I leave tomorrow morning (8/27) for Athens, Greece to spend the fall semester at CYA (College Year in Athens). I’ve been anticipating this day ever since I filled out my study abroad application in February and the day has almost come!
I am writing this post while sitting on the train to the palace of Versailles in France after just seeing the Eiffel Tower. I left home last Saturday to spend sometime in Germany and Paris before I went to Athens. I have spent this time traveling with my sister, mom, friend Ansley, and visiting my uncle who lives in Stuttgart, Germany. I have enjoyed my time traveling around Germany and France, and I can’t wait to go to Athens.
During my time abroad I am looking forward to experiencing new cultures, foods, and people, exploring Greece, and traveling to different countries. As a Political Science major, Athens, the birthplace of Democracy is a perfect place for me to study. This semester I am taking four classes: 1) Contemporary Greek Politics and Society: Historical Perspectives on Change and Continuity; 2) The Religions of the Middle East: A Comparative Approach; 3) Crisis and Change in Greece and Europe; 4) Peace, Conflict, and International Politics: Lessons from the Mediterranean Region. I am looking forward to learning from a European perspective and seeing how it compares to Rollins.
Studying abroad has been something that I have always wanted to do. The summer before my senior year of high school, my family and I went on a Mediterranean cruise. I remember being in Athens with my family, we were walking around after touring the Parthenon and we walked by a building that turned out to be a college. I recall thinking how great it would be to study abroad. Who would think that here I am now, going to spend the whole semester in Athens?!
While I am going to miss my friends, family, and being at Rollins this semester, luckily for me, my twin sister (who attends Wheaton College in Massachusetts) is studying at the American College of Greece in Athens, so I will have a familiar face nearby.
I can’t wait for the new experiences to come.
Until next time!
Kiernan O’Keefe