Greetings from Athens, Greece! My name is Paul Eddy and I am a junior accounting major, economics minor at the Walton College of Business. During the past year, I was inspired by numerous stories by students and faculty about the importance of studying abroad while in college. I decided to give it a shot, and luckily I am able to participate this summer on the International Business Trip to Greece program. I have been here almost two weeks and exploring new places every day. Our hotel is in a beautiful subsection of Athens called Glyfada. Here, we are only a minute walk from Palmyra Beach. Our study abroad group consists of 18 students led by two Walton College faculty members. I still have 2 weeks left and am overly excited as to what they have in store for us.
The classes I am taking in Greece are Business Modeling and Global E-Commerce. They are taught by Dr. David Douglas and Dr. Paul Cronan, respectively. These classes have opened new doors in business that I haven’t learned before, the world of E-Commerce. Both require many small presentations with one large project due at the end of our trip. I’m confident I can accomplish these tasks, but it can be distracting in class with this view from our window.
So far our group has engaged in many activities outside of class. A typical day consists of us relaxing on Palmyra Beach after our classes. Inside of Athens there has been much to do, and yet much that I have still not seen. Our group has toured the Acropolis, visited various museums, and traversed through the Plaka marketplace. Being introduced to their system of haggling over prices can be an eye-opening experience. For class one day, we were taken to Microsoft and the U.S. embassy in Athens. It was very insightful learning about how both function in Greece’s struggling business environment. During other days we visited Corinth and Cape Sounion. Sounion is the location of the Temple of Poseidon, which is overlooking the Aegean Sea from a high cliff. It is an absolutely beautiful scene, which you can tell by the picture.
Anyone, including myself, will quickly learn that being in a European country is far different than America. The first thing I noticed leaving the plane is the immediate language barrier. Most Greeks speak and understand English, but this doesn’t stop many signs from reading only in Greek. It can be very difficult trying to navigate around town, or even ordering off a menu when there isn’t an English translation. Differences in driving and transportation also stick out to anyone coming from the United States. Although Greeks drive on the right side of the road, it can get crazy trying to get around places. We have to be extra careful when crossing any roads on way to our destination. Athens does have widespread public transportation which allows some convenience. One of my favorite things about Greece is the food; I absolutely love Greek food. By far, my favorite dishes are Greek gyros and souvlakis. Greek salads are also excellent choices to order (even though they don’t have any lettuce!). The only problem I have with the meals is that I need to restrain myself from eating so much of their delicious food. Slowly, I am beginning to become accustomed to Greece’s unique culture.
In the next 2 weeks of our trip we will find ourselves extremely busy with activities. Many members of our group have made plans to travel to Rome this upcoming weekend. I have never been to Rome, so I am excited for this opportunity to visit. After Rome, there is much class work to be accomplished before the trip’s end. Once our main project is completed, the group is leaving Athens for the island of Santorini. Here we will spend our last few nights in Greece on one of its most stunning islands. I know I can speak for the rest of the group when I say that I am looking forward to this tremendously. Sadly, our study abroad experience will be over after this. I don’t want to think about returning just yet, for many experiences lie ahead. Thanks for reading and be sure to check back later and see how things are going in Greece!
