Both a Grand Adventure and a New Home

Spending a semester in Greece through College Year in Athens was a life changing experience for me. I was surprised at how quickly I felt comfortable in the city, which was at once very familiar and welcoming and also completely different from anywhere I'd visited before. The locals were friendly and eager to talk to me about our shared love of Athens and to help me with my Greek conversation skills. Learning a new language in the classroom is one thing, but it's quite another to put that knowledge to use in the "real world," but everyone was patient and helpful and seemed genuinely pleased that I was making an effort.
As a classical studies major Athens was the obvious choice for me when I decided to go abroad, and CYA did not disappoint. I was able to study modern and ancient Greek side by side, and also take archaeology and art history courses held almost exclusively at nearby museums or on site. One class we were even allowed to go inside the Parthenon, an area that is blocked off to the public. Often studying for a midterm meant walking to the National Archaeological Museum for another look at a significant sculpture, and researching for a paper meant heading up to the Akropolis to inspect a set of ancient foundations and form an opinion about their implications.
Athens is a vibrant city full of good food, loving cats, impressive street art, and passionate people who truly care about the world and their place in it. Of course my classes were incredible, but what I really took away from my semester was everything else, from hands-on marble carving workshops to countless opportunities to travel both within Greece and to other countries in Europe. Travel highlights include the archaeological sites of Delphi, Mycenae, and Knossos, and a weekend trip to Barcelona. I was also able to participate in a weekend sailing trip through CYA in which we slept on the boats and visited a few different island near Athens. During my time in Greece I've forged friendships that will endure for years, and memories that will last a lifetime.