- Home
-
Programs
- Study Abroad
- Intern Abroad
- Terms
- Decision Helpers
- FAQs
-
Connect with Us
-
- View It
- Charity
- Travel
- Advisors
- Parents
-
About Us
- About Athena
- What people are saying about Athena
- Job Opportunities with Athena
- Staff Bios
-
Newsletter Sign-Up
- Get in Touch
- Athena In the News
- APPLY
Australia: Sydney 
England: London 
Greece: Paros Island 
Ireland: Dublin 
Italy: Florence 
Spain: Seville 
Semester / Year-long 
Summer 
January / Winter 
Ask John 
Ask Athena 
Blogs 
Video Blogs 
Testimonials 
Scholarships 
Photo Contest 
Early Bird Discount 
General FAQs 
Photos
Subscribe to blog
Athena Blogs
Athena Study Abroad students share their experiences with amazing blogs.
Bloggers
Athena
Athena is the Greek Goddess of Wisdom and is here to share her wisdom with everyone!
Recent Posts
-
I checked my watch and it said 2012
As I was getting over my surprise that the Spring semester was just about upon us, it came to my attention that it is the year 2012. Is this for real? I don't know what's going on with time, but someone better look into it. She's starting to get a little impish. ~Athena ...Jan 12 -
Athena's Dog, Chris, Still in the Holiday Spirit
Hi, My dog, Chris, won't stop being jolly. ~ Athena ...Jan 12 -
Other entries by Athena
Brittany Rackliffe
I currently attend Chapman University in Orange, California. I am a Public Relations and Advertising major with a minor in Psychology. I have never been abroad and I greatly look forward to this experience as well as documenting it.
Recent Posts
-
First Week: Success Featured
"Do you really want to look back on your life and see how wonderful it could have been had you not been afraid to live it?" The answer is: no. Going abroad is a life-changing experience that effects everyone differently. For me, it has opened my eyes to deeper parts of myself that I have been neglecting for the past few years. My love for ...Feb 06 -
Other entries by Brittany Rackliffe
Michelle Farhang
Michelle Farhang is a junior at Chapman University in Orange County, California. She is majoring in Peace Studies and dual-minoring in Broadcast Journalism and Art. Michelle is blogging her experiences in Florence, Italy.
Recent Posts
-
Interlaken, The Swiss Alps: A True Adventure of a Lifetime Featured
Over the past weekend, I finally had a successful weekend trip! It was more amazing than I ever imagined it would be. I went to Interlaken in Switzerland and it was such an adventure. After an eight hour bus ride, we got in around 3:00 in the morning and went straight to sleep. The next morning I woke up with butterflies knowing it was the d ...Mar 01 -
Regina della Cucina Featured
All of my life, I have been a disaster in the kitchen. From lighting things on fire to melting meals, the kitchen and I have never gotten along. I even have trouble with frozen foods. No matter what I do they seem to end up exploding in the microwave. Photography, on the other hand, I love. Developing my pictures in the dark room is actually relax ...Feb 19 -
Roman Fail Featured
Last weekend, Zach and I attempted a trip to Rome that was, unfortunately, a huge failure. It was cold in Florence, and my classmates told me that Rome is almost always warmer than Florence. I decided to trade my boots in for flats and my warmest coat for a slightly lighter one and got on the train without looking at the weather forecast for the we ...Feb 13 -
The Best Location, Food, and People! Featured
Florence has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Our apartment is perfectly located right between the Ponte Vecchio and the Duomo, and I spent my first weekend in Italy walking for miles (often in circles) just admiring everything about Florence. There is a reason places like these are tourist destinations. They are so amazing that ...Feb 05 -
Una Nuova Casa: My Arrival in Italia Featured
The New Beginning: I chose to study abroad in Florence, Italy for a long list of reasons. The one that may have had the most impact on my decision, though, was the fact that every single person that I talked to about their previous experience studying abroad in Florence was a rave about how it was an indescribable life-cha ...Jan 30 -
Other entries by Michelle Farhang
Marykate Wihnyk
I am a student from Chapman University studying abroad in Florence. I will be sharing my adventure for the next few months with you all here!
Recent Posts
-
I had a visitor!
Hello all!!! It has been a long time since my last post. Sorry about that! Things got busy here with midterms and what not. This past weekend my dad visited! We had such a great time. He was here from Friday night until Tuesday morning and we did so much! We hit the major spots like the Duomo, saw the David, and the Ponte Vecchio. ...Mar 18 -
A good week! Featured
Hey everyone! This past week has been a pretty great one. I traveled, classes become more fun, and there was a LOT of chocolate eating. CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL Last Friday Florence began its annual week long Chocolate Festival. My roommates and I went and it was SO great. There were booths and booths with tables covered in piles of all kinds of chocol ...Feb 19 -
Getting Situated Featured
This past week was mostly about getting situated in my apartment, acquainted with the area, and finding all my classes. Things went pretty well! I had some decent shopping experiences at a place called The Coop. They have really fresh local veggies and meat and everything is really well priced! Finding a good grocery store was right at the top of ...Feb 06 -
I made it!! Featured
I made it! After months and months of filling out forms and having to get in contact with about a million different people to obtain important documents (right up to the last minute!), I have made it to Florence! Getting ready to leave my hometown in Florida was a bit hectic. Lots of running around to dif ...Jan 27 -
Other entries by Marykate Wihnyk
Julianne Bishop
There is a reason I ride horses. Riding a horse is more natural that walking. And when both feet are on the ground obstacles such as doorways, chairs, and counters tend to be more daunting than jumping on the back of a horse. Some people may call it being a klutz. I call it being an avid horsewoman. However, facing challenges on the back of a horse has made me stronger in facing challenges on my own two feet, always with the help of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I ride horses for pleasure and I have a huge passion for it. I guess that is a good thing considering I have chosen it for my career path as well. I am an Equine Entrepreneurship major and Business Administration Minor at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. I focus on taking as many electives as a can in equine teaching and training. I am a member of my schools English Intercollegiate Horse Show Association riding team. I am also a Lake Erie College Ambassador as well as the Co-President of Annex Christian Fellowship. My schoolwork, my activities, my family, and my friends are extremely important to me. My family and beautiful home sweet home lies in the one and only Tacoma, Washington. I have been blessed with amazing opportunities over the years, and I have been to Mexico, China, France, and all over the United States for both personal reasons as well as on Mission trips. Every new opportunity and experience, whether it be on a horse, in school, or through travels, is a new opportunity to enhance life long learning. I am so thrilled and grateful to have this opportunity to participate in the Tour of Italy program, where I am excited to learn more about this amazing world I live in, as well as to learn more about myself and grow as a person.
Recent Posts
-
Break, Rome, and Computer Problems
Computer Problems I apologize for such a gap between posts, everything got crazy moving to Rome and leaving immediately for break...during which my computer decided to crash on me. I retrieved it from the apple store (which was some what of a treck) yesterday. And sadly enough...my hardrive had to be replaced so all my pictures of Ital ...Mar 13 -
End of Stay in Tuscania! Featured
Sorry for such a delay in posts and the lack of pictures! School got VERY busy with school and my photo application is not working on my computer so I cannot currently upload any photos. Last week for classes I had a midterm in History, so I spent a lot of time the weekend before studying Greeks and Etruscans. On wednesday of last week we had a wo ...Feb 23 -
Let it Snow?! Featured
Unusual Weather Ohio has been warmer than Italy the last week ... actually it's the coldest weather that Tuscania has experienced in 27 years. We had rain and snow (and REALLY cold winds) this last week. The whole city (and the surrounding ones) got very nervous about the icy conditions, which in reality are nothing compared to Ohio, or even the s ...Feb 08 -
First week in Tuscania! Featured
It has been an incredible and exciting week! I arrived in the Rome airport where I spent several hours meeting other people arriving for the Tour of Italy program and the Semester in Tuscania progam, as we all waited for the bus to get us all. After settling into our apartments we all met at school for our welcome dinner. It was ...Jan 30 -
This is the Final Countdown Featured
Plane ticket...Check! Passport/Visa...Check! Room assignments...Check! Packing.......almost check.... Its hard to believe that all the planning and imagining is about to be brought to life! I have begun my final preparations for my journey and subsequent adventures overseas. It is ...Jan 21 -
Other entries by Julianne Bishop
Gabrielle Reiter
Hey everyone! My name is Gabbi and I am currently studying photography and business management at Columbia College in Chicago. Im studying in Dublin right now, Spring 2012. I love traveling and photography and I wanted to put the two together to share my experience with you, so stayed tuned I'll posting stuff at least once a week, and I'm going to try to say a little something everyday!
Recent Posts
-
Nice, France
We arrived at our next destination... Nice, France! A city we didn't know too much about, but heard wonderful things. Our curiosity was racing, not knowing what to expect. I had ideas and expectations of what I thought it would be, and it turned out to be far beyond that. A city with history, beauty, character; I know I have said this countless tim ...May 19 -
Barcelona, Spain
It's been quite awhile since my last post, my month of April was a pretty boring one. I spent much of my time working on final projects and assignments for my classes, and preparing for my final exams which take place this week. April 26, 2012- May 7, 2012 A friend and I took a twelve day trip to Spain and France, our first destination: Barcelona ...May 18 -
St. Patty's Day 2012, Dublin!
WARNING! St. Patty's Day in Ireland is CRAZY. to say the least.... Anyway, we started off the festivities with getting ready and dressing in all green, obviously... and then we headed down down for the Parade! Which was impossible to navigate, there were SO MANY people!! It was unbelievable, I thought that St. Patty's day in Chicago was wild, th ...Mar 25 -
Edinburgh, Scotland
Scotland by far is one of my favorite places I have visited so far, Edinburgh is like a city lost in time. It’s so beautiful and historic, all of the buildings are from another time, centuries ago. That’s what I loved most about Edinburgh, unlike all of the other cities trying to keep up with all of the latest technology and architecture, this litt ...Mar 25 -
London, England
London was quite the experience, but a wonderful one to say the least. Definitely some place to put on your bucket list, but I don't think I could ever live in the UK, the currency over there is awful! Dollars to Pounds is worth nothing, so I ended up spending so much more money than I planned... London is a HUGE city, it's so big it's split ...Mar 25 -
Other entries by Gabrielle Reiter
Katherine Stubblebine
Guest has not set their biography yet
Recent Posts
-
Pre-departure Shopping Featured
I hate shopping. Unless there are boots involved, or scarves, it's something I would rather not do. I happen to have an abundance of boots, and an unhealthy obsession with scarves, so I knew these wouldn't be included in my forthcoming shopping trips. Because of this, it wasn't until early January that I sat down and made a list of things I had to ...Jan 17 -
Other entries by Katherine Stubblebine
Hannah Zoppi
I'm Hannah! A 21 year old Theatre major and Creative Writing minor at Flagler College in Saint Augustine, Florida; Currently studying abroad on Paros Island, Greece for the second semester of my junior year. I'll be posting pictures, stories, and inspiration from my time here as much as possible so check back frequently and experience this amazing journey right along with me. :)
Recent Posts
-
And then there was Santorini...
It has been way too long since I've blogged last. It's nearly impossible for me to grasp that the end of the semester is coming near so I'm spending even more time appreciating where I am and less time sitting on my computer. SO MUCH has been going on! School, island life, people, work... It's overwhelming and exciting. I can't even talk about actu ...May 19 -
Spring Break in Istanbul!
What an amazing spring break. Our entire school went to Istanbul, Turkey for a week and it was unlike anything I've ever experienced in my entire life. I tried to change it up this time and let the pictures (and video) speak for themselves mostly... enjoy :) We took the smallest plane to Athens due to the possibility of ferry strikes on Paros. I ...Apr 29 -
Molto Bella!
It is possible that I just had one of the best weeks of my life... Shayla, a friend I met here in Greece, and I decided to take a week long trip to Rome & Florence to meet up with my best friend Kristen who is currently studying abroad in Copenhagen! Overall, the traveling days were the most difficult. There is a lot more that goes into ...Apr 07 -
The best days.
I was talking to a friend I did theatre with back in Saint Augustine, and she told me that when she was traveling, every day she would wake up and say "today is the best day of my life" and she would end every day by saying "today was the best day of my life." That spoke to me because I have experienced the same exact feelings. I think about how lu ...Mar 15 -
Kalimera! Featured
Waking up every day, opening the doors to my balcony, and feeling overwhelmed with this much beauty is an unexplainable feeling. People keep asking me to describe this place and I can't seem to find the words. All I can say is that you must see it for yourself. I want nothing more than for everyone I've ever loved, known, or spoken to, to be able ...Mar 08 -
Other entries by Hannah Zoppi
Shayla Holloway
I'm a Senior at Marietta College, located in Marietta College. I am originally from Louisville, Kentucky , majoring in Advertising/ Public Relations with a minor in Theater studies. I overall would like to do any type of Social Media work in the medical field, while going to Broadway plays every week ( My dream job). I cant wait to STUDY ABROAD !!!!
Recent Posts
-
I have A LOT to say!!
I feel so bad for not blogging this time while on Paros, like I must say I’m overwhelmed by my surroundings even though I’ve been here for 2 months already. Still loving my classes and my teachers, Classmates are THEE best!!!... But where do I start? Well I did not attend the Turkey trip with the rest of the HISA crew yet I met some pretty i ...May 03 -
Week 4.....( ROMA ROMA ROMA)
This is WEEK 4 of classes and I still feel the same way...LOVE my classes..LOVE my teacher...AND LOVE THE ISLAND. PAUSE I have to admit that I did want to go home, but I'm too blessed to be wanting to me back home instead of in GREECE. It's taking me some time to get used to the other HISA students since we hardly know each other, but I ...Mar 28 -
Welcome to Paros! Featured
καλημέρα ( Good Afternoon), Well today is our second day of classes and I must admit that they are really interesting. I never thought being in a 2 hour class would be fun ( yet it is the 2nd day) I'm currently taking 5 classes total including: Black and White Photography, Film Studies, Advance Film Studies, Goddess (Woman studies) and Digita ...Mar 08 -
Counting my blessing while on Paros Island!!!! Featured
Well, I'm probably the only one who hasn't blogged since we've been on the island or in Greece period, but I do have an excuse. lol It's Sunday afternoon and I'm enjoying the island a lot believe it or not (due to me being really sick). I am a little home sick, but this is only the beginning and I'm sure it will go away fast. ...Mar 04 -
Other entries by Shayla Holloway
Margaret Decker
Molly is a sophomore Writing, Literature, and Publishing major at Emerson College in Boston. When not at school, she lives in Woodbury, Connecticut. She is extremely excited to study in Paros, Greece, especially because she is half Greek.
Recent Posts
-
Santorini (Or, The Weekend of Transportation)
Sorry it's been forever since my last blog! Between finals and the reliability of Greek internet, I haven't been able to spare a single moment. Our trip to Santorini was an actual blast! The group met the teachers at the port, and as a pleasant surprise, we found out that Sigrid, George, and Cameron were all coming with us. Barry Cooper, who is a ...May 12 -
Spring Break in Turkey
What a week! Istanbul is absolutely crazy. After living in a small town for most of my life, going to a small school (in a smaller city), and then moving to Paros which is a pretty small island, Istanbul's 14 million population really threw me. At first it was really refreshing, always seeing someone on the streets and knowing that there are actual ...Apr 20 -
So Much Fun That I Forget The Internet Exists
And that is a whole lot of fun we're having out here. When I last blogged, we were talking about the weekend that we spent in Naxos. Since then, we have had plenty of amazing things thrown at us from all directions by the HISA staff. First, the weekend after Naxos, we got up nice and early on Saturday morning to be driven in carpools to a town cal ...Apr 07 -
Our Weekend in Naxos
Saturday morning we all met Cameron at the windmill to pick up our tickets and wait for the ferry to Naxos. This time on the ferry we fixed the mistake we made last time and sat on top of the boat, so we could watch the scenery as we sailed by it. It was loud and windy, but the view was so worth it. Plus, it was sunny and beautiful, so a little win ...Mar 30 -
Writing and Eating and Hiking! Oh my!
This is what I spend a very large amount of time on Paros doing. It might not seem all that exciting, but anything done in the company of friends is worthwhile in my eyes. The difference between here and home, though, is that here I can write on the beach while looking out at the sunset, or sitting outside Dodoni's cafe and people watching, or on ...Mar 20 -
Other entries by Margaret Decker
Athena Involvement
