Before I even committed to attending LMU, I knew I wanted to study abroad; it was just a matter of time. My junior year began, and I began researching LMU’s wealth of study abroad opportunities, eager to be immersed in another culture, travel, and make a change from my usual routine (not to mention that a significant number of my friends boasted about the wonders of their time abroad). Roughly 27% of LMU Lions choose to study abroad, from a choice of 25 different programs all around the world!
I briefly considered a semester-long program in London, ultimately deciding I did not want to be away from friends and loved ones for what I deemed as a long period of time. But to my delight, LMU has summer study abroad programs – short and sweet, precisely what I was looking for. After much consideration, I settled on a program that would take me to Athens and Spetses, Greece, the perfect hybrid of classical antiquity and modern-day metropolitan cities.
So far, all I can do is sing Greece’s praises, despite the economic crisis being a minor blip. My trip began after a fourteen-hour travel day, leading me to a beautiful hotel in Athens a mere three-minute walk to the Acropolis, an ancient citadel rich in historical significance. The days spent in Athens proved incredibly fruitful as I saw the Parthenon, the Acropolis Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, Pláka, and began my diet of purely Grecian food. Three days later, the next leg of my journey began as I embarked for the island of Spetses for three and a half weeks, where I am currently penning this blog.
Spetses, Greece has all the island charm one could imagine, and is quite arduous to delineate: crystal clear waters, dazzling architecture, a quaint downtown area, and some of the most welcoming people I have had the pleasure of encountering. Simply put, Spetses is where you should spend your next vacation.
But as this is not merely a vacation but also an educational immersion, the accompanying courses of Greek Literature and Mythology have significantly added depth to the trip, enabling my peers and I to garner a better understanding and appreciation of Greece not only as a historical goldmine, but a modern landscape. Even more, the current economic crisis has been fascinating to follow in both my personal time and time in classroom discussions, as I am in the midst of it, and experiencing it firsthand.
To anyone who is considering enrolling in a study abroad program, or remotely interested, take the time to learn about all the amazing opportunities LMU has to offer by stopping by the study abroad office or visiting their website; there is a myriad of different programs that fit every duration, interest, and major, making anyone the perfect candidate to embark on this once in a lifetime experience.