As I sit in the lobby of the hotel in the last hour of my trip, I am reflecting on my incredible week spent in Greece. Back in December, I was having an existential crisis about the fact that I only have one more year left in college. I began feeling like I hadn’t done enough or taken full advantage of my opportunities, so I signed up for a study abroad trip to Greece on a whim.
It was going to be an archaeological study tour with the CAMS department and I had no prior knowledge of this department before this semester.Â
I had never gone abroad alone before and I was so anxious about the group of people that I would be going with. I had all sorts of questions racing through my mind. The week prior to our departure, I was a ball of nerves calling my mom every night for reassurance that everything was going to be okay.Â
However, once I got on the bus, I started talking to the others and quickly realized that we were all on the same boat. Most of us had never travelled alone and we bonded over our shared fears. From then onwards, my anxieties slowly drifted away and I became fully present in the moment.Â
On our third night in Olympia, my roommate and I were discussing our feelings about the trip and she mentioned that there was something so innately human about our time spent so far. This phrase stuck out to me because it is the perfect encapsulation of the entire journey. Moving between archaeological sites and discussing the rich mythology and history behind each statue and temple opened my eyes and fed my curiosity (a curiosity that was left unfulfilled for so long).Â
Constantly walking around and experiencing each city for what it was truly revitalizing. In college, I often feel older than my age and being in new atmospheres reminded me of my youth and how much there is still left for me to see.
The people I met on this trip will always have a place in my heart. Most of us were total strangers beforehand, but we got along so well and I will forever cherish the memories we made. I am so grateful that I got to experience these beautiful places with people who had such a strong passion for them.Â
Every single museum was treated with the same excitement as a candy shop and I can say with certainty that it rubbed off on me. It is so important to keep fields of studies like archaeology alive during a time where it is being undervalued and being with this group gave me hope for the future.Â
If you are reading this and have even the slightest desire to go abroad, I highly recommend that you go. It will teach you so many important life lessons and give you the confidence to face life on your own as you get older. There are highs and lows of each abroad experience, but I am certain that there is a right one for everyone.Â