Submitted by Julia Diamond on the 2024 Spring program in Athens, Greece…
Arriving in Athens Greece
Leaving for Greece for the semester was my first time traveling internationally alone, and my first time leaving the country in almost 10 years, so it was filled with new experiences. Navigating the airport, meeting fellow study abroad students at my connecting gate, the time difference, and meeting my six new roommates among other things culminated in quite a hectic 24 hours, but after a shower and 14 hours of sleep I was feeling rejuvenated and began exploring my new surroundings. The adjustment went quite smoothly for me and everyone I met was super nice. Some things definitely took some getting used to like having to pre-weigh produce at the grocery store and not flushing toilet paper, but overall things went really well! We also got a tour of our neighborhood and downtown Athens and it was a great taste of the area that I will certainly be exploring more of as the semester goes on.
First Week of Classes
This was our first week of classes. I really enjoyed all of them and all my professors seem really nice. It’s definitely different than back at Delaware especially because our entire grade is based only on a midterm and a final, no other assignments count towards it. It’s been great connecting with other study abroad students from around the country as well as getting to know the Greek students. I got to know my roommates better and we went downtown for brunch over the weekend. I’ve started to get used to using public transportation to get to the main city, taking the bus and the metro, and finally got a metro card so I can travel more easily. I’m excited to go to as many of the museums that Athens has as I can! The language barrier has also been an interesting experience, but most people know English and I’m still trying to learn some more Greek while I’m here. I have family on my mom’s side that live in Athens who I’m planning to see soon.I also booked a flight for a long weekend in February in Thessaloniki in northern Greece so I can see my brother while he’s there and some of my family that lives there as well, which is really exciting.
Exploring the City
This week I ventured into the city by myself for the first time. I went to the Museum of the City of Athens which was a cute little museum in the first house of the first royal couple of Greece. I also picked up art supplies for my drawing class while I was there. On another solo trip I went to the War Museum and the Museum of Ancient Greek Technology, knocking two more museums off my list! My roommates and I also went to the beach over the weekend just to see the water and it was really fun. Some of the things I’ve noticed a lot in my time here have been smoking, motorcycles, and cats – a lot more than I’m used to seeing at home. Greece is also super mountainous and it’s quite the incline to get to my classes! Everything I’ve experienced so far has been really amazing, and I’m so glad to have so much more time to explore. Next week a bunch of us want to go to the Acropolis which I’m super excited about. (Submitted on January 30, 2024)
