Sonny Baialardo, Verrazano Class of 2018, earned majors in Business Marketing with minors in Business Management and English--Writing.
Studying abroad is an experience in itself but, to my dream destination it was a once in a lifetime experience. I’ve wanted to explore Greece since I’ve been young and the College of Staten Island made this opportunity possible for me.
Studying abroad allowed me to challenge myself and the person I was daily. The hardest part was leaving my family for over three months. My family has been a huge part of my life since the day I was born and now I wouldn’t be celebrating my 20th birthday with them or seeing them every night for dinner. After shedding a few (okay maybe a lot) of tears in the airport I was on my way. Once I was thousands of feet up in the air the dream was closer then I could’ve imagined. Upon landing there was snow on the ground! That’s right, snow in Greece- unheard of for the last 40 years. That got things off to an interesting and unique start. 
Thessaloniki became my new home immediately. The vacations became my three day weekend trips around the area. Making friends was quick and easy because the excitement is everywhere and the only people that know how you feel are the ones there with you. We booked trips to different areas of Greece such as Santorini, Athens, Meteora, Crete, etc. We also booked trips to nearby places including Berlin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Cyprus, and Budapest. Each place welcoming us, offering a new experience and a new culture to completely emerge ourselves into.
Studying abroad sent me out of my comfort zone and taught me about myself in ways I wasn’t expecting. I learned in school as well as outside of school. Learning Greek, the way of the people, the culture, and seeing the architecture I could never forget. All my doubts about studying abroad have quickly been replaced with amazing memories. 
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