I had originally not considered the trip too much as I just wasn’t sure what a ‘Choir trip’ would involve or what the atmosphere would be like… it wasn’t until a couple of days prior that I seriously considered it as an option and upon a last minute impulse, I decided to come just the day before Spetses stared and flew out to Greece the following morning!
And what a success that last minute decision was. For starters, the villa is beautiful and feels like home. The island is truly stunning with loads of beautiful beaches to laze on, nice restaurants and bars and plenty of fun activities to do to fill in the week – my favourites were a day spent quad biking and another day spent exploring the island coast by boat!
Beyond that, it was an incredibly joyful experience. I only really knew the Swans before going so was a bit nervous I wouldn’t fit in, but by the time I left Athens airport at lunch on day 1 I was already proven wrong and welcomed into a Spetses family. This group have become important friends and since then, having this core group of LCV friends, I’ve been able to massively expand the friendships I have throughout the rest of LCV, making every rehearsal even more fun than they were before. As well as this, the singing is such fun and the opportunity to sing in a small group vastly improved my confidence when singing in general. A particular highlight for me was the open mic night in the villa back garden. The atmosphere was so nurturing, joyful and filled with love and encouragement that it genuinely brought me to a few secret tears.
If you’re considering taking the trip, my advice is to stop hesitating and just book it. You won’t regret it (and you won’t get stuck paying for expensive flights because of a last minute change of mind like I did!)