

SO REALLY, this whole week has been one of the BEST WEEKS IN GREECE EVER. KBOO Loved Greece…and more importantly, Greece loved Kboo. The next few days were a series of awesomeness, twinness, and me FINALLY being with my bestfriend. On a scale from one to ten I LOVED IT!!! Sunday rolled around pretty quickly and nothing is really open on Sundays SO Kboo and I pulled a lazy-esque morning and walked around in the afternoon. She got to see everything from my little street with the Fruit man to the water with the white tower. IT was BEAUTIFUL outside and I was just happy to be with her….It was Kboo’s Vacation and it was MY Staycation…..it was awesome for both parties involved. I’m so glad Kathleen was all about being a tourist…..we walked all the way down to the white tower and the water. It was a PERFECT day and we took GREAT pictures….we just walked along the water, talking and taking advantage of the awesome photo opportunities we had. We decided to get a delicious treat at the desert/café place right near the water, Parfait. NORMALLY I would have been ALL about getting some gelato BUT it was kind-of chilly out so we opted for actual delicious treats….which was great because we got to split them….and it was as much her vacation as it was mine…I have NO guilt WHATSOEVER…..I think Kathleen and I talked so much we could have blown up over 23,000 balloons in the first 2 or 3 days with all our constant talking and hot air….SO MUCH to say….I missed it SO MUCH! After our delicious treats we walked more of Thessaloniki and I showed Kathleen a ton of the important things that I pass by often, like the arch and a ton of the ruins that are just randomly put everywhere. We had a great day just walking around the city….KATHLEEN WAS floored to discover that I was in a city….even though I had told her and EVERYONE else that hey….I’m legit, living in a city….and then it clicked to her that Thessaloniki is a lot like a mini-New York….just the feel of it….yep…I’m in a city with a ton of people and everything is just a five-minute walk away….she didn’t hate it!



When we got back to my apartment all the Istanbulers came home and COMPLETELY bombarded us with everything they bought and stories and it was just a whirlwind of sooooo many girls in one place at one time….it was so intense haha….I’m not sure how Kboo took it all but it was fun for me because everyone was SO EXCITED to finally meet her because I was seriously getting annoying with all my counting-down and constant conversation about her…..good grief Kathleen you are a HUGE DEAL in my book!


Things really didn’t die down until about 1 when I decided to go to bed…LUCKILY there was an empty bed downstairs that I confiscated for the week…..um awesome…there were a ton of visitors this week…and I was smart enough to find a place to sleep…..look at me go! Anyway, I did decide to go to class on Monday, but JUST Greek and Tutoring. I finished as quickly as possible and took a cab STRAIGHT HOME to Kboo….who has JUST greeted the day when I had returned around 2:30/3ish…..haha OH jet-lag you kill us Lockwood girls…..we were BOTH hungry and SO I took Kathleen to meet NIKKOS!!!! OK so Kboo didn’t like the Crepe but I certainly did….I ALWAYS DO….but I’ll be honest…Nikko was NOT on his a-game that day…..total disappointment….if only kboo had gotten a sweet crepe….THEN her life would be different…PROMISE PROMISE….so Kathleen and I ventured out and I took her to the Arch where she saw a ton of FAT pigeons…I TOLD YOU they were huge…and NOW I have another witness…these birds are really abnormally huge….they are the size of small, full-grown adult cats….NOTE….this is NOT an exaggeration!! Kathleen discovered Bershka and Zara…Europe’s signature stores most closely related to an American Eagle/Express/Limited and so on….so naturally we had a field day…it was so fun to see Kathleen SO excited about it all. We kept making our way down the whole road and it was SO fun to be with her and show her where I have been living……..IN A CITY….which is Crazy! I KNOW! Well for other people it’s not crazy, but for me…and us….it was intense, cool, and very different. I actually really like living in a city….not for the rest of my life, but I wouldn’t mind it while I’m trying to start my life and my career….it’s actually perfect and good for me because there is SO much to do and life is NEVER closed….except for Sundays…..they aren’t so fun…..right then.


AND SO we had a blast looking at everything and walking the streets just talking and having fun…..eventually we found ourselves at Aristotle Plataea…..so it was Aristotle Square…..well right before it…but I could CLEARLY see it from where I was…..but we were at an out-door mall/type thing that I pass often but never really venture into…and then all of a sudden Kathleen and I were in an elevator going to see a movie in GREECE! I had wanted to see a movie ALL semester and it was REALLY fun. We got free soda’s with our tickets and we saw an American film…..with Greek Subtitles……which was really awesome because I followed along with it and tried to figure things out…..


NATURALLY after the film we were hungry and I WAS CRAVING Chicken….AMERICAN Chicken and SINCE Kaci and I had American Thursday last week and had discovered FRIDAY’S IN GREECE….I apologized to kboo for making her go to Friday’s with me…but I was KILLER FOR REAL FOOD….and FRIDAY’S was awesome……FINALLY CHICKEN……that wasn’t on a stick or was pretend…..it was real and normal….


Dear Chicken,

I Love you more than life itself.

Love, me.


That pretty much ended our night….we just went back to my apartment and it wasn’t early by any means. So we watched a film and continued our girl time which I loved. I HAD tons of Snacks for kboo at my apartment too. I got a ton of things together in a bag for her Arrival and I think she liked it a lot….and by liked it she loved the Greek cookies, the chocolate…and most importantly, the HAPPY HIPPO’S! Don’t you worry Kathleen I’ll be bringing BOXES of those things back for you….I understand your love for them because I love them….DEARLY!
TUESDAY MORNING was a bright and EARLY one. I made Kboo wake up and go to school with me haha muahaha mean of me? Maybe BUT I wanted her to see where I went to school….and I wanted her to meet my gender studies professor….because she is SO AWESOME and has been so great to all of us this whole semester. She is an absolutely amazing lady. BUT, she wasn’t in class! We still had class and had to watch a movie…but prior to it….Kathleen, Kaci, myself, and Heather ALL decided to get a chocolate milk to enjoy while we watched a film….in which case….spilling things is H-jay’s forte….and well it happened before in the class on one of the firsts days and Agili, our professor, was up in arms about it…..but WE did it anyway and literally as we are sitting down…Kathleen’s drink hits the floor like NOBODY’S business…..I died….I was laughing hysterically and she was so mortified……annnnnnd moments later….MY DRINK GOES DOWN…..um figures….GOOD thing she wasn’t there AGILI would have killed me…..haha goes to show you….sister like sister…..Bless her heart.


I made Kboo come to my next class in multimedia which was great because she got to check her email and things while I did multimedia things….and then THEN we met up with Kaci and WE WERE OFF to the COSMOS MEDITERRANEAN…..SO FUN!


I LOVE SHOPPING! I don’t buy things all the time…but I really like going…it’s just fun to do and help other people if they are on missions….KACI is a GREAT accomplice for this….I LOVE THURSDAYS….I spend the majority of my weeks WAITING for Thursdays….AHHHHhhhhh!!!! SO we got food and Kathleen got her FIRST gyro…..she didn’t hate it….they weren’t the best but they weren’t the worst either…..and then we were OFF again looking around watching all the people and Kathleen was having a field day…NOW we were planning on going to Athens on Wednesday BUT it’s not the cheapest to go and we just decided that spending time with each other was enough…I mean she flew thousands of miles, spending thousands of dollars just to see me….if that’s not love, I don’t know what is….so just doing the Thessaloniki thing and seeing everything that we could was great. There was even live music playing in the mall which was really cool and neat AND those boys we had met on Saturday night called me and we decided to meet up with them around 10 that night wooo…THIS was going to be VERY FUN.


IN WHICH case we got ready and Kathleen, Kaci, Myself and ALEXA all went to meet the boys we had met and we ended up at a Taverna just hanging out, eating, drinking, and getting to know each other. OH WINE how you always make things so much more interesting. WE HAD a blast…it seriously was so much fun and they were SO fun….it was a GREAT night….we were going to go to a hookah bar to finish the night off but on Tuesdays things don’t stay open past 3 really, unless you go to the water, than that is different….but the hookah bar was closing and so we also decided to close our night……oh Tuesday you were super fun…minus some sketchy encounters of sketchy guys that Kathleen and Alexa had to run away from…but mostly Tuesday you were a good day!


BECAUSE we decided NOT to go to Athens Kathleen and I slept in a bit. WEDNESDAY was a historical day. We walked all around, in and out…..up and down Thessaloniki. Kboo was so impressed that there were just random ruins chilling in Thessaloniki. Um Random…..today was a chill-esque day nothing to bumping happened just walking again….EVERYWHERE and AS we were walking around Thessaloniki we went to the water again and walked up from there….I took Kathleen to the HONDOS center because I had found one in Thess. I know they are other places but I was pumped that I had found one that wasn’t too terribly far away. We went in and it was just so neat to see her reaction…I wasn’t joking when I explained the Hondos Center when I went to Athens….this thing is MASSIVE, INTENSE….and KATHLEEN was super excited about it……on our way back to my apartment we saw some shady action going on which NEVER Happens in Thessaloniki…….well it might but I never see it…..I’m not sure what was going on but there was a Guy down….and blood…a mass amount of it leaking from his stomach….I’m pretty sure he was Albanian…and there were Gypsies around him too….hmm interesting……sure when Kboo comes these things happen…..giving her a bad impression! NOT GOOD! We came across MORE ruins which was originally a roman marketplace. The columns were still up and I love this area…it is so cool. THEN we went to the LARGEST CHURCH IN GREECE….THIS THING IS HUGE…..inside is beautiful and I have seen a TON of churches in Europe but this one was really neat. I’m so glad Kathleen got an opportunity to see it…..yay for Greek culture….and my tour-guideness……


and then we were on our way walking back to my apartment… we got some treats from ideal….the bakery down the way and Kathleen got to experience Baklava and things….I LOVE Greek pastry’s…..too bad Kboo isn’t into the flakiness because that’s all they got here….haha NOTICE how our days really centered around food….SHEESH! This day we DID get Kathleen a SUPER cute Jacket….I happen to own and wear the same Jacket religiously…..and she loved it so much that we went and got it for her…she looked SUPER styling….but most importantly this jacket is the most functional jacket ever…it GOES with everything and it’s at JUST the right length….it’s good for winter, spring, AND fall….so perfect all the way around and WELL WORTH IT! TRUST ME! WE watched movies again this night….gorged on CORNER PIZZA good grief I love corner pizza AND our delicious treats….don’t judge us we were on Vacation….and it was again really fun…We watched PRIME which was a GREAT film….I might be purchasing that for the near future….


THURSDAY was a HUGE DAY for us! WE HAD SOME SERIOUS PLANS! I LOVE THURSDAYS!!!! ALWAYS!!! SO this was a HUGE deal for me because I was going to spend my favorite day with KBOO! SO EXCITING!!!!!! YESSSSS and I skipped class all together again…because it was Thursday…which should be a national Holiday for me….even when I go home…however……my spring schedule for me is a combination of ONLY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY CLASSES….DONE DEAL…I AM SO PUMPED for this to happen! ANYWAY! WE were off to an Early start…I had been wanting to go to Saturday’s market ALL semester and THIS was when I was going to go…to the market and BOOT wonderland where the boots or outrageously cheap. SO EXCITING! AND SO we went to the square and met up with Alexa and the four of us made our way into the market which had tons of fish…hanging pigs (UM EW) flowers and tons of people trying to get us to buy things….it was so different and fun. We found boot wonderland and looked around here and there but boot wonderland wasn’t so much of a wonderland as we had anticipated….ugh…bummer to the max. BUT that didn’t stop us from having a good time…and we found GREAT carry-on bags which was EXACTLY what I needed!!!! SO we bargained them down and bit and got really awesome bags for the plane. YAY for us! AND SO then we walked around a bit and found some more shopping places which was really fun and Kathleen found some great Christmas gifts…AHH SOOOO fun…it was just really fun, I enjoyed spending so much time with her I just didn’t care what we did……and then we got some beverages and Kathleen had her FIRST FRAPPE….a seriously big deal to in the Greek Culture…..these people live for their coffee and Frappes….I had a tea which was wonderful and of course….OF COURSE Kaci had Hot cocoa……GO FIGURE…..and Alexa is just straight up a Coffee kind of a girl. We found this place on a Thursday one time and we just thought it was the cutest place…madre would LOVE It if she had come here….I think that’s why I liked going so much….because Madre would have liked it….it was just nice, cute, and very chic.


SOON after we took Kathleen to the Greek Candy store we also found one Thursday….I LOVE the Greek Candy store…and we got some things while looking for some KILLER boots for Kathleen….the downside….all the shops close at 3 and don’t open up again till 6…..UGH! SO DUMB! IN which case, Kaci and Alexa were off to get ready for Thanksgiving festivities….haha and I BASICALLY forgot it was Thanksgiving…..haha TURKEY DAY….minus the Turkey…..and so Kboo and I stopped back to my apartment to drop off our huge bags that we had gotten and walked to the top of Thessaloniki to the Castle……she got to see everything and walking up was like walking through Santorini…it was amazing and awesome….THIS was the Greece she thought I was living in…and I am…just this was the old town….and I’m in the new town…..the top of the City was beautiful….it was so warm out and it was the perfect day…..I was so excited that she was here and enjoying herself and got see what I get to see everyday! We walked through the small separate neighborhood at the top of the city and finally made our way down RIGHT to where we were going to find boots. WE FOUND them in no-time and Kathleen was officially completely GREEKED OUT and ready for action….she got AMAZING boots….so cute…..and MERRY CHRISTMAS KATHLEEN….even though it was Thanksgiving those boots were for her from me….because she was wonderful and awesome and I couldn’t ask for a better Thanksgiving….well…all things considered….of course we missed Madre, Brosef, Anna, and Padre. WE skyped them and Talked their ears off…it was almost as if we were with them….except there were eating normal food and we were haha well eating everything bad for you as possible! AND then we were of the ACT thanksgiving dinner but by the time we got there….ALL THE FOOD WAS GONE!!!! WHAT!?!!!!! So we opted for Gyros and we had REALLY AMAZING gyros….happy thanksgiving kboo! GREEK style…..haha I suppose I’ll never forget this Thanksgiving….how can I right? We spent most of the night talking and packing all of my stuff and kboo’s things up…..making sure she had everything….I hated it….I wanted her to stay for the rest of my studying at school…..LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER with her! UGH! But we woke up early and took a taxi to the airport. I hated this. I had SO MUCH FUN….LIES….WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! Her leaving put a serious DAMPER on my mood….way to go Kathleen…yeah….way to go….


IT took us about oh I don’t know 20-30 minutes to say goodbye…I just stood there as she was going through security…haha WALKING with her as she zigzagged through the ropes like that guy with the huge head in Shrek One…….


And then she was off and I was in the Taxi heading back to the apartment to do some school work before I got on the bus to campus….which sucked…BUT the cutest old man really made my life SO much easier because he helped me and was so cute….he didn’t know a WORD of English so I tried my Greek on him…and it was fun…..SEE there are nice people in GREECE annnnnd then I was off to a weekend of relaxation at KazmaIhavenocluehowtopronoucethis with Student government……..hmmm…..until next time….

You stay classy you blog readers.

<3 Hlo


NEXT TIME ON HLOCK DOES GREECE: KAZMAHHUH? Ski resort weekend!!!!!! STAY TUNED, you won’t want to miss it……