Finding a place to culminate a Greek friendship can be a bit tricky. But, there are communities both on land and online. One such place on the internet is OrthodoxCircle, a place specified for those of the Orthodox Christian faith, which is heavily populated with Greek nationals. OrthodoxCircle imitates the myspace format and, in fact, sites that the OrthodoxCircle is a family oriented alternative to myspace. Here those of the orthodox faith can create profiles, message one another, testify about beliefs, and share stories relating, many times, to the Greek lifestyle and culture. This is a fun and informal way of meeting and experiencing a Greek community, and you may meet people across the country, or across the world, you never would have otherwise. What’s more it’s an educational experience about religion, faith, personal relationships as well as Greece. If you are Greek or have strong Orthodox Christian beliefs, this is a great place to foster Greek Friendship.
If you want to have the Greek experience and do have a passport, you can travel to where the Greeks live. Many who make the trip are Greek decedents, but they shouldn’t have all the fun. Rich culture and memorable people, are available for anyone wanting to make the journey, such as those interested in international travel and culminating Greek friendships. You can completely immerse yourself in Greece, as in one such program, Greek Summer, a camp wherein participants, mainly high school students, live in a rural village in Thessalonkiki, Greece. One of the perks is that instead of staying in a dorm or campsite, the campers get to stay with a Greek family. There the students participate in the culture and community, climb to the peak of Mt.Olympus and bond with the country, making life long Greek friendships. This can be a life changing, soul enriching experience, and is worth the cost of travel.
If the internet is not your thing, and traveling is not in you budget, there is still the possibility of a Greek Friendship in your own town. In most communities there are small numbers of different nationalities waiting to be discovered and befriended. Separated by a culture and language barrier, many people come to America from other countries and look to find familiar faces. If this is the case with you and your family, or if you are a life long citizen looking to make Greek friendship out of curiosity or shared values, contacting your neighborhood civic center, or community resource center will be of a huge help in your search. Even in the smallest communities there may be Greek churches, festivals and tight knit circles of friends waiting to answer your questions and enjoy your company.
Too often immigrant and American citizens relax into a single culture way of life. Those who come here to settle feel alienated and try to assimilate as quickly as possible to achieve comfort and acceptance from other Americans. The “melting pot” mentality means that a great deal of culture gets lost and forgotten. If you are Greek, securing Greek friendships means a preservation of certain traditions and parts of your culture you may not be able to maintain by yourself. For those who are just interested in another culture, this is a good way to bring another idea of community into yours, and allow room for all different ways of life to continue to exist in America.