I got the opportunity this summer to study abroad from May to June in Athens, Greece at the American College of Greece. This experience was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that I will forever cherish and tell many stories about. Being abroad brought so many opportunities like seeing different Greek islands, meeting new people, taking fun classes, and so much more. My experience abroad affected me in many amazing ways.

On a personal level, it helped me grow more in my friendships, independence, and advocating for myself. Coming back from being abroad, I definitely felt more mature and independent than I was before.

Throughout my five and a half weeks abroad in Athens, I met many different people from all over the world and I created new friendships that helped me develop more as a 20-year-old in America.

While in Greece, I learned that their culture is different in various ways. Greeks cherish their mealtime with family and friends. When they sit down to eat, they will eat for a while as a hangout time to show their appreciation for each other. Greeks are always very welcoming, and they love to feed you when you show up!

While abroad, I explored four Greek Islands, Crete, Paros, Rhodes, and Santorini. All of these islands were amazing and beautiful in their own way, they all were very unique, and I loved getting to explore all of them. The islands were so amazing to me because of the views. These views I would not be able to experience here in America and that is something that I definitely cherished while in Greece.

The American College of Greece is a beautiful campus that is on top of a hill overlooking Athens. My classes were both very interesting and fun. In both of my classes I met people from all over, people from different schools in America and people who were from Greece. It was awesome learning from Professors who specialized in what each class was about. In my case, my classes both focused on music so both of my professors specialized in music and were in bands.

Sometimes being abroad can be different and hard to adjust to but having friends there to create these memories with you was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I got to experience things like beaches, restaurants, different types of food, sightseeing, and so much more. I went hiking, swimming, boating, dancing, etc. There was always so much to do as well as studying too!

This experience is something that I will from now on recommend to anyone who is interested in studying abroad. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget, and I am so thankful for everything I got to experience. I will cherish this opportunity forever!

Name: Madison LaCross
Status: Junior
Major: Special Ed - Learning Disabilities
Hometown: Walled Lake, Michigan
Program: American College of Greece