Going Greek
University of Indianapolis junior vocal music major Kim Holtman embarked on her journey to Greece during the fall semester of 2009.
“I was nervous. I was freaked out. I didn’t know anyone, and I didn’t know what to expect,” Holtman said.
Holtman described the trip there as being quite a voyage, since she doesn’t like walking around or using the bathroom on a plane.
“We landed and I was worried about minute things,” Holtman said. “I wasn’t thinking ‘Oh my goodness, I’m in Greece!’ I was thinking ‘Oh my goodness, I need to find a bathroom.’”
Her apartment building was in the middle of the city, near the University of Indianapolis Athens campus.
She stayed with three other UIndy students and described her apartment as small and cozy.
She learned how to shop for groceries and cook for due to her new living arrangements and lack of a meal plan.
“I did a lot of cooking, because it was cheaper to buy our own food. I used a lot of olive oil, since Greece is known for it.”
Photo contributed by Kim Holtman
Holtman described the classes at the Athens campus as more laid back than at UIndy. She said sometimes they were toned down because other international students there didn’t speak English as a first language. Also, the semester was 13 weeks long, rather than 16 week semesters at UIndy.
The classes were not the only aspect that was laid back.
“You learned to stop caring what time it was or walking so quickly everywhere,” Holtman said. “The people just lived in the moment there, which could be a blessing and a curse,” Holtman said.
There were two excursions built into the program for Odyssey students, one to Olympia and Mycenea, and the other to Meteora and Ancient Delphi. In addition to the built-in excursions, many students traveled on their own. Holtman took the opportunity to visit Italy over Thanksgiving break.
“The teachers were all really understanding about us wanting to travel,” Holtman said.
Holtman also loved the deep connections she made with certain people. She said there are people that she will try to remain in contact with and still misses.
The Odyssey in Athens program is offered each semester and is a chance to indulge in others’ culture.
“Do it. Get it out of your system. It’s good to know what it’s like,” Holtman said. “You learn so much about people. We are all so different, yet we are really all the same. People like what they know, but then you open yourself up to the world, and you can learn so much. You do a lot of soul-searching when you have an experience like that. You learn who you are and who you want to be.”
