Two professors and 26 students left behind the traditional classroom for two weeks in Southern Italy. What began as a course on stress reduction and happiness became something deeper: an experience of slowing down, disconnecting from devices, stretching past comfort zones, and learning through connection, culture, and presence.

A 6-day road trip from Athens to Mt. Olympus — with myths, mountains, and one determined 7-year-old. What worked, what didn’t, and why we’d do it again.

We came to Athens for the history—the ruins, the museums, the must-see sights. But what stayed with us were the moments we didn’t plan: chasing pigeons in the shade, running across a marble stadium, saying yes when it would’ve been easier to say no. We didn’t do less. We just did it differently.