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Tally of Greek people who have asked me if I was Greek: III
I'm on a ferry from Athens to Crete. The plan was to take the midnight ferry from Athens to Santorini. There was no midnight ferry. So now we're on our way to Crete because . . . why not?
The little boy on the floor next to us just came over and took my purple Fray Bans and tried to put them upside down on top of his head. He is precious. So happy and smiley with his big, sparkling, black eyes.
In other (less adorable) news, Mika's passport, camera, and cell phone were all stolen on the Metro in Athens today on our way to the ferry. It 's a traveler's worst nightmare. Hopefully we can get it all figured out before we leave Greece.
The little boy's parents are trying to distract him with Enrique Inglesias music videos on their cell phone. Not working. He wants the Ray Bans. I mean, I don't blame him - they're awesome. Bonus: the guy we bought them from in Athens was Senegalais! Our Wolof came in handy in a bug way - hello 5 Euro sunglasses! I'm very satisfied.
Also, I bought an awesome black and gold dress by the Acropolis today. While not cheap, it wasn't too expensive and it was beautiful and exactly what I needed for going to the Greek islands. Also, the people who worked at the store were so incredibly nice that I just wanted to buy everything. I think that's really the secret strategy of the shop owners here in Greece - kill everyone with kindness. This seriously is the nicest country I've EVER visited though. People will go out of their ways to help you with any and everything. Just today, we had a woman come across the street just to tell us that there was a park nearby if we wanted to eat our sandwiches there instead of on the curb. We also met a guy named Kostas on the Metro who told us how to get to the ferry. Everyone - shop owners, random people, tourists - are happy and kind and open and wonderful. So kind, in fact, that they so badly don't want to disappoint you, so they make up directions on how to get somewhere when they don't know. While sweet, this is not very helpful, and I advise any future travelers to Greece to look out for this. Consult a map, or ask about 10 different people the same question before taking any advice. This country is such a happy and kind place though. I love it already.
So anyway, a man working at a store we visited today looked at me for a couple of seconds and then said, " So which of your parents is Greek?" And so began the series of random Greek people asking me if I was Greek. Later at another store, the man at the cash register got the same look on his face and then asked where in the US I was from. "Washington, DC," came the Europe-friendly answer. "So you're from Maryland or Virginia?" he asked. "Maryland," I said laughing. How cool is that? He used to live in Westminster, apparently. Followup question: "So which of your parents is Greek?" "Italian, actually. My father." "Well Mediterranean - that's still family!" Love it.
So today we woke up at the hostel (awesome hostel by the way where we met the coolest Canadian guys ever) and then headed out into Athens for a touristy day. We visited the Acropolis (again) and walked around the city a little bit. It was absolutely beautiful out - I actually wished I had shorts to wear! Fortunately, my pants were ripped at the seams all the way down the back and no one told me before we left the hostel. But at least Athens for to appreciate my pink Christmas underwear for a good hour today.
In other news, Allie's boyfriend Mark is here and he's awesome. They're precious together and I really love having them around. It can be so hard to see them so happy together in Greece when I miss Alec so much though. Up until now, I've really missed him but I've been dealing with it pretty well, keeping myself busy and focusing on my own situation. But seeing such an amazing, happy couple together on this trip really makes me miss Alec more than I can even think about. I really am glad that they're here though. I love both of them already.
And so now I'm focusing on this: I'm on a ferry on my way to Crete. That's fucking sick.
More on life later - I'm going to go brush my teeth, wash my face, and daydream myself into a daze. We arrive in Crete at 5:30am. Ohhhhh yeah. I love college.
Love, Josie
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