By James Bossert, Swimming World College Intern
“Cliff jumping into the Aegean Sea was so thrilling and terrifying, but it makes the 400 IM much less intimidating.”
Distance swimmers know all about the 400 IM, and Grove City sophomore Megan Smith is no exception. As one of the top distance swimmers in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and growing up a top distance swimmer in Tyler, Texas,
Smith is used to swimming in unique and top competition pools. But none of those pools comes close to swimming in the Aegean Sea while she was on a two-week class trip to Greece and Italy the last two weeks of May 2014.
Normally Grove City students plan to go on these May two-week trips in December, but for Smith this trip was a last-minute decision. She grew up hearing her parents tell stories about travelling the world with the military and always wanting to visit those famous countries and sites, she knew she needed to start her own travel stories. When the opportunity came up in mid-March to fill a spot on the trip, it was impossible to pass it up.
Since the trip was for class credit for a couple hours a day, Smith and the others on the trip would sight see through museums and historical landmarks, learning about each and how they impacted history. But after the coordinated activities, students were free to explore the different cities or islands they were on that particular day.
Sometimes their adventures were spontaneous.
“One day, we decided to hike part of Mt. Olympus. Being the good American I am, I was wearing Sperrys without thinking we would be hiking a mountain,” Smith said. “The biggest surprise of the day was that I didn’t trip and fall. Swimmers can do things on land!”
One of the best things about Europe is something that is very close to every swimmers heart: all the delicious food. According to Smith, “It was the best food I’ve ever had. A swimmers dream come true. It was all so fresh and filled with flavor. Much different and refreshing after months of college dining food.”
The atmosphere of Greece was also a nice change of pace for Smith.
“A lot of times, college students are so busy and stressed, but in Greece, everyone is relaxed about everything. Here in America, we tend to rush through meals and get frustrated when we don’t get our check right when we are done eating. Greeks take hours to eat and it is so relaxing. Especially when they serve Gelato at every meal!”
With so many food choices and obviously wanting to try all of them, she quickly realized that swimmers take how much they can eat during season for granted.
As she takes a look back and reflects on her trip, especially during this thanksgiving season, Smith is thankful for the experience to travel abroad. She is also thankful for living in the American economy which is more stable than the economy of most of Europe.
“I am dying to see more of the world with the friends I made on the trip. I learned so much about myself and the history of Greece and Italy, but I want to experience more. I thought maybe I’d fill my international appetite on the trip. Nope. It’s bigger than ever now.”
James Bossert is a senior captain IM/backstroker at Grove City College. Bossert is in the top 10 in school history in the 100 back, 200 back and 200 IM. Previously, he swam for 10 years with Falfins Swimming and has moved on to join the merged Colorado Springs Aquatics program that put Falfins and the Colorado Springs Swim Team together.