My study abroad adventure made Greece forever a part of me

By Francesca Abarca

When I applied to study abroad, I never knew how attached I would become to a place that I had never been before, a place that I would soon consider home. As I packed my bags at the end of last semester, I realized that it was harder to leave Greece than it was to leave Florida to get there.

Before leaving, my friends told me, “Go live your ‘Mamma Mia’ life for me” and “I plan on living vicariously through you.” This made me excited, but nervous. I was the one that everyone was going to be watching; that meant that I had to have a good time. Thankfully, I achieved this goal and then some.

I do not remember the day that I arrived in a small part of Athens called Agia Paraskevi. I was fighting jet lag after my 11-hour flight and my program, ISA by WorldStrides, had so many events planned for us that made us stay up that first day.

Throughout the semester, my program held many events that allowed us to immerse ourselves into Greek culture, including a Greek dancing class.

COURTESY OF KATIE SEDA Francesca Abarca, senior communication major, and her friends take in the sights of the Palamidi Fortress in Athens, Greece.

In the dance class, taught at the Dora Stratou Greek Theatre, we learned a dance, originating from Cyprus, that was described as musical chairs with a broom. This dance is normally meant for children, but I can safely say it’s fun for adults too.

We also had the opportunity to participate in a cooking class, taught by a well-known cooking company called CookinAthens located in downtown Athens. We learned how to make traditional Greek food, including fresh tzatziki, baklava and pastitsio, which is the Greek version of lasagna.

One of my best experiences was becoming friends with a local Greek person. Her name is Greg, and she worked at the gelateria that I visited almost daily. We started speaking about classes and how different it was to be in Greece versus in America. We ended up becoming best friends, traveling all over Athens together doing things that only the locals would do.

My ultimate Greek moment was when I watched “Mamma Mia” at a rooftop oceanfront restaurant where some of the movie had been filmed.

I believe that I adapted to the Greek culture enough that Greece will forever be a part of who I am. I formed impactful relationships with people I will call friends for the rest of my life. I learned to appreciate the little things and to spend money on experiences, and not as much on material things.

Now that my experience is over, I recommend studying abroad to anyone who has the ability to do so. The world is waiting for you to explore it.

Francesca Abarca, senior communication major with a concentration in journalism and a double minor in theatre and strategic communication, is a features reporter for The Current.

For more information:

Students interested in studying abroad can make an appointment with a Sharks Abroad Peer Advisor at: