I’m two-thirds of the way through my faculty-led trip and I can’t believe it because I feel like I just got here! My favorite part about Greece has been the beautiful scenic views views. I’ve seen dazzling gulfs and seas, huge mountain ranges, and cute towns scattered throughout the countryside. One of the best parts of this program is that we have traveled all over the country and stayed in each city only a few nights, so I’ve seen and experienced many different places such as the Acropolis in Athens, the original site for the Olympic games, and the ruins of Mycenae. The downside is that you can only do so much in each city and it can be hard to leave when you get comfortable or settled, but I’ve enjoyed getting to see so much of Greece and now I know what areas I like the best.
Nafplio was one of my favorite locations because we stayed on the water and it was an easy town to navigate while also having plenty of things to keep us occupied. One of my favorite memories was eating dinner in the main square and experiencing that environment. There were families eating dinner together, kids playing soccer and blowing bubbles, and even some people dancing to live music. It was such an idyllic scene and I kept thinking how cool it would be if I lived there and that was a daily/weekly occurrence.
I haven’t experienced much culture shock because Greece has so many tourists that most people speak at least a little bit of English but there are definitely still differences between Greece and America. The food is delicious and there are so many different things to try, but the meals take a lot longer. Also, they don’t refill your drinks unless you specifically ask, so I’m often having to flag down a waiter for more water during the meal. Overall, this has been an amazing experience and I highly recommend both a faculty-led study abroad trip and a trip to Greece in general!
