Today marked the first full day in Cyprus, and what better way to start it off than heading across the street to a local breakfast place. We were served a variety of foods ranging from authentic yogurt, eggs, toast, and different meats and cheeses. After breakfast, our group hopped on a bus where we would travel to capital, Nicosia, to attend orientation for our program and also learn about the brief history of Cyprus and a crash course on Greek.

When we arrived at The University of Nicosia, we were greeted right away and taken to our first lecture, A deeper dive into the History of Cyprus. Here I learned about all the countries and empires previously occupying Cyprus. This also explained the architecture and different building styles throughout Cyprus and how it was influenced by each of these different groups. After we had finished our first lecture our group stopped at the dining hall on campus to grab some food.

After finishing lunch we returned to the room for a crash course on Greek called “Surviving Greek”. Here I learned some basic greetings and helpful words for talking to locals on the island throughout the next two weeks. I definitely enjoyed this class more than the first!

Once our Greek class finished, we headed back to the bus where we made our way back to the hotel in Limassol. After everyone had showered and freshened up, our group made our way to the Marina for a group dinner where we were served massive platters of meat for two people consisting of pork, chicken, lamb, and sausage. This was one of my favorite things we have done so far. After dinner, we all headed back to the hotel and hung out by the rooftop pool and got to know each other some more.