My name is Claire Campbell and I am a senior at CofC double majoring in International Business and Supply Chain Management with a minor in Global Logistics and Transportation. I am studying this summer at the American College of Greece in Athens, Greece as part of a faculty-led program through The College. I have had my eyes on the Greece program since my sophomore year, but unfortunately was unable to travel the last two summers due to COVID restrictions. The classes offered in Greece, particularly the sustainability issues class, align closely with my goals for my future career and interest in sustainability. One of my goals while abroad is to delve into the lifestyle of the local citizens to understand better how people of different cultures truly live. I intend to try a lot of local cuisine and pick up on lots of historical information as well. Learning the history of Athens and surrounding areas of Greece has been a large part of the initial research I have done before my trip, as well as how to enjoy the natural beauty of the country to the fullest extent.
Stepping off the plane in Athens, Greece was one definitive example of experiencing culture shock. After a long day of travel and flying overnight, I arrived in the city where I would spend the next two weeks. I was excited but very nervous and overwhelmed, as I had not met up with any of the other girls on the trip yet. I was able to make it through customs and the airport by following other American tourists, but the language barrier was already becoming evident to me. Many of the signs in the airport were translated into English, but unlike Spanish and Italian, for example, the letters of the Greek alphabet do not form words that resemble English in the slightest. I was able to get a taxi easily to my hotel, but even communicating with the driver was a struggle at times. After arriving downtown, I learned quickly that Greek addresses are not in the same format as American addresses, and therefore Apple Maps has some trouble guiding you to the right destination at times. After several taxis took myself and friends to locations that were not exactly where we intended to go, we determined that Google Maps was definitely going to be our friend for its ability to understand the different formats. Situations like this made me very thankful to be in a group of supportive and easy going people that laughed at this adversity rather than glaring angrily at whoever put the address into their phone. The magic of technology proved to be an incredible asset during our travels. While we certainly would have made it work one way or another, having access to our phones in these moments was extremely helpful. The language and communication barriers certainly posed moments of culture shock on my trip, but by sticking together and reaching solutions together, I was able to grow in these moments and learn so much as a result.
