UD Abroad Blog

Submitted by Annie Porter on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Athens, Greece sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures…

When I was choosing a study abroad program, I knew I wanted to have a fully immersive experience. Instead of just taking a class in another country, I wanted to experience that country. Greece seemed like the perfect place to do this. I was always interested in Greek Mythology and the ancient Athenians, which was only reinforced by my classical mythology class. I had learned all of the legends and myths. I had seen the textbook photos and cartoons of the temples and statues. I had even done my own research, trying to learn as much as I could about the places we would be visiting. None of this came close to preparing me for the experience of actually being in Greece.

On our second full day in Athens, it was time to visit the Acropolis. A site so synonymous with the country, they cannot be imagined without each other. Beginning our climb of the Acropolis (the Acropolis is the entire hill, the Parthenon is the temple that sits atop), our first stop was the Theater of Dionysus. Known as the birthplace of Greek tragedy, it is almost impossible to overstate the importance of the theater. The tragedies now studied by high school students around the world were first staged right where I was sitting. I was in the same seat as a farmer, merchant, or craftsman would have sat over two millennia ago. I could not even begin to comprehend this, before it was time to continue our climb.

Passing various temples and ruins, we finally reached the entrance to the top of the Acropolis. Standing at the base of the marble steps, looking up, it seemed as if the marble columns could continue up forever. How do you begin to process being on the Acropolis, a place that has always somehow seemed so far removed from reality? Especially when the blustery weather turned out to be frigid and windy and you forgot your gloves. In short, you can’t. Sometimes, you just have to let go of gravitas of the situation, take some pretty pictures, and leave the existential processing for another day. Such an experience is one that must, and should, be processed over time. I certainly will be thinking about it long after our time in Greece is over.

Submitted by Dylan Dombroski on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and the Honors Program…

At the beginning of this week, we traveled north to the beautiful city of Firenze, or Florence, for our English counterparts. The city offered us countless breathtaking museums and works of architectural grandeur. Among these were the Uffizi Museum, home to Christian works of art by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Caravaggio and many others. Just down the road is also the Accademia Museum, home to the beautifully crafted David by Michelangelo. Such stunning perfection carved from a single piece of marble can only be appreciated in person, and we are very lucky, therefore, to have been afforded such an opportunity. Besides the priceless works of art which Florence had to offer over the past week, there were also plenty of opportunities for cultural and religious immersion.

Our hotel was situated in the heart of the city, which meant that it was just a short walk from Florence’s Duomo, an iconic work of architectural ingenuity attributable to the lost genius of the architect Brunelleschi who was able to complete the main dome of the cathedral. Also located close to our hotel in Florence were two very historically important religious sites: the church of Santa Croce, and the Great Synagogue of Florence. The first of these, Santa Croce, is a beautifully preserved burial ground for important Italians including Galileo, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli. To be on such hallowed ground became even more important when we were told of the devastating floods which reached several meters high in the previous century, damaging much of the city and especially the sacred church. The Great Synagogue which we also visited was no stranger to suffering structural hardship.  The simplistic and vast Synagogue, as we were informed, was used as an operating base for the Nazis during World War II and upon being forced to retreat and evacuate the base, the Axis Forces attempted, unsuccessfully, to blow up the Jewish place of worship. To walk on such miraculously preserved ground allowed us to fully appreciate the priceless Rabbinical and historical works which it stored.

Finally, to finish our week abroad, we visited two famous cities just nearby: Siena and Pisa. Both cities were quite similar in that they both had only a few main points of interest and the rest was simply residential areas with an occasional local restaurant. For Pisa this was, of course, the leaning tower with which we were able to enjoy an extensive photo shoot. For Siena, these were its grand cathedrals and town square, home to the annual “Palio,” or horse race. With so much to see and so little time, this week has seemed to fly by. Although this brings with it excitement in traveling to our next city, Verona, it also brings a sense of sadness. I can only hope to remain grounded in the things I am experiencing and the moment I am living in.

 

Submitted by Jill Hynson on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Athens, Greece sponsored by the Department of  English…

The site/organization that has begun to reshape my life plan, and ultimately enhance my understanding of the world, was our visit to the Melissa Network. This organization is a center for refugees located in Athens. At first, it started out on a small scale, only helping local women in need due to the violence occurring right here in Athens. However, this organization has seriously grown in the past five years since it was originally started. They now have refugees from multiple places, especially from the Middle East, like Iran and Afghanistan.

The one thing about the Melissa Network that I found especially unique was their outlook about themselves. The founder of the Network referred to them as honeybees. She went on to explain exactly what that meant. Basically, the Melissa Network is aware that they can only help so many people, that they cannot overreach. They do what they can for the women in their community, and the women who come and find them. The Melissa Network knows they cannot save the whole world, so they have set out to help their corner of their society. Every member of the Melissa Network does their little part to help, their little part to make the world a better place. Just like all honeybees have a single job to benefit the hive, every human has a job to help where they can and make the world better off then how they found it. This really spoke to me. As a kid, I always said I wanted to help people, but never knew how. I always felt so insignificant in this vast world. Of course, I still feel like this. In fact, never more so have I felt so helpless then when we were at the Melissa Network, and we heard from one of the refugees from Afghanistan.

However, after experiencing the power and generosity of the Melissa Network, my understanding of the world and my future has definitely changed. I know I cannot help everyone in the world, I cannot truly help people from Afghanistan or Iran. Yet that does not mean I cannot do good, it does not mean I cannot help change the world. So what if I only help a few people? That is still helping the world. My visit to the Melissa Network was the most eye-opening experience of my life, and one I will truly never ever forget. The stories I heard, the passion I saw, and the resilience and strength I witnessed firsthand were extremely touching and powerful. I know I want to be able to help people the way the Melissa Network has touched so many, even though I do not know what that will be at the moment. Overall, I have a more realistic view of the world and of myself. I know I cannot save the world, I am only one person. However, from here on out, I will try everyday to help someone, to do good, and to just fix my little part of this world.

Submitted by Lindsey Perez-Perez on the 2020 winter session program in Barcelona, Spain sponsored by the College of Education and Human Development…

It is such a blessing that I am here. This week we started our partnership at St. Peter’s School. The school has one of the prettiest views in Barcelona, overlooking the city and Barceloneta Beach. There are many things in the school that I have noticed that are very different from the American education system. For starters, students in elementary school have to learn four languages: English, Spanish, Catalan, and French. In first grade, students are learning multiplication and division. The way teachers view their profession is much more about student improvement.

Being here has made me value the importance of valuing someone’s presence. Spanish people take their meals as a sacred time. I look around and it is rare to see anyone on their phone. Instead, people are having conversations, laughing and simply just enjoying each other’s presence. It is definitely a difference from the U.S. and I am trying to live more in the present moment versus some virtual reality that many people are sucked into today.

Submitted by Julia Bachar on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Italy sponsored by the Department of Philosophy…

What a different week this has been. We spent eight nights in Volterra, a very small Tuscan city, and our time there was a much different experience from Rome and Florence. There was not much to do, but the sights were absolutely breathtaking, and it was much needed to have relaxation time and be able to do schoolwork. We had an excursion to Pisa, which was amazing and also a day trip to my favorite place yet, Siena. The language barrier in Volterra was definitely a little inconvenient, and I had to use Google Translate a few times when I was trying to communicate. Being in the small town with not much to do really let my group get closer with one another, as there was more interaction than in the big cities. Next stop is Venice, and I am excited for the beauty it has to offer.

 

 

 

Submitted by Cameron Johnson on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Athens, Greece sponsored by the Department of  English…

Now that I am deep into my second week of the program and I am sadly entering the third week, I have begun to reflect on my experience here and my life in the United States. I have made close friendships in the short time here that I honestly can say will last beyond college and into our adulthood. It’s strange how you can get so close to people in such a short time, but the people on my program are a group of insanely smart, compassionate, and overall beautiful human beings. I feel lucky to be given the opportunity to travel with these people while learning Biblical and Classical Literature.

This week, I really began to think about privilege and my place in the world. I had the opportunity to visit the Melissa Network which is a non-profit organization for migrant women in Greece who promote empowerment, communication, and active citizenship. This experience has forever changed and impacted my life. I was able to hear stories about women’s struggles and the situations that they had to overcome in order to get to Greece and it made me emotional. It made me think about my family, friends, and the certain things that I take for granted. I have always been an individual that recognizes the sort of privilege that comes with being an American citizen, but it was highlighted while visiting this wonderful organization.  Also, I began to realize that while the United States has many wonderful opportunities for my future profession as a teacher that maybe I shouldn’t discount any chances to teach abroad.

I began to think about some of the conversations that I had with my Mother in regards to teaching and I am now seriously considering going abroad to potentially teach English after graduate school. As a future teacher, I always think about the best opportunity for my students, and I would love to travel abroad and help others grasp the English language.

I still can’t believe that I’ve had the opportunity to travel and study in Greece and everyday that I am here I realize how at home I feel here. If I could bring my parents and dog, I would not mind settling here in the future.