I studied abroad in Athens, Greece, but made sure to travel to other locations in Greece and many other countries. In Greece, I went to Meteora, Mount Olympus, Nafplio, Santorini, Crete, and Aegina. Outside of Greece, I went to 12 other countries. Some of my favorite trips were to Italy, Morocco, and the Netherlands. During study abroad, I scheduled my classes so that I only had class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, making it very easy to travel on my four-day weekends. A lot of the other study abroad students in my program also had this perk, so it was easy to plan trips together. These trips were a great time to experience a new culture and bond with the new friends I made. I feel like I learned just as much from exploring new countries as I did in my classes.
Travel was super easy with the use of budget airlines. Almost all of my flights were under $100 round trip, and splitting an Airbnb or hostel with my new friends was always reasonable. We got really good at planning trips last-minute and finding good deals. It made each weekend feel like a new adventure.
Looking back, I’m really glad I pushed myself to go to so many different places. Traveling that much definitely helped me become more independent and open-minded. It was cool seeing how different cities and countries operated and getting to experience so many cultures firsthand. Study abroad helped me grow a lot, and it’s something I’ll always be thankful I got the chance to do.
