My experience abroad as a student in Greece is something I will never forget. Over the six weeks, I met and befriended other students that I now consider some of my closest friends and hope to continue to be friends with for a very long time. I met them early in the airport on my way to Athens, as I recognized them from the orientation meeting, and from that moment on we grew closer as a group and experienced places we would’ve never thought possible.

In the beginning, we explored Athens together, learning about the cultures and rich history that made up Athens. Very quickly, we wished to explore the islands and within 48 hours of meeting each other, we had booked trips to Crete and Paros, with plans to book Santorini soon. These trips taught us so much about foreign travel and research that none of us had experienced before. We had to be independent in our planning and travels, smart in how much we spent and the time it took, and open to experiencing new places we had never gone before. Figuring out our way around the ferries and airports was stressful but taught us a lot. We learned as we went and together were able to make these trips the time of our lives.

One of the biggest myths I hear about studying abroad is people are afraid of getting homesick and wishing to leave early. I believe that the study abroad program we were a part of makes that tough to feel. Immediately after we had arrived, the American College of Greece made us feel at home. With plenty of opportunities to meet new people and discover your place while abroad, you can fit right in. Along with the extensive ways the college offers you to find a new community, I never felt too far away from mine at home. Even without service while in Greece, plenty of places had Wi-Fi available and I felt I could reach home whenever I needed.

I couldn’t be more grateful to my parents and the Mehas family for helping me live out my dreams of studying abroad. My time abroad and the people I met are things I will never forget, and I will carry the lessons I learned for the rest of my life.

Name: Nicholas Carlisle
Status: Junior
Major: Data Science
Hometown: Canton, Michigan
Program: American College of Greece