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I am possibly, maybe, probably, 72% definitely going to Greece this summer. My friend Natalie and I had a meeting with a study abroad counselor today. We are now in the early application process for a (very short) three week stint on the island of Spetses in late June/early July. Neither of us want to spend an entire semester abroad, mostly because we already have our schedules for the next couple years figured out, and don't want to miss any of the exciting things happening in our programs here at home. So, we're going to Spetses. We will be in the Greek language program, learning Modern Greek. The University of Oregon only teaches Ancient Greek, which I find impractical. I know Latin is a dead language too, but at least it helps you learn other languages. English is really the only modern language with any basis in Greek, and I already know English! Modern Greek will help me function in Greece when I'm romping around looking at art and Olympic sites and all that good stuff. So, we'll have Greek classes in the mornings, then the afternoons and evenings to ourselves to play around in the city and perform little expedition assignments like videotaping yourself interacting with a shopkeeper to prove you learned the food vocab for the day. Spetses is a pretty tiny island, about two hours away from Athens by boat. It's a little over four miles long, and has a population of about 3,000 so it will have a very intimate feel. The language program is only open to about a dozen students, so we're starting the long application process as soon as possible to ensure admission. After our three weeks on Spetses, Natalie and I will spend at least a few more days in Athens, testing out our new language skills, and investigating all the art and architecture we've been so avidly studying. We're a little foggy on plans after Athens, but we will go to Rome for sure, if nowhere else. We simply HAVE to go to Vatican City to test our Latin skills!