Leaving the Islands
Transcribed from my notebook, written on 29 March 2007. Omissions/edits in brackets.
"I'm on the ferry headed back to Athens. Through the windows, I can see lights, but I don't know what they are. I've been lost since we stopped in Paros.
"I wish the ride were shorter... or at least less crowded. We left at 3:30pm and are scheduled to arrive just before midnight [turns out, we got in at 1:15am]. We've been picking people up at every island stop. The boat got crowded at Naxos and even moreso in Paros. For a while, we got kicked out of our random seat to our assigned ones. Then somebody tried to kick me out of that. Since we were hungry,we gave up and headed to the back of the boat for some food. Worst burger ever. We saw some of the MIT kids, though. Funny how similar our plans turned out to be. And now, I've found a quiet spot in the middle of the ship to just sit and relax a while longer (there is a drunk Greek man in my assigned seat that isn't keen on letting me sit in his section).
"I would have loved to keep exploring the islands, but there are certain comforts of home I am glad to be headed towards. Free internet, laundry, and the ability to flush toilet paper are high on my list of things to enjoy in a hurry. And drinking tap water. [Upon arriving at home in Dublin, I went into the bathroom, and flush a honkin' wad of TP just because I finally could.]
"On the whole, this vacation was exactly what I needed. I saw amazing and beautiful things, relaxed, slept, met fun people, and generally recharged for about a week and a half. To top it all off, I've seen two emails alluding to two possible job offers: a student position at SAS and a full time position in at Motricity [for which I'm past the tech test and onto the interview stages!]. I still need to jump through some hoops for both, but at least I'm hearing back. I was getting worried - might have had to find a summer job as a courier in Chicago or bartender in Ios.
"So now I can refocus. Finish classes, graduate, tour my parents around Ireland, and head home [err, scratch the parents, add Paris]. Maybe I can even manage a few day layover in Chicago for a quick little visit. The real world approaches fast; no need to encourage it to come any quicker."
"I'm on the ferry headed back to Athens. Through the windows, I can see lights, but I don't know what they are. I've been lost since we stopped in Paros.
"I wish the ride were shorter... or at least less crowded. We left at 3:30pm and are scheduled to arrive just before midnight [turns out, we got in at 1:15am]. We've been picking people up at every island stop. The boat got crowded at Naxos and even moreso in Paros. For a while, we got kicked out of our random seat to our assigned ones. Then somebody tried to kick me out of that. Since we were hungry,we gave up and headed to the back of the boat for some food. Worst burger ever. We saw some of the MIT kids, though. Funny how similar our plans turned out to be. And now, I've found a quiet spot in the middle of the ship to just sit and relax a while longer (there is a drunk Greek man in my assigned seat that isn't keen on letting me sit in his section).
"I would have loved to keep exploring the islands, but there are certain comforts of home I am glad to be headed towards. Free internet, laundry, and the ability to flush toilet paper are high on my list of things to enjoy in a hurry. And drinking tap water. [Upon arriving at home in Dublin, I went into the bathroom, and flush a honkin' wad of TP just because I finally could.]
"On the whole, this vacation was exactly what I needed. I saw amazing and beautiful things, relaxed, slept, met fun people, and generally recharged for about a week and a half. To top it all off, I've seen two emails alluding to two possible job offers: a student position at SAS and a full time position in at Motricity [for which I'm past the tech test and onto the interview stages!]. I still need to jump through some hoops for both, but at least I'm hearing back. I was getting worried - might have had to find a summer job as a courier in Chicago or bartender in Ios.
"So now I can refocus. Finish classes, graduate, tour my parents around Ireland, and head home [err, scratch the parents, add Paris]. Maybe I can even manage a few day layover in Chicago for a quick little visit. The real world approaches fast; no need to encourage it to come any quicker."
