Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

I always knew I wanted to study abroad from the moment I finished high school and began planning for college. After years of research and planning I was finally able to fulfill my long-term dream by spending half of my junior year studying abroad in Athens, Greece. This experience was very challenging for me in the beginning, but ended up being the most amazing experience and I am so grateful for the opportunity. I had to start by adjusting to the culture, which included a different climate, language, and social norms. Fortunately, Athens is much warmer than winters in Chicago, so the climate was easy to get used to. Greek language is very different than any other language I’ve learned in the past, but I enrolled in a Modern Greek Language course and had an excellent professor who helped me to learn everything I needed to know. Social norms took some getting used to, especially the way that people dress and greet each other.

            After a few weeks of adjustment, I was able to be comfortable in another country and ended up having the best semester I could possibly imagine. I quickly made close friends and settled into my new home and neighborhood. I was also extremely fortunate to be able to travel to so many other cities and countries in my free time while studying abroad. In four months, I visited eight different countries and 12 cities. Each country was completely different and it was so interesting to experience so many different cultures, societies, foods, and geography in such a short period of time. I also learned so much about not only the world around me, but also myself and what I want out of my life in the future. I am incredibly grateful for this amazing experience and would like to sincerely thank both the GEO Office at Lake Forest and the Smith Scholarship for supporting me and providing me with the resources that I needed. Studying abroad has been incredible and I will never forget the places I visited, the people I met, and all the things I learned.

Derek on his trip to Egypt: