Submitted by Collin Willard on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Athens, Greece sponsored by the Department of English…
I can’t believe our time in Greece is coming to an end already. Everything happened so fast, especially this past week. We started the week by traveling to Nafplio, a seaside town in the Peloponnese. We stayed for four days, visiting a ton of really amazing archaeological sites in the area, as well as two acropolises that we climbed up. The town seemed out of a postcard with its pastel colored buildings, sparkling blue water and picturesque natural scenery. We got the opportunity to take a boat ride at sunset one evening around the gulf where the town is situated and it was absolutely breathtaking. We got blessed with some amazing weather as well throughout this excursion, too. Some people even went swimming! We were again joined by President and Mrs. Assanis at many points throughout this excursion, which was an awesome experience. We experienced so much throughout these several days, and although we were exhausted by the time we left, it was definitely worth it. I was amazed by the age of some of the sites we saw—one was from the 15th century B.C.! I was also amazed by the amount of effort that ancient people put into these sites. One included a piece of rock that is estimated to weigh 120 tons. I can’t even fathom how they went about putting that into place.
We arrived back in Athens on Wednesday evening and had a free day on Thursday. I used that opportunity to go to Lake Vouliagmeni, which is a natural hot spring lake south of Athens. It was warm enough to swim in, and there were fish that eat the dead skin from your feet when you get in. The experience took a while to get used to, but by the time I left I had gotten used to it. I was glad to take advantage of the free day to do something fun!
On Friday, we went to an ancient graveyard archaeological site and discussed the mythology associated with death in ancient Greek culture. It was fascinating to learn about how the ancient Greeks dealt with death, especially considering how pious the society was. In the afternoon, we went to a local theatre in Athens. We saw a play that depicted the series of events associated with King Agamemnon’s family following his return from the Trojan War. Before that, however, the set and costume designer led us in a mask-making activity using this plaster-type material that molded to our faces. The whole cast and production team was so enthusiastic about having us, and it was very interesting to interact with them about the performance. We talked with the director about some of his stylistic choices and the actors reflected on how they portray the characters.
Our last excursion was Saturday, when we took a ferry to the island of Aegina. On the island, we visited some of the ancient ruins of the people that once lived on the island. It used to be a massive naval and maritime power, as it is situated in a very ideal location. We also got to stop at a handmade pottery workshop. The original owner passed away a few years ago, but his brother still keeps the store open to sell his work. Afterwards, we had time in the main town on the island to eat lunch and roam around. I rented a bicycle and rode it around the town. This island was so beautiful and serene. The weather was about as perfect as it could be, and getting to see the ancient sites and hear about what Aegina used to be was a great experience.
Now that our program is coming to a close, I’ve had some time to reflect on what it has meant to me. Seeing all of these ancient sites has really given me a perspective of my own existence in the grand scheme of the world, as has seeing and experiencing how others live in a different place in the world. I also feel more independent and responsible, and it’s taught me that I’m definitely going to do a lot of traveling in my life. I want to see as much of the world as I can because if any of it is half as amazing as Greece has been, I’ll be thrilled. I’m so happy to have gone on this program, and it has impacted me in more ways than I’m sure I’m even conscious of. I really hope that I’ll be able to see this beautiful place again one day.
