Most people would see an Odyssean voyage through Europe as a dream trip — but one Liberty County High School sophomore is working to make it a reality.

Mallory Roberts of Midway plans to spend her coming weeks with creative enterprises to raise $8,000 for a three week People to People Student Ambassadors trip with stops in France, Italy and Greece.

“It’s not only a chance for me to go and just explore different countries as a tourist, but as ambassadors, we get to represent the United States, and it will be a good learning experience for me to learn about different cultures in a way I wouldn’t be able to if I was just in school,” Roberts said.

The teen, an aspiring chef who is looking into culinary schools in Florida, said she’s never ventured far from the east coast and was ecstatic when she learned about the opportunity to travel abroad in summer 2013.

But she adds she’s not nervous about venturing far from home because the “the coordinators and all the people that are putting the trip together seem very friendly and trustworthy,” she said.

“We’re working on a plan because we have to get this money,” said the teen’s grandmother, Sallie Richardson.

The trip includes stops at Versailles, the Louvre, and Eiffel Tower in France. Venetian gondola rides, a home stay in Vicenza and the Roman Forum are among the attractions in Italy. The venture wraps in Greece, where students will visit the inaugural Olympics site in Peloponnesus, discover Greek cuisine and bask in beaches of the Mediterranean.

“I like to do culinary stuff, and those are very inspiring places for me because they have such good cuisine, and they just seem like very interesting places,” Roberts said.

Between now and May, Roberts will call on her culinary skills to help her raise money through baked goods and food sales. She also has sent letters to family, friends and local businesses seeking support and plans to hold a couple of garage sales.

The teen, a member of Midway Congregational United Church of Christ, enjoys reading and writing prayers, according to her grandmother, Sallie Richardson.

“You know, being the doting grandmother, I could probably say all kinds of things,” Richardson said. “She’s a little bit shy, so I think that this would be an excellent opportunity for her.”

Those interested in supporting Roberts can reach her at robertsmallorysterling@yahoo.com.