The first day was the most nerve-wrecking, but fortunately I regained my composure and laid-back attitude for the rest of the trip.

In Rhodes Town, the city area of the island, streets are narrow and crowded like downtown Newport during the summer. I had to squeeze through lines of parked and moving cars, pedestrians and motorcyclists.

Finding a parallel parking spot was an adventure. Parking is only permitted in blue-marked areas and cars were jammed tightly within the streets. I parallel parked in a variety of ways, including on a hill and on the left side of the street.

Driving conditions weren’t any easier in other parts of the island. On the main coastal road leaving Rhodes Town toward the airport, cars sped through curvy areas uncomfortably narrow for two vehicles. Motorcyclists often came out of nowhere to speed between opposite lanes of traffic. Cars also passed on the left – even though there wasn’t a passing lane – and I wasn’t creaking along at grandma speeds.

Like Rhode Island, it’s rare to see motorists in Rhodes use their blinker.

Even more bizarre, the white lines on the road that actually did exist were faded and unclear. Stop signs, interestingly written in English, were usually 10 feet before the actual stop. It was helpful though that the traffic signs written in Greek had English translations.

The center of the island reminded me of New Hampshire forests, contrasting the palm tree and sandy environment along the coast. The roads through the Greek mountains were snaky with no lines and again, narrow. Occasionally another car would speed through and I was amazed at how they didn’t shoot off the cliff. But at least in the mountains it wasn’t crowded with living traffic obstacles, unlike the coastal areas.

Throughout the week I regularly asked Lauren, “Is this a 1-way street?”

To which she usually replied, “Nope! It’s a 2-way.”