I've spent the past four months with my home base in Athens, Greece! Study abroad is an incredibly challenging, wonderfully wonder-full, beautifully complex, astonishingly FULL experience that I could never - so won't ever - try to capture in words. BUT! I still wanted to share a little bit about my semester, so I have decided to to 10 lists of 10 about the cool things I got to do, learn, and (most importantly) eat this semester. Check out my abroad Instagram @emily.in.greece for a more real-time version!
Yamas (cheers!) to Greece, Europe, and the gift that the last few months have been!
Yamas (cheers!) to Greece, Europe, and the gift that the last few months have been!
1. Ten of my very favorite places I went
I went quite a few cool places, but I fell especially head over heels for these 10.
I went quite a few cool places, but I fell especially head over heels for these 10.
2. Ten of my favorite foods
Was it the food or was it Megan Davey? Still TBD.
Was it the food or was it Megan Davey? Still TBD.
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3. Ten of my favorite desserts
Yum. Yum. Yummmmmmmm.
Yum. Yum. Yummmmmmmm.
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4. Ten things I missed most
Little I wouldn't have given to be able to give a hug or boil the water for Hot Chocolate on a Wednesday!
5. Ten things I have a new appreciation for
Honestly how did kids survive study abroad before FaceTime and Google Maps...?
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6. Ten Greek words I learned and actually used!
Honestly though, it's all still Greek to me.
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7. Ten moments I’ll never ever ever forget
Unreal and unforgettable.
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8. Ten things that look different in Greece
When in Greece... nap like the Greeks do.
When in Greece... nap like the Greeks do.
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9. Ten songs that made up my study abroad soundtrack
Gre[ec]e is the Word... and other study abroad hits.
Gre[ec]e is the Word... and other study abroad hits.
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10. Ten reasons I think everyone should study abroad
10/10 would recommend.
10/10 would recommend.
- It’s hard. Like - guys - sometimes, really hard. And this is important.
- You get to see so many things. Like a church that kinda looks like what I imagine as heaven.
- It gives you appreciation of new things and gratitude for old. Like spring flowers and cool ruins. Like new friends to share the salad bar and old ones that figure out how to work around a 7 hour time difference.
- You could meet some awesome people. Like #PinkLadies #squad.
- You learn a lot about yourself. Like that I probably don't belong in the middle of a huge city.
- "You never know where growth is going to come" --Stuart Greene. Like on the wrong train or in your heart.
- It's a great exercise in understanding about the lives of people who have moved or been displaced to an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar language. Like, it's crazy to imagine their strength.
- It's good to remember what's really important (grades vs. that island trip), and makes you think about what education is. Like, the island always wins. Always.
- It's an opportunity you'll never have again. Like, seriously?! Four whole months?! YOLIGO. (You Only Live In Greece Once).
- I'd do it all over again. The good, bad, beautiful, ugly, fun, lonely, chaotic, simple, incredible, and full-of-Grace. Like, this is me recommending it right now. 10/10 (<-- hah. get it).
FINALLY, the moment you've all been waiting for. Here's a glimpse at my semester with 1 second of video from every day! Enjoy!
Athens, Greece. Acropolis. Delphi, Greece. College Year in Athens. Farmer’s Market. Sunio, Greece. Piraeus, Greece. Dublin, Ireland. Kylemore Abbey. Connemara, Ireland. Galway, Ireland. Barcelona, Spain. La Sagrada Familia. Park Guell. Corinth, Greece. Peloponnese, Greece. Nafplio, Greece. Sparta, Greece. Olympia, Greece. Lycabettus Hill. Vouliagmeni Hot Springs. Hydra Island, Greece. Agora of Athens. Aegina Island, Greece. Rome, Italy. Vatican City. St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican museums, Sistine chapel. Florence, Italy. Duomo (dome!). Colosseum. Trevi Fountain. Poros Island, Greece. Santorini Island, Greece. Thessaloniki, Greece. Hydra Island, Greece. Athens, Greece.