Greece provides positive experience

February 11, 2008 —

by Christina Dillbeck

By Kalenga Pembamoto

Studying abroad was definitely not something I would have ever imagined myself doing. It was not until I boarded the plane at Detroit Metro Airport that the reality of my international experience came to light. I was going to Greece for three months!

Prior to my departure, I spent my summer months reading more about Greek language and culture. But I was not alone in my preparations. Two close friends of mine (computer information systems senior Matthew Boog and nursing major Darryn Crocker) were accompanying me abroad for the semester. The three of us left Detroit excited and unaware of what adventures awaited us. Through every connecting flight, every new country, and every obstacle with getting to our final destination, we were each other's greatest company.

Upon our arrival in Athens, I was amazed at the beautiful scenery. As we toured around the city, each place seemed to reflect a very strong historic aspect of Athenian history. I tried to absorb every piece of the architecture, the city life, and the hustle and bustle of the crowds. Everywhere around me, people were speaking in the Greek tones and words that I could recognize from audio language tapes I practiced with during the summer. But I was eager to learn more about the language and culture so I could socialize with the Athenians themselves and break the cultural barriers that I would face as an international student.

The first couple of weeks were very exciting. My friends and I explored more of the Greek culture and monuments. We would go to school for a couple hours each day, and spend our leisure time touring central shopping areas, restaurants, and monumental architectures.

The most majestic discovery I saw that first month was St. George's Cathedral, with its structure glowing from atop a hill located a few miles away from our apartment building. I will never forget the inordinate amount of time we spent walking up that never-ending hill to see the cathedral on top, but it was well worth the exhaustion. Once we looked out at the entire city from the top of that hill, we were breathless. The lights shone like glitter spread out for miles all around us. We could see grand hotels shining bright and tall in the distance. The cars on the highway blended together like waves of light in an illuminating river throughout the city.

Of course, St. George's would not be my last overwhelmingly beautiful experience. Over the course of the semester, I saw everything from grand mountainous ranges to the inexplicable beauty of the Aegean Sea.

Besides the great architecture, history, and culture, Greek food became another one of my favorite discoveries. I think any story about Greece would be incomplete without speaking of such delectable cuisines. Gyros, Baklava, tzatziki, olives, and Horiatiki (Greek salad pronounced ho-ree-ah-tee-kee) became a few of my favorites. Ingredients were never complex or hard to find, but the flavors of every meal carried my taste pallet to such a high pillar of heaven that there are no words to describe. The street market where I shopped became another regular task in which I loved to participate.

After the first month, my explorative lifestyle had become second-nature, and I found myself becoming more like a native of Greece. I knew where each department store, bank, kiosk, museum, and nearby monument was located. I had visited each of them many times. I understood and participated in the daily schedule of the Greeks. I even took pleasure in having a two hour siesta each day. This time, in the mid-afternoon, had been set aside by Greek law as a time for business people to close their stores momentarily and spend time at home with their family.

During the semester, my Greek language skills had improved, and I longed to practice my speech and accent. Like my friends, I began to explore the smaller neighborhoods for local shops and restaurants. In our daily tasks, we tried speaking Greek to such locals as the lady from the corner flower shop, the kiosk worker down the street, and the woman at the bakery. Somehow, our title as "international students" gradually seemed to drift away.

Greece went from being a study abroad destination to my second home.