Italy & Greece Semester: Resilience and Regeneration | Carpe Diem Education

The eight weeks I spent with Carpe Diem in Italy and Greece was the best experience of my life and the best decision I have ever made. Our program leaders (shoutout Megan and Ariana) were the absolute greatest people ever and made our trip as easy and enjoyable as it could have been. All the places we went, from Rome and Athens to rural Tuscany and the Peloponnese, were so amazing and fun. However, my favorite part of traveling with Carpe Diem was the people we met. Carpe Diem has partners located across both countries in every place we stayed. They are such incredible, interesting people with different backgrounds and inspiring stories. Overall, in every aspect, my semester with Carpe Diem was everything I could've hoped for and more. I would strongly recommend this program, as it will teach you many valuable lessons, have you coming out as a better version of yourself, and give you experiences you would never have otherwise.

Was a great experience. I travelled across Italy and Greece which was such an amazing experience. We met so many lovely people from so many different countries and learned all about their cultures. We had some farm stays which were very engaging and some city stays which were fun because we had lots of free time. It was a great mix of working and exploring. I think if you are looking for a trip where you can explore and also learn about other cultures. Overall I highly recommend carpe diem gap year and the Italy and Greece semester especially.

I loved my experience in Italy and Greece! I realized by the end of the trip that I had learned and grown so much every day, even in small ways. I loved experiencing it with a group of like-minded individuals and I loved meeting so many other people on the trip, from sustainable farmers to tour guides to volunteers. There were so many experiences I had that I would have never expected to have in my lifetime, and although there were good and bad personal days, getting to travel around Italy and Greece for two months brought daily joy into my life.

I absolutely loved my experience in Italy and Greece with Carpe Diem. The program is a beautiful blend of city and rural living, and the contacts we met along the way were truly amazing. This program is an excellent way to experience Europe in a diverse way, in a manner that would have been impossible for me to do on my own. The Oversee Educators were supportive and fun, and it was beautiful to connect deeply with a group of students from across the United States. My one critique of the program is that our travels weren't framed through the lens of environmentalism or climate change. There were some places and people who framed it that way (Regreen, Carly the Archeobotanist) but for a program advertised as environmentally focused it could have leaned more heavily that way. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone looking to expand their horizons and take a hiatus from the USA.

This trip was amazing! The programming could barely have been better. All the parters we worked with were so interesting and showed different perspectives on issues in one way or another. Xeno was so fun the first two weeks. Living in a half abandoned village, being cooked for by a greek woman for every meal. The trek we did in tuscany was so rewarding and beautiful. We loved our guides Lauren and Luca and all the parters we met along the way! (bread making, learning about medieval living and more!) There a very good balance between cities and country (although i would have liked a couple more days in rome) and it was staggered city, country, city, etc. I got so lucky with my group and OEs and have made friends for life!

I’m so thankful for this experience because the collection of local contacts allowed me to experience and interact with a variety of unique perspectives and lifestyles that I otherwise would have never been able to encounter. I feel that in particular this experience was perfect for the transition between high school and college and adulthood because it opened my eyes to a plethora of different future paths and highlighted my values in a profound way. I loved all of the group members and leaders, and I felt that it was such a supportive community where I could try new things and challenge myself without judgment. The OEs did a fantastic job supporting us and I felt like I learned so much about travel from both of them.

This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s difficult to really put into words how greatly this trip impacted me. When I found out I wasn’t starting college until January, I was really anxious about what I was going to do until then. This trip exceeded all of my expectations and completely changed my perspective on life. Both of my OE’s were very supportive of me and structured the program very well. It was the first time I felt like I was surrounded by people with the same mindset as me. It was such a refreshing and enlightening experience. The highlight of the itinerary was easily the time spent in local communities in the countryside. This is where we learned the most and got to meet the most people. If you’re thinking of doing this trip next semester, GO FOR IT!!

I wasn’t sure exactly sure what I was getting myself into I kinda just picked Greece and Italy cause it looked dope but Boy howdy was I impressed! You do so much on this trip it’s nonstop you’ll be hiking in the beautiful mountains of Italy, swimming in the good-looking Mediterranean Sea, and getting hands on real farm experiences. And some days you might just be hanging w local contacts/new friends. Choosing to go on this trip was one of the best decisions of my life! Take a chance do it Kaliméra