Honors Junior, Julia Klass, a biology major, studied abroad in the spring semester of her sophomore year at Appalachian. She traveled to the University of Lincoln in England. Julia took classes during the week and explored England on the weekends. Julia explained that she
“was on a semester long search for the best tea and weirdest food trends which took me to secret tea rooms, milkshakes stacked with doughnuts and brownies, ice cream covered in cereal, and to mack and cheese grilled sandwiches.”
Photo above is the city of Lincoln and the Lincoln Cathedral. Photo taken from the walls of Lincoln Castle. Photo Submitted.
During the breaks in her semester, Julia traveled across the channel and by the end of her study abroad she managed to visit eleven countries in Europe. Julia said that she
“I was traveling solo for a lot of that time so I was able to get lost and miss trains all by myself. While that may not sound appealing I loved every second of it. Europe has the most amazing architecture, the most intriguing museums, and a hodgepodge of countless beautiful cultures all waiting to be experienced.”
Photo above shows Klass enjoying a sunny day at Stonehenge. Photo submitted.
When the spring semester ended however, Klass’s time abroad wasn’t over. She remained abroad over the summer to participate in an archeological field school in Greece. It is in Greece that Klass said she
“helped with the excavation of a Mycenaean tomb and worked in the museum nearby. On weekends I got to see incredible ruins and museums throughout the country, frequently seeing artifacts similar to what we were pulling out of the ground ourselves. I got to see the Parthenon in Athens which has been a dream of mine since I was in elementary school, because for some reason I was obsessed with Greek mythology in elementary school.”
In photo above, Klass is taking a break in a wheelbarrow at the excavation site in Aidonia, Greece. Photo submitted.
Klass had a the experience of a lifetime while abroad, she said she
“could spend the rest of my life talking about my time abroad and never fully be able to get across how amazing it was. It wasn’t just the people I met or the places I saw. It wasn’t just the wild adventures or the things I learned. I underwent incredible personal growth and discovery. I understood the world around me and where I fit into it. There was the kind of beauty that makes you cry. The kind of experiences that make you stronger. I will never be able to explain it fully because what I got out if it isn’t something that I can give to you, it has to be discovered.”
Klass is a Junior in the Honors College and is now serving an Honors Study Abroad Ambassador. She, and Taylor Gibbs, hold office hours in the Honors Library Thursdays from 2-3:30.
To learn more about the Honors Study Abroad Ambassadors, click here.
Top photo shows Julia Klass in Prague, Czech Republic. Photo submitted
Story edited by Brad Rentz
