The very first morning as I arrived at the airport, I realized that I had never once met a single person that I would be traveling with. I had been busy my previous semester and had an exam during every single pre-departure orientation. I had no clue who to look for or where we were meeting. Basically, I found the group I was supposed to be with through sheer luck and the fact that the group was large and full of twenty-something travelers. I probably looked like a crazy person. I had been unable to sleep the night before and I had to leave my house in Michigan by 4:30am in order to make it to the airport in time to check-in with the group.
As I went through the United Airlines check-in process I came to the realization that my passport was valid for exactly 28 days after it had to be. That stress is something I literally never considered or checked into. Like I never even really considered that I needed to renew my passport until that morning as I was running around my house at 4am making sure I had everything I needed for my summer adventure. Thankfully it all worked out and I got my bag checked and our time in the airport began.
We flew from Columbus to Philadelphia, had a 3 hour layover, then flew from Philadelphia to Athens and had a 6 hour layover. Finally, after over 28 hours of traveling, we boarded the 45 minute flight to Corfu. Landing in Corfu felt almost surreal. We arrived by flying onto this runway that seemed way too short and way too close to the buildings around it. Walking out of the airport into the bus felt like a dream. Though I slept for most of the transatlantic flight, I was exhausted.
As we boarded the bus with all of our luggage, I couldn’t help but laugh. There were 24 of us total, with the majority of the students having severely overpacked. We had been traveling for over 24 hours by this point, and all of the sudden we were 7 hours ahead of our normal time zone. While it would have been 10am at home, it was 5pm in Athens and we were starving. We probably looked so American it hurt.
Traveling was fun. I got to know some of the people I would be living and studying with for the month, and I got my first taste of Greek food. Let me tell you: if you are vegetarian looking to study abroad, Greece is a great option. The food is amazing and the people are so willing to work with your eating restriction.
Hindsight #2: Packing is an art. Roll your clothes and take less than you originally plan. A carry on bag and a personal item should not both be necessary for the trip from home. Trust me: it is way easier navigating the airports with just a backpack and a checked bag. Don’t be that person that brings so much they are almost overweight on the departing trip.
Hindsight #3: Jetlag is real. Drink tons of water, sleep on the transatlantic flight, and try not to take a nap before bed. Also make sure you understand the time difference. Your friends and parents will not be happy when you try to call them and it’s only 4am their time.
Arriving at the airport in Columbus.
My seat on the plane… (Sorry I didn’t take many pictures of this…)
