SEU Counseling Greece Trip

The sun finally starts to rise at about six, maybe seven in the morning on our flight to Athens. I don’t know about anybody else but I didn’t sleep a wink during those ten hours we were in the air flying from Chicago to Athens.  This isn’t my first time out of the country but it is my first time out of the country without a family member with me, making things very exciting and very nerve racking at the same time.  We get to the airport wait anxiously for our checked bags. “As long as one person gets their bag we know the rest of us will too.” Someone says and we all laugh. It feels good to laugh even with all the nerves I have surrounding being in a new country.  That’s one thing I love about my traveling companions, they know how to make everything ok. Even a six hour layover flew by with their company. But I’m getting distracted. Back to today.  We finally all got our baggage and headed for our bus. And you better keep it moving or you’re gonna get run ove...

  It is 2:55 am, and my alarm tells me to wake up. I rush to get ready and head to the hotel lobby to catch the shuttle. The very kind front desk gentlemen had coffee and muffins waiting for me. In my sleepy state, I forgot to put my lid on properly and spilled coffee all over myself. I then attempted to email my husband , telling him I was awake and about to get on the shuttle, but I realized my phone had never charged. Is this how this journey is going to go? It is going to be a long 18 days.  Then I got in the shuttle, and the driver had a Christian station playing. This made me tear up. God reminded me that I may have a rough morning, but he has big plans for me. I know he wants to change and transform me on this trip. He has big plans to move in my life if I allow him. I can’t focus on the wrong things; I need to be present for what God will do in my life.  I arrived at the airport to meet my fellow travelers. Excitement and some apprehension filled our talk. What we...

   Excitement & Nerves       For some of us going on this trip, it will be our first time out of the country. Traveling abroad has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, so I am filled with so many emotions. I have been unable to sleep for a few days due to my excitement and nerves. I am sure many of you can relate to this kind of feeling. It is like when we were children and couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve. But travel nerves have gotten to me today as I pack my bags. May 30th has sneaked up on me, and I don't have everything ready. But the reality is that I do have everything I need for this life-changing trip.      While packing my bags, I took the time to be more present with myself and become more aware of my emotions.  I would ask myself, do you need to bring all these shirts? Or is this item something I can live without for almost three weeks? I will say that there are a few things you probably shouldn't forge...

Welcome to our blog!  We are members of Southeastern University's Masters of Professional Counseling Program, and we are so excited to share our adventure with you that will be beginning later this week!  We will soon be embarking on an almost 3 week trip to Greece, where our students will be taking a Social and Cultural Counseling course in an immersive experience.  They will get to truly learn what it means to move beyond our own ideas and prejudices to truly see the person in front of us. A huge theme of this trip and process is found in the idea of story.  Kendrick Lamar raps/writes, "If I'm gonna tell a real story, I'm gonna start with my name."  It is always my goal to learn all of my student's names as quickly as possible.  Someone's name matters.  It is the beginning of getting to know them...who they are...what makes up the events of their life....where they find meaning.  We so often forget to stop and take the time to hear and learn som...