Is world travel on your bucket list? Have you ever dreamed of flying overseas, but felt daunted by the unknown?
EFSC’s Study Abroad experiences offer students the opportunity to experience other cultures and countries in a safe, affordable, and professionally guided way. Hailey and Elysia, two EFSC students who took a Study Abroad trip to Greece, share their favorite memories, biggest challenges, and life-changing experiences.
Give me 3 fun facts about you.
Hailey: I’m from Michigan. I moved down here a couple years ago. I have a dog named Lila. The Greece trip was the first time I left the country.
Elysia: The Greece trip was also the first time I’ve ever left the country. I love musical theater. My favorite color is purple, and I love reading.
What are you doing at EFSC?
Hailey: I’m at EFSC to get as many classes done as I can before I transfer to Florida Tech. I’m going to be an engineer. I’m leaning more towards ocean engineering right now, but I’m also thinking about aerospace.
Elysia: My sister went to EFSC, so I followed exactly what she did. I’m doing hospitality management. I like to get involved around campus. I’m in the Palm Bay Campus African American Student Union.
How did you get involved in the study abroad experience?
Hailey: I’ve always wanted to go out of the country, and Greece is my number one place. I wanted to go ever since I watched “Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants.”
Elysia: I saw the post on the EFSC Instagram account about the travel abroad program, so I RSVP’d for the first session. I didn’t think I would actually go, but after the first two sessions I realized this was something I wanted to do.
Is study abroad a vacation? A college class? Something in-between?
Hailey: It feels like a vacation, but you’re also learning a lot. We learned so much from all the different historical sites, but you also have so much free time — more than I would’ve expected. It was really cool to meet new people, make friends, and enjoy the new experiences with them. We were on a schedule to go sightseeing, but it definitely felt relaxing.
Elysia: Sometimes you don’t even feel like you’re “learning,” in the traditional sense. I took so much information home. When you’re there, it feels surreal. You’re going out and experiencing all these things and later reflecting in a daily journal. You realize you’ve learned so much more than you thought. We definitely had our fun. I’ve met so many great people from the trip. You have a good time and see things that you never thought that you’d see.
What were your top three favorite things you did during your study abroad?
Hailey: The first thing would be the day cruise. We island-hopped to three different islands and explored them on our own time. My second favorite thing would be the night we spent in Tolo. We got our own time to go off after dinner and we walked uptown. There was this little family-owned amusement park, and we got to meet one of the kids who runs it with his family. We learned a lot about Greek culture and enjoyed bumper cars and all the other games. My third favorite thing would definitely be the food. It’s wild how good the food is over there, and it’s so good for you. The authentic Greek salads and tzatziki taste so much better than you would ever imagine. It’s all fresh.
Elysia: In Greece, I had a chicken gyro and I have never looked back. I absolutely loved it. That was my first favorite thing. My second is the town of Olympia — the overall feel and how welcoming all the natives were. I remember leaving our hotel that night to go to this mini grocery store. While we were walking, we met the shop owner and this older couple, and they let us hold an Olympic torch among other things. I felt like we were in a movie, walking through that town at night. Third would definitely be the dinners. The last dinner was served family-style. It felt like we all had just gotten close and created this community. Sharing all the experiences was really heartwarming.
Did you face any challenges during your study abroad experience?
Hailey: Everything was so well-planned. Our tour guide leader, Julio, took care of us. He pointed out all the best places to go. Leading up to the trip, I felt nervous about leaving the country with a bunch of people I had never met before. But as soon as I got to the airport, I made friends with people. It was so easy. They were all so nice and welcoming.
Elysia: I didn’t have data or Wi-Fi everywhere I went. I’m super family-oriented, and it was hard not being able to speak to my sisters and parents every day. Luckily, I had two of my best friends with me on the trip. But by the end of the trip, I made so many friends that I still talk to today. At the beginning, I was thinking, “I’m leaving the country with a group of people I don’t know!” But it turned out to be amazing.
Was there anything that happened during the study abroad experience that you didn’t expect?
Hailey: Julio surprised us with olive oil-tasting. We got to experience what Greece is known for at this authentic, family-owned shop.
Elysia: When we got there, it was kind of cold, like “desert-cold.” So I didn’t expect us to go swimming. But Julio surprised us with a Country Club experience that included a lunch buffet and this really cool pool downstairs. We had so much fun there and I got to go swimming.
How has this experience changed you?
Hailey: It opened my mind. It made me realize if you’re scared of something, you should still do it because it could lead to really great things. I was terrified to leave the country with a bunch of people I didn’t know, and it ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. Do the things you’re scared of.
Elysia: It put a lot of things in perspective. Everywhere in the world is different. We have common attributes, but nobody is the same. It’s made me want to travel more. I’m actively looking at other places to go and experience new things. I’ve only lived in Florida, so it’s opened my eyes to so many new worlds that I want to go see.
How did this experience impact your life goals or your career plans?
Hailey: Just going overseas for the first time made me realize I want to do that again. Once I transfer to Florida Tech for engineering, they have a study abroad at Oxford program that I’m looking into. I may even do my master’s degree overseas in England.
Elysia: I’m looking at more study and travel abroad programs in Ireland, Costa Rica, Panama, and Spain. I want to go into hospitality and a big part of that is having a great overview of the world, so I know everyone who I’m talking to and meet on common ground. That’s my big goal: I want to learn everywhere that I go.
What advice do you have to share on paying for the study abroad experience?
Hailey: It’s really helpful that they do payment plans. If you sign up early, you get a discount. From there, you can do payment plans bi-weekly or bi-monthly, so you aren’t paying the whole thing at once. You can also look into Financial Aid assistance.
Elysia: My family owns a restaurant, so I made a fundraiser poster with a QR code and placed it there so that anyone interested could donate. The poster explained why I wanted to travel to Greece. I was really, really appreciative, and I raised around $600 towards my trip. It felt like my community was coming together to support me. When I came back from Greece, I made another poster of all the places I traveled so the people who donated knew I had a really good time.
What would you say to a student who is considering study abroad but they’re unsure?
Hailey: They should definitely do it. It’s worth paying the money to go. It’s worth the experiences and meeting new people, and it’s just worth pushing yourself to do things that you might be scared of.
Elysia: I would tell people, “Do it, do it, do it!” Put your doubts aside. You’re gonna have a great time. It’s well worth what you’re paying for — because you’re paying for values and experiences that you’ll be able to tell for years to come. It’s the safest, most cost-effective route to world travel. Do it: You’re not gonna regret it.
Where would you like to travel next?
Hailey: Italy! The next study abroad class is actually going to Italy — Venice, Rome, and Florence.
Elysia: Italy is like #2 on my travel list. My number one would be Costa Rica, Panama. My family is from Panama and I’ve never been, so I’ve always wanted to go see it.
Anything else you’d like to share with students?
Hailey: It’s a great experience, so if anybody is having any doubts, they should go. It’s totally different than America, and it’s a really good experience. Did I mention that you see so many dogs and cats in Greece? There are so many dogs and cats! That was another of my favorite parts: seeing all the animals freely walking around and not in shelters.
Elysia: I have trouble going out and experiencing new things because I get frightened. It’s easy to stay in the bubble of things I know. Put yourself out of that bubble! Go do it. You will have an amazing time, and you will meet so many amazing people.
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