By: Rachael Holliday
I was so excited to be going to Olympus. The home of the Gods. Greek mythology. My bubble was burst when I was told by a fellow student on the bus that morning, “Duh! It’s Olym-pia, not Olym-pus!” Oh.
I was participating on a study abroad trip to Greece in May 2013. Not being a person gifted by the gods with athleticism, nor possessing the patience to just sit and observe other people doing something, watching the Olympics has rarely been on my list of life highlights. The only time I have watched the Olympics with any interest was in high school, when a hockey player I had a crush on competed in Lillehammer.
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By: Shannen Garza
It was totally awkward. I was staring right into her face, and she was scantily clad, surrounded by a window lined with red neon lighting. Do I look her in the eye? How does this work? I wanted to spend more time examining, but it's not exactly polite. Even more, this situation was a photographer's worst nightmare. I've always wanted to capture everything; I just have to do it, it's engrained in me. However, if I'd taken a photo at this moment, I'm certain I would have been in danger of a beer bottle being thrown at my head. And so there I was, observing this extremely controversial scene, and I could do nothing but etch it into my memory, and I can never share that image again unless an individual decides to go to The Redlight District in Amsterdam and observe it for themselves.
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By: Jaime Marie
It’s far. The flights are long. The culture, food, and people are different. I’m not into anime or manga. I can’t use chopsticks. A ninja will attack me. (Fill-in-the-blank country) is closer.” For these and a slew of other reasons, many Americans do not turn to Asia for their international travels. I cannot refute the distance and long flights. I can, however, assure you that as the old adage goes: good things are worth waiting for – even enduring fourteen-plus hour flights for. So, what good things are awaiting you in Asia?
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By: Paige Anderson
As big an advocate as I am for international travel, I also understand that leaving home for foreign lands isn’t always possible. This past summer I left my beloved Europe and headed back home to Washington State to get in some much needed family time. It was easy to lament the things I wouldn’t be doing that summer, but then I began rediscovering my own backyard. It may not have been the heart-racing kind of exploration that you want to regale to your grandchildren someday, but it is a kind of travel that is as important and fulfilling in its own way. One adventure in particular is one I recommend to any and all in this corner of the country, and hope to repeat myself in summers to come.
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By: Rachael Holliday
In May 2013, I participated in a study abroad trip to Greece. We stayed in Glyfada, a coastal suburb of Athens at the Emmantina Hotel, arriving in time to put our things down in our rooms before walking to an arranged traditional Greek dinner at a local restaurant. We ate and drank our fill of moussaka and retsina. As we left the restaurant, our group broke apart into ones, twos and threes, each slipping away into the crepuscule. I wove my way down Possidonos Avenue through a throng of people clustered around the Greek Orthodox church of St. Constantine and Helen. They were celebrating the holy name day of Constantine and Helen (Konstantinos and Elenis).
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