All photos courtesy of Elizabeth Murray ’26
All photos courtesy of Elizabeth Murray ’26
BY ELIZABETH MURRAY ’26
STAFF WRITER
Yia sas! (That’s how you say hello in Greek!)
I am writing to procrastinate from doing the laundry list of things I have to do today, including laundry, funnily enough. This semester has gone by faster than I thought it would; I feel like I blinked and it's now mid-April. I am currently on spring break. I just got back from Albania, and I have a few days before I head to Syros, one of the islands in the Cyclades, for a night and then to Corfu for the rest of Holy Week and Easter. I won’t lie, the first few weeks were tough; it was freshman year all over again, but I eventually adjusted and really started to have fun.
I’ve met some lovely people who have similar interests as me, and we’ve been able to travel together. I’ve gotten to visit places I’d dreamed of since I was a little girl, like the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. I’ve also been able to explore Greece and go to the places most tourists don’t. I have always had an adventurous streak, and it has been really great tapping into that and stepping out of my comfort zone. One thing they don’t tell you about studying abroad is that the experiences are amazing, but they will leave you broke.
This semester is so different from any semester at Mount Holyoke College, from the type of people I’m with to the classes I’m taking, and the culture is so different too. I’m also, for the first time in my life, navigating in a world where I don’t know the language, and it is a little strange. It's a little isolating; you sort of feel like you’re walking around in a bubble. I’ve picked up some Greek. It isn’t very good, but I try.
I don’t regret studying abroad. It has been an incredible experience, and if you can, I absolutely recommend it.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Murray ’26