Last Post!

So the traveller returns. After a whirlwind weekend in DC and Lancaster, VA, I am home in New York. The open house went well and I have a great tenant. Laura's wedding was beautiful, on a lake-fringed spit of land with a big house and towering trees. We had a great time. I survived another encounter with my own personal kryptonite, the incredible, edible egg (in time to attend the wedding, yay!). I saw the Simpson's movie with John (amazing!) and we eventually decided to just be friends. My trip to Angola was canceled due to difficulties in completing the visa application. While I'll miss the money, I'm very happy to have two weeks back in New York before classes start!

What a crazy summer. As I left for the bus yesterday evening, John and I laughed about how it seemed like ages had past -- and also like I'd only left last week. I'm sitting in our apartment, surrounded by boxes of clothes and shoes, just as I was in May packing up for my subletter or last August during the move. The scene is the same, but the feeling is different. It's still not quite home yet, but this time I'm excited and confident that I'll find a fun and amazing place in this big city.

Thanks for keeping up with my travels! Hope to see you soon!

Home Sweet Home!

So I am finally back in the US of A! I had nachos, a NY bagel with cream cheese, a Mass in English and cocoa with John. Life is pretty good. I may also have found a tenant -- the second one in the door was interested and has good references. Just waiting for a lease and a check!

I love being home, but I only had a few hours in my own bed and my own couch. I caught up with Courtney and then headed for DC. Tonight is a tenant's open house, and then tomorrow it's off to Laura's wedding. Then Angola. Whoo hoo! I love travel, but there can be too much of a good thing.

Here are the photos I promised of the magic beach. Hope you're jealous -- now that I'm home, I am! These are: the entrance to the cove; the beach as seen from the boat; me and the killer dolphin; and a view within the cove.

Boat to Paradise

Today's the day! After lunch we'll take a boat to Alexandropoulos, where I will catch the evening flight to Athens. I'm excited to come home! It's been a very long trip -- although I suppose it isn't over until after Angola.

Yesterday, Genevieve and I caught a boat tour around the island. The greens and golds of the fields looked so beautiful from the water, and the peak of Mt. Fengari was shrouded in misty grey clouds. It was stunning. But THEN the boat dropped us at the most beautiful beach. The water was a perfect azure, and the light grey rocks plunged from their peaks directly into the sea. There were little coves to swim in and explore -- and one cove that you could swim through from our little sandy beach. On the other side was a protected little pool dotted with further coves and large tawny rocks 20 feet below your feet. Stunning! We could not believe our luck. I wish I could post photos! I will when I get home. It was the perfect end to our amazing Grecian summer.

Last Days!

When Ryan left after lunch today we began the final countdown: many of us leave after lunch on Monday, so there are exactly two days left! I went for a last run on the coast, hiked up to the ancient city, and started the laundry/packing process. So here's my ode to Samothrace -- Things I'll Really Miss:

-Living 200 feet from the ocean -- seeing it as soon as I wake up, just before I go to sleep, and on early morning trips for a glass of water

- The warm smell of olive trees in the breeze -Someone cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and even making the bed for little old me

- Sitting after dinner with some wonderful people, with no TV. It is so much more fun to talk and play games

-The preponderance of goats and the sound of their bells in the evening

- Delicious Greek food -- although, living in Astoria, there's a chance I could find that at home

- Did I mention that I live on the beach? Yeah. Awesome.

- Total outdoor living -- every meal is served on the porch, and my room is only closed from the hallway by a screen door.

- Yoga in an ancient site

- Running on the coast

Things I will NOT miss? Leading the list are: the bugs; the incredible amount of ground beef and white simple starches served at most meals; the lack of all privacy; scary Greek food with raw eggs hiding in it; and, not speaking the language. All in all, I think the pluses outweigh the minuses!

Tired Kids

So we did it! We worked until 3 AM, ate one pizza, two chocolate bars, many bags of chips, a few drinks and too many gummy worms. (The trip to pick up the pizza was really fun -- the pizza man treated my friend Genevieve and I to a glass of red wine while we waited for a ride. We were both pretty excited at the compliment, since we haven't been able to flirt with anyone in at least 6 weeks.) Believe it or not, we had fun working all night. And we got to sleep "late" -- 8AM! Yay! The night concluded with drinks on the porch while watching two fisherman scream at each other about where to throw the nets.

At work today, Professor Wescoat had us join in on searching for pieces of the steps to a building on the site. It was the first time that our own looking and measuring helped to reconstruct the way the building was put together. That was really cool.

Tonight is Ryan’s last night. We’re celebrating with vodka tonics at the beach – let’s hope we can all stay up past 9:30!

So one more day of work, one more beach day, and then we're off!

Charrette

Today the realization hit Professor Wescoat hard -- we're leaving Monday! So tonight, the architects will have a charrette. This apparently means a workaholic all-nighter to get drawings done. Mr. McCredie explained that the term comes from the French word for cart -- because architects at the École des Beaux-Arts used to rush to complete their drawings before the cart came to take the drawings away. So, it seems we will be working until the wee hours. I'm not sure what this means for us non-architects. I think I will be scanning all night. With good music, maybe some pizza, and the whole gang, though, I'm sure it won't be so bad.

However, the prospect of a night on the computer made me delay work on my thesis yet again. It was a GREAT beach day. I even have a minor TAN!!! For me, anyway.

Don't worry, pretty soon I won't be able to rub it in anymore!

Hump Day

As you may have noticed, today is Wednesday. This is not usually a big deal here, since our weekend doesn't start on Friday night. But this week, we have only a few days left on the island. Today everyone starting talking about winding down the work, picking up boat tickets, and otherwise getting ready to go. My response? Skipping out on the thesis and spending our break on the beach! There is really nothing quite like finishing a lunch that someone else made (and will clean up, too!) throwing on your suit and walking to the shore.

This is the life.

That said, I'm really happy to come home next week! DC folks, please mark your calendars for drinks on Thursday at 8 or 8:30. Anand suggested Chi-Cha lounge. Yay!