Kalene Morris

Kalene Morris is an Ambassador who studied abroad in Greece and Italy.

Briefly describe a specific cultural experience you had on your trip that made a lasting impression.

A few hours after getting into Rome from Athens, a friend and I stopped to get some pizza. We said thank you, and it wasn't until we noticed the man behind the counter looking at us funny that we realized we had said it in Greek!! We were so used to using the few Greek phrases we knew, they just came naturally! After that we had to start speaking Italian.

Why did you choose the program in which you participated? 

I chose it because I liked the dual nature of the program, had a strong desire to visit both Greece and Italy, and felt the curriculum fit well with my Theology major.

Describe your overall study abroad experience.

One of my roommates had a daily reflection book that she would read from at night. One phrase in one of the reflections really stuck with us, and we think it summarizes our (and probably many others') study abroad experience: "frantic fun amidst compulsively scheduled activity."

How has the trip affected you? How are you different for having completed the experience?

Study abroad gave me the travel bug. I definitely want to return to Rome someday, and I'd like to see more of Greece. I think I learned how to be a good traveler and make the most of travel opportunities. I also learned that I really like learning new languages, even when they don't use the same alphabet as mine! Above all, I got a thousand lessons in being flexible, going with the flow, and being able to laugh at myself.

What advice do you have for future Study Abroad Students?

PACK LIGHT!! Basically all the advice that I was given but didn't think I needed to take. Being open-minded and adventurous. Going in with the right mindset is the most important thing I think. And not letting yourself get lazy. It's easy to settle in and let a lot of opportunities pass you by as you get more comfortable in the place you're living. Comfort is good, because it means you're adapting and changing, but it can also lead to apathy.