As a kid, I was obsessed with Greek Mythology. My dream was to go to Camp Halfblood, and hopefully one day, Greece. I delved deeply into Greek Mythology, learning everything I possibly could about the heroes, Gods, Goddesses, and creatures. By the end of fourth grade, I had an arsenal of facts about Greek mythology that I still have even today. This dive into the Greek Myths has furthered my love for history of all kinds, which has also influenced what I study in school.
When I decided to study abroad, I knew that one way or another, I wanted to make my way to Greece. Whether it be over a weekend or over Thanksgiving break, I HAD to go. This was the chance of a lifetime to go see a place I had only seen in pictures and movies. I prepared by making a list of the places in Greece that I really wanted to go to, including some of the cities of large importance to the Greek myths like Athens, Olympia, Delphi, and Crete. I began planning immediately; it was more important for me than going to see Paris or London. Then they told me we would be taking a 10-day excursion to Greece…my mind was absolutely blown. This meant we would have tour guides – most likely born and raised in Greece – who would tell us so much more than we could ever know about Greek history. This meant I would get to see the Acropolis and the Parthenon, temples of the Gods and Goddesses, and so much more.
In the week leading up to our big trip, I learned words in the Greek language so that I could use them with the locals. Καλημέρα (kaliméra) and kαλησπέρα (kalispéra) meaning good morning and good night, ευχαριστώ (efcharistó) meaning thank you, παρακαλούμε (parakaloúme) meaning please, Γειά σου (Geiá sou) meaning hello, and so many more words have made it into my vocabulary. While I cannot read the language, I still wanted to make an effort to be able to speak a little bit, and for that decision I am thankful. It is such a beautiful language to listen to and to speak.
While in Greece, we visited Athens, Delphi, Ancient Corinth (yes, the one from the Bible), Olympia, Epidaurus, and Nafplion. I got to see the things I had read about, I got to learn tons of new things about Greece and Greek mythology from our outstanding tour guides, and I definitely got to go to the beach. I learned that while to us, Greek Mythology is simply stories that we learned about from Percy Jackson, it is history to the Greeks. Whether or not the events really happened isn’t a question for the Greeks. They are, nonetheless, cautionary tales, stories of love, and journeys of life that these people tell and live by. Just as American History and the stories of Johnny Appleseed and Davy Crockett are histories to us, Greek mythology is the same to the Greeks.
I can definitely say that Greece was everything I had dreamt it would be and so much more. My love for Greece and Greek Mythology has only grown and blossomed from what it was in elementary school and I hope that Study Abroad can bring something like that to everyone who decides to embark upon that journey.
