Greece in Hindsight

Ben Fox
We have reached the end of our class and I am not to sure where to begin. Now that our seemingly brief time abroad has come to an end, I find my self asking "Whats next?" For me and several others in the program, this was our last J-term at PLU and with the coming Spring semester, our tenure at this institution begins to wane. Among the many questions beginning to flood my head as I near the end of my college career is "Will I be able to go abroad again?" I don't think that there was a single person that shared this experience with me that did not fall in love in their own way with Greece and now harbor a deep desire to return at some point. In my life, I have been extraordinarily blessed with travel. But this trip was unique. It was the only time that I have traveled under these conditions: in a larger group with a set curriculum of travel and learning, with a local Greek leading us. All of my other travel has been in much smaller groups, with my family, with my brother, with one or two close friends, and plans are very loose if present at all. We seem to move for movements sake, letting us stumble into things we otherwise wouldn't. Almost a year ago, when I first learned of my acceptance into this program and got my first taste of what it would be like, I must admit that I was fairly apprehensive. It would be very different from that which I had done before in my travels. Looking back now with 20/20 vision, it all seems silly. Why should I be concerned about trying something in a new way? This trip was beautiful and unique, and now that it is over, I feel sad. Part of this sadness stems from the acceptance that the structure and community that made this trip so enjoyable will no longer be part of my travels. This too is silly. I should know better then too think that first joy can be recovered. Instead of fearing that I will never be able to recreate this experience, I should be eager to try new ones. What I take away from this trip is personal growth, many new friends, and countless memories and moments with which to fill my head. Any regrets I have are of my own doing, and I can live with that.