What Athens’ ancient Acropolis can teach us about longevity and setting up a strong foundation for good health for decades to come.

I recently told you about how excited I was to take my first trip overseas in more than two years. What used to be regular trips fed my soul and made me feel like me so I couldn’t wait to finally get back out there and return to it all.

It made sense that the first stop of my European re-integration trip was Athens.

Athens is Europe’s oldest capital and the birthplace of European and Western civilization.

It’s also home to the first known democracy.

Athens was first inhabited waaaaay back in the 11th Century B.C.

It’s truly an important and ancient city.

I thought about those thousands of years as I wandered Athens’ crown jewel, the Acropolis.

It made me think of longevity, creating strong foundations, and setting yourself up for the future.

Let me paint the scene.

The Acropolis

The Acropolis is a semi-intact small city on top of a steep rocky hill.

To see pieces of so many ancient structures was mind boggling.

The entrance to the Acropolis is called the Proylaea and dates back many many decades to 437 B.C. when it was built.

It was constructed with marble as is much of the building in the Acropolis as well as the streets of Athens.

Yes, there are marble sidewalks everywhere because that was the abundant material. Not too shabby…unless it’s rainy, then watch your stop as that beautiful marble can be slick!

Although the first female mayor of Athens decided to replace many of the beautiful but slippery surfaces in 2003. Love the practical measures taken to stay safe!

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Odeon of Herodes Atticus was originally built in 161 A.D.

The beautiful theatre was destroyed one hundred years later and didn’t come back to life until almost 1922.

It’s still used today for concerts and other events.

Fun fact: Athens boasts more than 150 additional theatre stages than Broadway!

Athena vs Poseidon

It was said that the gods Athena and Poseidon had a contest about who would name the city.

They each gave a gift to win the rights and guess who won?

Shout out to Athena for her win in naming Athens. Poseidon just wouldn’t have the same ring.

Poseidon offered water but the people preferred Athena’s olive tree to symbolize peace.

An olive tree sits at the foot of Erechtheion and some say it’s the same sacred tree given in the offering.

The Erechteion

The Erechtheion is an interesting and old structure that was finished in 406 BCE.

The building is asymmetrical, unlike its perfectly sloping Parthenon across the way.

It was built on uneven ground so it wouldn’t disrupt the sacred sites inside. Athena is the goddess who the building is primarily dedicated to.

The Caryatid Porch

In the southwest corner of the Erechtheion is the Caryatid Porch, one of my favorite spots on the Acropolis.

Six female statues take the place of columns.

I like to think that this represents strong women who civilization came to be built upon.

Because ladies, we do tend to carry a lot of weight on our shoulders, don’t we?

My Healthy Takeaways From Athens’ Acropolis

To walk around the thousands of years old Acropolis was truly humbling.

Yes, there has been restoration, replicas, and touch ups along the way, but there’s still a strong foundation.

It made me think about what sort of foundation we set up in our lives.

Many of us aren’t looking for the long haul, permanent skills and practices for a balanced life.

We want the quick fix – instant gratification.

It might be an extreme diet, fast, or juice cleanse, which can have a place in a healthy person’s life. But it needs to be balanced with a strong foundation.

A week of drinking green juice won’t mean much if it’s not coupled with other practices.

Eating well on a consistent basis, moving your body, making time to get quiet, (traveling for me!), and supporting your mental health all give you a strong foundation from which to live.

So think about the long game, the tactics that will set you up beyond looking good for the weekend.

Sustained lifestyle practices are the things that will propel you into a fulfilled and balance life for years to come.