Following our first week and a half long stay in Athens, our next leg of the trip was to take place in none other than the honeymoon capital of the world, Santorini. Decorated with pristine white buildings on top of a cliff over looking the Agean sea, Santorini was just as beautiful in person as it was in pictures I saw throughout my life.
However, Santorini isn’t just about the beauty, but there is so much history to discover on the island as well. The second day we were there we went on a boat tour to Palea Kameni, the active volcanic island off the coast of Fira Town. This island was interesting to explore and learn about its recent eruptions, with the most recent being in 1950. The fact that our tour guide even said that the volcano could erupt at any moment is something that could send shivers down anyone’s spine.
Diving more into Santorini’s history, we visited the ancient city of Akrotiri. Covered in thick layers of ash from a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago, we got to learn about what this civilization was like and how advanced they were. The city of Akrotiri was so well preserved that pots discovered in archaeological excursions remained still fully intact. The city even had fully functioning plumbing that ran below the city’s streets, putting into perspective how advanced this civilization really was.
It was funny realizing that while this city had amazing plumbing, you aren’t allowed to flush toilet paper down the toilets in modern day Greece! This was a bit of culture shock that I had to get used to, as well as the fact that most of the island’s waters were not necessarily safe to drink from the tap.
But besides some culture shock I had to overcome, Santorini was a treat having the opportunity to visit. I would recommend those who have the chance to visit stay close to the towns of Fira or Oia. Centrally located to most of the activities that you can do, the breathtaking towns are pure delights that you will never forget.
An experience like this is far greater than sitting in a classroom on campus in my opinion. This is because while you can tell me all you want about the history and beauty of Greece, I would never have truly understood what you meant unless I had gone on this study abroad trip, which is exactly what I did. You learn a great deal about how cultures differ from your own, while also learning something new about yourself. For example, I learned for myself to trust by gut instinct and take the cable car down to the port for our boat tour rather than walking 30 minutes down the cliff.