For the past nine months, I have been preparing myself for the journey that will ultimately define my early 20s: studying abroad.
Last fall, I, along with Photo Editor Emily Clark, applied for Miami University’s Luxembourg program, also known as the Miami University John E. Dolibois European Center (MUDEC). Once accepted, I started thinking about every country and city I would see, all the food I would eat and stories I would bring home.
However, nothing could’ve prepared me for the month leading up to my departure.
By July, I had a sudden realization: I would be in Europe, a whole different continent, for four months without my family or support system. It was like my brain finally put two and two together; I would actually be abroad, not some version of me my imagination created. It wasn’t a dream anymore; it was happening, and soon.
So, I started to prepare emotionally. I spent more and more time with my family and loved ones. I made plans for when I inevitably got homesick. I let myself mourn the distance between myself and home before I left.
Before I knew it, the day had come. On Aug. 9, Emily and I boarded a plane headed for Athens, Greece, for a pre-study vacation. I will say this about the travel day: I’m so glad I don’t have to take a 10-hour flight again until December. I believe I slept for approximately 30 minutes, leaving nine and a half hours to watch “Mamma Mia!”, see how fast the plane was flying, stare into space, watch “Mamma Mia!” again and play some sudoku.
Once we arrived in Athens and checked into our hotel, we made our way to Mironi, a little Greek restaurant just down the road from our hotel.
The outside of the restaurant resembled a tropical restaurant along the beach, despite being in the middle of the city. One thing that’s different in Greece than the United States is that you order everything you want at once. You order your drinks, appetizers, main course and desserts all in one sitting. Also, you have to ask for the check; they don’t rush you out of the shop.
Upon ordering, our drinks came out very quickly. Emily and I tried what they called an “Aphrodite.” It had strawberry and passion fruit mixed in, and tasted like nothing I had ever had before in the best way. For dinner I had rocket parmesan salad. I’m still trying to figure out what a rocket is, but the balsamic vinegar dressing tasted incredibly fresh. I believe they made it in-house, which made it so much better. The salad itself was pretty simple with lettuce, tomatoes, parmesan and rockets (apparently), but the dressing made it divine.
After we asked for the check, a server came over to our table and set a plate of what looked like a slab of cheese covered in honey and a shot of vodka in front of us. Before I could say anything, she informed us that it was a complimentary dessert they were serving that night. The plate of cheese was actually a plate of panna cotta with caramel sauce drizzled on top. Panna cotta is a thick, sweet cream mixed with gelatin. The dessert was the perfect amount of sweet, and a great way to top off the meal. We did, however, opt out of the shot of vodka.
The next day, we made the journey to the Acropolis, which is located on a very, very steep hill. Maybe I need to get more exercise, or maybe I need to drink more water, but I thought my heart was going to explode by the time we made it to the top. Also, not to mention it was 90 degrees outside.
Despite the blistering heat, the Acropolis is truly a wonder to behold. The fact that thousands of people chiseled and stacked marble with their own two hands will never cease to astound me. Also, despite everything that has happened around it, people can still go and see it thousands of years later. We get to glimpse into what the lives and cultures of so many people might have looked like, and I think that’s incredible.
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For the rest of our time in Athens, we explored the city. We walked around the old narrow streets that would be considered alleys back home. We walked around the national garden, taking in the natural plants and animals of the area and stopping under the shade to rest and observe the trees that reached up to the skies around us. Finally, we walked through the museums that told us about this place and all that the Greek people have seen.
Ayla Peden is a junior sociology and journalism major with plans on pursuing a career in law. She is the assistant editor for Culture and spends way too much time in the newsroom. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, reading and chatting with friends at a coffee shop — basically any old-lady activity.
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