To Greece!

Hey! I’m Zoe!

This is my first blog post and I cannot express how excited I am to share my experiences with you! In just two weeks I will be in Greece beginning my semester through College Year in Athens. Although I am nervous about the upcoming semester, I know that this an amazing experience for me!

This is me! I love photography and I take my camera with me almost everywhere. I’ll be taking it to Greece and I can’t wait to share those pictures with you!

Before going more into my trip, I want to share what I have been up to this summer. I started out the summer taking part in the Paris May term at Hope, which was a blast! It was my first time going abroad and gave me a sneak-peak to what is ahead with trip. After getting home, I went to work at a daycare and at my family’s restaurant. Although I was extremely busy with work, I was still able to have fun this summer. I traveled to Minnesota with some family and ran a 5k, which was so much fun! I have also been able to see friends and spend time with them throughout the summer! Here are some of my favorite pictures I got of different sights and parks I went to over the summer!

When it comes to prepping for the semester, I have started packing. I am a MAJOR over-packer, so I am doing my best to limit myself to the best of my ability. CYA has given me a lot of helpful tips when deciding what to take. One of the things that stuck out is packing light so you have extra space in your luggage. This way, I am able to bring home souvenirs and other items I come across while in Greece. I made the mistake on the May term where I packed too much before leaving. When I was going home, I didn’t have a lot of space in my luggage and struggled to pack everything. This is a lesson for me that will stick with me as I continue packing!

I have also been working on my Greek for this upcoming semester. Being honest, I hadn’t ever learned Greek until this summer. It’s a whole new alphabet that I’ve had to learn and memorize which I am finding difficult. I have bought books to help me learn Greek sayings, pronunciations, and more. I wish I had more time this summer to learn Greek, but I know I will be able to work on my skills during the semester.

There are some concerns that I have about going to Greece, such as missing my friends and family. I have talked about these concerns and I like to think about what my family and friends have told me. They say that I am not missing out on anything and I am only a quick call away. This has helped me to relax and get more excited for the semester. What also helps is talking to some of the students I will be on the trip with. I have been able to text with some of them this summer and I can’t wait to meet them in person!

This is all I have for now! Wish me luck on this spectacular journey ahead and I can’t wait to share my stories with you!

Published by Zoe Blough

Class of 2023 Art History and Communications Double Major CYA Athens, Greece

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