What inspired you to travel abroad?
Traveling abroad is something that I have liked since I was young, and lately, traveling to Greece has become a passion. Traveling abroad, a person enriches his spirit and opens his mind by coming into contact with different cultures and ways of life that, that at times, can be in conflict with his own.
The only way to overcome stereotypes is to directly contrast them with reality. Traveling, and especially traveling abroad, is a great way to cultivate tolerance and become a little more of a worldly person. Those who think that their country, their customs, their way of life, are the best in the world, it is because they have not gone past their front door.
Why did you choose Alexandria Institute?
I believe that it is essential when a person wants to know a country well, that they interact with the inhabitants of that country as much as possible. Knowing a country is not just knowing its monuments or its food. What especially defines a country is its people. The best way to communicate with the natives of a country is to try to do so in their own language.
And in any case, trying to learn the language of a country that you love is the first gesture of respect for that country. That is why I have always wanted to learn Greek. Of all the Greek courses that I know, the organization that presents the best thought out and structured courses is Alexandria Institute.
What was your favorite part about Greece?
I like its past, its history, its culture, and how it mixes with the present in a perfect symbiosis in my opinion. In every detail of the ancient world I see reflected the current reality of the country and vice versa: I can recognize and imagine very well what life would be like in ancient Greece seeing how life is in today's Greece, especially in places that are not major cities, on the islands that aren’t overcrowded, in the small towns of the Peloponnese.
The climate and the endless beaches are also an important factor to take into account, truth be told. It is a perfect complement when planning a trip.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
I did not know the island of Paros before traveling there to do the course with the Alexandria Institute. I had heard and read a lot about it because it is an island of important Ida in ancient times, the homeland of Archilochus, the marble.
When I got there, I was surprised by the beauty of the capital, with a museum and a church full of history, and the streets typical of an island of the Cyclades that always make the traveler fall in love.
The blue sky, the blue sea, the bustle, and the calm, all at the same time. The place where the course was organized was on the other side of the island. The people from the course, the teachers, the hotel, the beach a few meters away. All this together turned the stay in Paros into a kind of paradise of people and places difficult to describe.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The teachers and all the maintenance staff became friends almost immediately, without losing any of their professionalism. Their support was continuous in everything, not only in the classes but also in all the activities that we carried out throughout the weeks.
They took care of everything, looking for means of transportation if we needed them, helping if someone got sick, supplying all kinds of information required, and adapted at all times to our needs. At no time did we feel alone or unprotected. On the contrary, we knew that if something happened, we would always have the necessary help.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
It's really hard for me to think about what I would have done differently or what would have changed. When someone is fully satisfied with something, it is difficult to think about changing things. Make the most of your time, I met a lot of people, I learned a lot, from Greek and from the island of Paros.
I had a great time at a time when I needed a break from many things and I was able to do so. That is why I have fantastic memories of my stay in Paros and I would not change anything about when I lived there or how I lived it. Maybe I would have liked it to have lasted another week, but that was not in my power.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
I woke up around 7:30 a.m. I had breakfast and classes started early. We had an hour and a half of class and then a short break in which we met and chatted over coffee with all the classmates from the other levels. When the break was over, it was back to class for an hour and a half more.
At the end, we ate, almost always all together in a tavern by the sea. In the afternoon, a little nap on the beach and then we did some activity, generally an excursion to a different part of the island of Paros. We would spend the whole afternoon there and sometimes we would also have dinner there in a tavern with music. And then back to the hotel to sleep.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
What I enjoyed the most was being with my friends from the class and with the teachers, being able to exchange conversations in Greek. It was also very interesting to know different places on the island, but it made it more interesting to always do it in a group, to share the moments with people with the same interests as you.
Having something in a tavern with music or even better, dancing or trying to dance some typical Greek dance, is a moment that is not forgotten. That is part of Greece and it is part of what I love about the country. Or the endless nights with a glass of wine, looking at the sea, and talking about the divine and the human.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
We were staying at the Arkas hotel and we also had classes there. The hotel was ideal. From my balcony, I could see the sea. It was my first sight every day, the blue sea of ??Greece on my balcony. The entire hotel was built in the style of the Cyclades houses, and each student had a room with all the basics.
In the center of the hotel, there was a swimming pool that at first I thought would cause noise in the rooms but it was not like that at all. The stay there was fantastic, no frills but in a beautiful setting. The beach was also a five-minute walk from the bedroom door. A luxury hotel without being a luxurious hotel at all.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I would not be the person I am if I had not traveled abroad. For all that I have expressed before, traveling changes you, perhaps not in a drastic way on the first trip. It is something that happens little by little. Knowing the world makes you different in the sense expressed above: it makes you more tolerant, it makes you more understanding, it breaks stereotypes, it relativizes all your beliefs, and makes them more flexible.
You also meet people that you can take with you the rest of your life because you can keep in touch with them thanks to new technologies. Traveling abroad is a breath of fresh air for the spirit, and especially, traveling to Greece.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
Whoever plans to take this course should know that they will always be well cared for and that they will learn Greek. You should also know that you will learn as you strive to apply what you see in class each day. If you limit yourself to classes only and then do not do any activities related to them, you will learn less. You will still have a good time.
You may find yourself with some minimal discomfort, but the good things far outweigh the negatives, because there are hardly any and you have to look for them with a magnifying glass to find them. Of course, if someone goes with a negative spirit, then that may not be the case.
The beautiful Grecian architecture.
Would you recommend Alexandria Institute to others? Why?
Of course, I recommend Alexandria Institute to anyone. I am talking here about my experience in Paros but after being there, which was my first time with them, I have done many other courses and they have never disappointed me; on the contrary, I have always been comfortable and each new city or each new course has been a challenge and a fantastic experience.
The teachers are very professional but, apart from that, and what is perhaps more important, you always feel protected and protected by them. They don't just worry that you learn and forget about you when class is over. They are always willing to offer you something different in your free time and to make your stay as pleasant as possible. I have not seen that in other courses with other companies.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
I have already expressed it above; I think that the greatest benefit of traveling abroad is knowing other ways of life and other customs. That makes you more of a person and forces you to question the stereotypes that you have when you do not go past your front door.
