Contiki Day 4: Spotlight on Greece 3

Contiki Day 4. Spotlight on Greece, Olympia, Wednesday September 7th, 2011.

Another early start, I'm still feeling a little queasy, but that could be because of the late night with drinks. But I'm not feeling as bad as usual so I even dare try a little breakfast. The medication for upset stomachs seemed to be working. I kept stashing fruit and water in my backpack just in case. It took a few hours, but at one point, all my colors came back and I was really awake and alive all of the sudden, wow. Everyone saw the difference, maybe I had finally kicked this annoying Jet lag away.

We picked up a guide at the site, she wasn't my favorite, she didn't really seem happy to be doing what she did. We started with the museum, which was pretty big and had a lot of stuff. Too bad the guide wasn't more interesting, but the stuff was. The only downside with a guided tour is that you only get to see the highlights, not everything. I don't recommend paying for a guided tour in a museum, unless it's the Louvre. But I still loved it, I'm a dork. I had no idea how massive this site was. Olympia, you blew my mind. SO big, so many ruins and foundations and stories behind it all.

It was a lovely hot day, close to 40 degrees, but as long as you had enough water (and you could buy it everywhere for 50 cents) you were ok. With all this walking and the sun, I was really started to hurt for a hat. After the tour, we had a lot of free time to explore on our own and take lots of pictures. I pretty much stayed with Kelly the whole time, as she was of the only ones who was openly as fascinated with the history as I was. So we helped each other with pictures. I don't understand how some people just went to sit at the restaurant and stayed there pretty much the whole time. It was a good, long visit and I was satisfied I had enough time to truly appreciate it.

After we were done, with the tour, and I did not tip the guide, sorry, we were given another hour of free time just outside, where they had a couple souvenir shops. It was like 4 different stores, full of so many beautiful things. It was hard not to go crazy and buy everything. I wanted to bring a lot of little things back for everyone. I found a hat right away, what a relief and then bought cheap original jewellery and some souvenirs. My bill came to something like 46 euros and I was telling the cashier how much I liked the store, he turned out to be the owner!!! He handed me a bar of complimentary Baklava and would not accept more than 40 euros for my purchases. Such a small gesture but I loved it. Again, smiling and being polite :)

(I'm not even going to mention all the flirting here as well, I've never felt prettier in my entire life hehe)

After that we had a "sales" presentation at a workshop where they make statues. I was interested to start with, statues, I wanted to bring back an Artemis one but when I saw the guy greeting us in, my knees almost gave out. He was one hot Greek man. Wow. Pretty much all the girls agreed with me. He gave us a presentation and then walked us upstairs where there was the giant store, mainly statues, but with lots of souvenirs as well, including a nice little jewellery store. Real, nice, silver jewellery, not the cheap kind. For some reason, the hottie became fascinated with me, specifically with my tattoos. (I have a moon on my left back shoulder, a sun on the right side and a pentagram inside a moon on forearm.) He loved it. He was very touchy as well, and kept flirting with me. Such an empowering delightful moment for me. I splurged on a silver ring, earrings and necklace (which was 100 euros) but I was unable to find an Artemis statue like I pictured, even with my new friend  helping me. (I was very specific in what I wanted.)

After that, back on the bus, on our way to Delphi. Even though a lot of time is spent on the bus, it never feels too too long as there are a lot of stops to see things and service stops too. (peepee stops Paola called them.) And for me, it was perfect to take pictures of the landscapes, it was just so wonderful. We crossed this enormous white bridge and I was terrified, not a fan of bridges at all. Pictures time, then we were off again. A bit later, we stopped in Nafpaktos for a coffee break. It was a lovely little village near by the water, and you could order either a cafe frappe, a beer or a soda. I had the cafe, of course, which was yummy, but so very strong. I couldn't finish it, halfway through it every nerve in my body was jumping so I got up and started exploring.

So many lovely spots for pictures, I had a field day, even dipped my feet in the ocean. The beach was all pebbles, which is not convenient for walking around at all. And then we settled in for another very long drive in the mountains, to make it to the hotel for the night. We had some fun trying to watch a "The Hangover 2" Dvd that a guy bought from a street vendor and it turned out to be a video of the movie playing on a computer screen. We could clearly see a beer bottle in the frame, and sometimes the monitor would go to sleep. It was hilarious. (Not the actual movie.)

We made it to Delphi by the end of the afternoon, and we were told dinner would be a bit late, because we were all going out afterwards, to a local club, and Paola insisted we all go. We settled in, again the view was absolutely breathtaking and most of us went outside for a drink or to the pool. More fun and relaxing times. I was rooming with Bec again, so we had our taking turns for shower and getting ready routine perfectly orchestrated by then. For dinner, I sat at a big table with a dozen or so others, we had wine and beer, took pictures, but the food wasn't that great at all and the service was very slow too. But it was a great evening.

The club was a 10 min walk away from the hotel, down the road. We had an included shot and drink with the entrance and pretty much everyone showed up. At first, I wasn't sure, it was very small, dark and the music so loud and the place was completely empty except for us. But soon other groups arrived, I swear they were like 14 and 15 years. Apparently, drinking age is not a big thing in Europe. It was a bit annoying and really packed up after a while, so we all got our drinks on and danced the night away. Lots of fun was had. And it so happened that it was Larissa's bday at midnight, so I had to call for lots of shots and have the DJ give her a shout out too.

Funny thing happened, whenever I went to the bar, I had to wait forever to get served, I thought the bartender was quite rude and somewhat ignoring me. I wasted a lot of time waiting on him, even though I tipped really well and even bought him a shot. I think there was a big misunderstanding in the end as well, I wanted to get more shots for Larissa and I and the girl didn't know what we had before, so told her to get the guy, that he made them last time. Somehow, it was as if I special-requested him or something and he took a big interest in me. I got a few free drinks and he started flirting with me like crazy. By the end of the night, when the bar was almost empty, he even jumped over the bar and came to sit with me. We danced and made out, it was completely crazy. (I wasn't really interested, it just happened and I went with it.) His English wasn't the best and I cracked up every time he called me "baby", which sounded like babe. I drew the line when he dragged me in the store room and started fiddling with his pants, no way! He let it go. I ended up the last one in the place after close, along with Larissa and a local and Shawnee who was making out with the DJ. By then though, I just wanted to get back to the hotel. Dimitri said he would drive me, to which I said no, I wasn't getting in a car with a stranger. I agreed to let him walk me, and I kinda sobered up at the thought of me walking in foreign streets in the wee hours of the night with a stranger. Lots of horror movies start like that. I remember feeling very protective of Shawnee (who brushed me off and went home with the DJ) and Larissa, who was walking in front of me with the other guy. Dimitri, the bartender, kept trying to drag me to dark corners to make out some more, but I was having none of it. I was a bit scared and just wanted to get back to the hotel.

He did get me to the hotel, and I think he was disappointed when I didn't invite him in. But I was relieved I was back. It's a bit of blur after that, but I remember that Bec wasn't sleeping yet, she was on the balcony, and I remembered babbling some non-sense to her before completely passing out in my bed. Thank god I set my alarm clock before we left.

Contiki Day 3: Spotlight on Greece 2

Contiki Day 3. Spotlight on Greece, Athens, Tuesday September 6th 2011.

Very early wake up call this morning, before 530. I set up my alarm early to have time to repack. Bec was still sleeping so I tried to be quiet until the hotel wake up call at 545. I'm really not feeling so good, again. We took turns for showers and I got sick again. Wonderful. I drank plenty of water, wasn't able to get anything down during breakfast, but I packed a few fruits in my backpack for later. Talked to more people and then we had to walk to the main square, with our suitcases to get to the bus. The locals must have hated us, as it is very early in the morning and then you have 50 excited people talking and rolling their suitcases down the empty street.

I treated myself to a window seat on the bus and Larissa came to sit with me :)  Kelly and Julie sat across from us as well. Paola had to explain that there was no reserved seating, you can switch at every stop if you want. I think people pretty much stuck to similar arrangements though. I know Larissa and I managed to kept the exact same seats the 4 days. (But I was always one of the firsts on the bus too.) If you've ever heard or been on a Contiki trip, you'll know that they always a song. I've read about Day song and the wake up song, but since we were on a short 4 days trip, we only got the one song, that Paola would play every morning. Imagine my surprise, and complete delight when I hear the familiar notes of "Don't stop believing" Glee style. I sang at the top of my lungs, along with Larissa. Funnily enough, that's how I met Lewis. (I LOVED Lewis) Since I'd been singing so hard, seeing this adorable little Asian guy turned around in his seat, I thought I'd be told to be quiet, but no, he was excited that I loved Glee and said I could really sing. (Lol not really but I like it all the same.) We became fast friends and promised each other we would sing on the cruise ship, he was doing the 7 days too.

We picked up a local guide, a very nice and knowledgeable lady. We got a quick bus tour and we stopped at the Olympic Stadium for a few minutes, for a picture, since there is no other buses there. Then we went to the Acropolis. This was a dream come true for me, I was very emotional, but unfortunately, I was also very sick. I wasn't dealing with the 36 degrees very well. Gulping down water barely helps and I regretted not buying a hat yet. The site/sights were absolutely breathtaking and I loved the tour with all the explanations. I was home. I was miserable but still so excited. I took lots of pictures, but that day is a bit of a blur, I was feeling so sick. I had to go up and down the mountain several times for water and bathroom breaks. I was disappointed we were not going to all the sites, nor the museum.

When we got back to the bus, Paola had to give us a lesson in tipping. I had no idea it was so important to tip your guides, it just never occurred to me. But the trick is you have to be real quick about it because they don't linger, they're done, they say thanks and they leave. We would make up for it with the next guides. Now the plan is to drive to Olympia for the night, but we have many stops on the way.  The first one was the Corinth canal, where we took a break and could get some food and souvenirs.

The view was pretty insane, but as I don't really like heights, I couldn't stay on that tiny platform for more than a few pictures. Still couldn't eat, so more water, 7up and an apple. I also bought myself a nice shawl/skirt/blanket lol Very amazing colors and I swear, to this day, it still smells like Greece.

After that, we headed to Mycenae, the see the Palace of Agamemnon. I love everything about the story of Troy, I've the Iliad both in French and in English, so to be here, at this site was very exciting. The guide was great, she knew so many stories and I couldn't get enough. Turned out that I was the only one in the group who had read the Iliad, I was very surprised. We visited these giants tombs, got to see the ruins of the Palace and the Lioness's Gate (without the golden heads who were stolen a long long time ago) It was very nice, I really enjoyed it, even though I was always going back and forth for water and washrooms. This being sick business was seriously not fun. I also remembered to tip this time. So far, it had been a lot of walking, and I wondered if my foot would last the entire trip. (I had cracked 2 bones in my left foot a few months before.)

Back on the bus, we had time before we would stop again for Lunch at 2pm. Paola put a movie on "My life in ruins" I loved it. I had to go and buy once the trip was over, because it was just the best, especially if you're or going on a tour in Greece. So we stopped at this nice little restaurant, to eat outside. I had a Greek salad (mainly ate the cucumbers) some bread and about an Ocean's worth of water. But the smell of the rest of the food made feel sick all over again. Paola was worried for me, she was such a sweetheart. I decided maybe it was time to take some medication and see if it helped. After Lunch, we had so more driving to do until we stopped for a gelato break. So we played the introduction game. Everyone had to go to the front of the bus, you say your name, your age, where you're from, what you do and what color you are in the romantic dpt. (Green, yellow, red.) It was very funny, and we got to know everyone. (I'll always remember Scott, "Hi, I'm Scott, I'm Aussie and I really have to pee-pee."  He ended up using the bus's bathroom and we all assumed he fell or something, he was a bit drunk and we all heard this big "Thump" noise.)

Stopped for a quick gelato break in Napflion, delicious, and as we were by the bus, those 2-3 little girls started chasing each other around us. Paola warned us they were probably trying to pickpocket us. They were grabbing people and everything. Nobody got fooled and then they started begging us for money. It kinda broke my heart, but they were wearing nice clothes so I doubt they were really starving. Gelato was nice (I had meringue) and they also had a few stores there, to Julie's delight. (See, with all the delays she she had coming in, somehow her suitcase didn't make it. She had to buy clothes for the next few days, until we got back to Athens. She was such a trooper though, I would have been so pissed off.) I also found out it was Mike's bday, thank you free wi-fi and Facebook, so we decided to tell Paola so we could do something about it at the hotel. After that, another long drive and we would be at the hotel. I dozed on and off and took pictures, while listening to "Mamma Mia" in the background.

The Hotel looked more like a big cottage, but it was nice enough and had a big outdoor pool. I was rooming with Bec again. She went straight to the pool while I relaxed in the shower and then plugged in all my stuff and got ready for dinner. (My hair straightener never worked. I had the plug converter thingy and everything else worked, except that evil device of mine. Even back home afterwards, it was still dead.) Of course, by the end of the day I'm feeling fine, hungry and even willing to have a few drinks. Went downstairs, grabbed a Mythos at the bar (Excellent greek beer) sat down with some people for a bit and then went outside to see the pool. Dinner was a very decent buffet, it was quite tasty. We even managed to get the kitchen to prepare some kind of special dessert for Mike. It had been a very long day and we were tired, but a dozen of us or so decided to go sit outside and have a drink or two. And of course we all wanted to buy Mike a drink. They had a souvenir shop, so the girls and I stopped by and bought a few things. The rest of the evening was pretty fun, made a big table outside, it was so warm out, and we all sat there and drank and talked.

That's really when the "Free Stuff" started. I think the beers were like 3 euros each, so I would generally leave 1 or 1.5 as a tip and apparently that was really generous. It was a big enough bar inside, completely empty as we were all outside and the bartender was kinda bored. Every time I'd go in for a drink, he was offering me wine, like small bottles, if I stayed in and sat with him. No thank you. He was nice, but I didn't want wine and I wanted to stay outside. After a while a while, he realized that by giving me free drinks I'd feel obligated to stay in for a few minutes and talk to him. sigh. Remember, being polite, smiling and tipping in Greece will get you a lot of free stuff, trust me :)

I was among the last few ones to go to bed, around 2am that night and we had an early start again the next morning. But it's vacation!

Contiki Day 2: Spotlight on Greece 1

Contiki  Day 2. Arrival in Athens, Monday September 5th, 2011.

So I made it. Landed safely, waited in an extremely long line for customs (Got my first stamps, nobody asked me no questions lol) then waited for my suitcase. Then it hit me. I was in freaking Athens. I had booked a shuttle service online from the airport, and they sent me an email saying they would wait for me at the arrivals, with my name on a sign. I'm a silly girl, so I was very excited about that. I looked everywhere in the crowd, walking around for like 15 min and didn't see my weird name anywhere. After worrying a lot, I found the counter where that shuttle said they operated from. Turned out it was a different company, but the lady was able to call the driver for me. He was very late and I would have to wait 45 min for him. I sat down with a bottle of water and waited, people-watching.

By the time finally he showed up, I was hungry and feeling sick. I guessed it was the excitement, the hung-over and the non-sleeping, but especially the heat and the jet lag. The shuttle was very cheap, there was barely any A/C and it was 34 degrees  and he made me wait for a big family with screaming kids for another 20 min at least. But I didn't care, I could see mountains. I was in Greece. I teared up.

It was a long shuttle ride, close to an hour, and I was starting to feel really sick. I went through my water real fast. I got dropped off 2 blocks from the hotel, as the street was very narrow and the driver said he couldn't go there. I think normally it would not have mattered but at that time I thought I was going to die. I was going to be sick right there. I took big calming breaths and soldiered up. Walked down the street to the hotel. A display of fish at a mini market 2 buildings from the hotel so did not help, but I made it. It was about 930 am, I was afraid the room would not be available yet, even if i sent an email requesting an early check-in. As I feared, the lobby is filled with people and their suitcases, sitting on the floor and waiting. The guy at reception said the rooms were not ready. I almost cried when I heard that, and decided I would have to ask him for the nearest restroom anyways, when he asked for my name. He said I was very lucky, that it turned out my roommate actually checked-in last night so I was one of the lucky ones who could go right up. Thank the Goddess. He also gave me a message. Weird. I made my way to the mini elevator, seriously after me and my suitcase it was full. I don't see how 3 people could have fitted in there.

I got to my room, my roommate was on the patio outside, having a smoke and speaking on her cell phone. I forgot all about being shy and nervous and whatnot, I had only one intend, introducing myself and then making a dash for the bathroom. Turned out my roommate was Bec, a nice Australian girl I had spoken to online before. And she was with me for the entire trip, for the 7 days cruise too! I survived a few minutes of polite chit-chat and then I started sweating like crazy and just lost it. How embarrassing! I locked myself in the bathroom and I was SO sick. I honestly thought I was going to die. I had my shots before the trip so I wasn't sure what happened. Poor Bec! How nightmarish for her. I was sick for hours that day. I decided to sleep, with a wet wash cloth over my face. The problem was that our single beds were pushed together and that it was morning so Bec had things to do and errands to run and whatnot. She was coming in and out of the room and I was dozing on and off in between trips to the bathroom. I must have apologized to her about a million times for being such a horrible roomie, good thing she was very understanding.

Technically, we didn't have to meet with the group and Tour manager until 6pm. But, we had set up a meeting between ourselves around noon, since a lot of us had flown in early that day. We wanted to maybe walk around the city and do some stuff, and get to know each other. I had pretty much set that up, and I was the one with the list of everybody's arrival times and whatnot. And I had received a message from Julie, another online friend, who got delayed and wouldn't be in until later on that night. So, I showered, changed and went downstairs. I met for a few people who were there early, Kelly, Tina, Laura/Tony and Mike. But I didn't last long. I couldn't stay, so I apologized (again!) and went down the street to buy more water (so effing cheap) and 7up and crawled back to bed. I was still very sick. I cried a bit, not impressed at all so far.

I took a very long nap and woke up again around 430pm. I was feeling a bit better. I knew it must have had something to do with the jet lag as the time back home was now like 10am. It was a very unpleasant experience. I showered again, in this weird, no curtain just a half piece of glass/window thingy shower. I went back out, needed more water and for a calling card, as I promised my mom I would call her. Saw more people from my group on the way, bought my stuff, spoke to my mom (bought the wrong kind of calling card, had to call collect) I'm literally 2-blocks from the Hotel and I'm sure I know my way back as I have only made a few turns. Yeah, I got lost. As in completely and absolutely lost. I'm very stubborn and I've had a bad day as it is so I refuse to admit defeat and keep walking around for 30 min, trying to find my way. When I finally give up (I'm going to be late for the meeting if I don't get my butt back to the Hotel) and I grab a cab. Nice driver, doesn't speak much English and... doesn't know where my hotel is. I don't have the address with me, I went out empty handed except for a bit of money. We drove around for about 15 min, he tried really hard to ask me questions so we could figure out where it was (Apparently, the street name I gave him is in every neighborhood.) He finally got me there, I can't thank him enough and he never started the meter. I try to give him money but he refused. Nothing I said or tried to give him could change his mind. He said he was just helping. That was my first Greek freebie, I didn't know yet, but I was going to get so much free stuff on this trip.

6pm, Official Contiki meeting. (My friend Julie left me another message, she got even more delayed and wouldn't get in until very late at night.) We met our Tour Manager for the first 4 days, the Spotlight on Greece tour, and her name was Paola, very lovely Spanish girl. There is 49 of us, 26 will do the 3 days cruise and 12 on the 7 days (the rest were in between other travels) Looks like an awesome group. The meeting is a bit boring, as we need to fill out paperwork (Why did I check-in online with the same information then?) blah blah blah. Then, we had an optional dinner for 35 euros and almost everyone is joining. (I absolutely recommend to go on this dinner, it is one of the best we had all trip!!!!) It's about 10 min away, so I did try to meet as many people as possible. I was still tired, but amazingly feeling great considering I was sick all day. I did my best not to sit down right away with the people I've been walking with. I sat down at the last table, along with Helenka, Jessica/Justin, Larissa and Shawna. It was such a good dinner, delicious food, awesome atmosphere and incredible show. We were siting right in front of the entertainment, the musicians and the dancers. It was insane. I had such a great time. And the food, oh my. Lots of appetizers (Fried Zucchinis) and then a nice plate of souvlakis with lots of wine and desert. I was surprised I could eat and drink and we had a wonderful time.

After the meal, I left with Shawna and Larissa, 2 lovely young girls from Australia (Larissa was to become my seat and sometime picture buddy on the trip) It was almost 10 pm, and we bumped into Mike, Greg and Rick on their way out of the Hotel, going out for drinks. It sounded like a good idea and I wasn't tired, so Shawna and I went with them. (Greg and Rick were from Australia as well and very very hot.) It was a lot of fun, I really liked Greek beer, but we only had 2, as we had a super early wake-up call at 545, and it was almost midnight. On the way back, I found out I didn't speak "Hottie Australian" as I was walking with Greg and somehow I wasn't able to understand him at all. And by the way, there's only so many times you can make someone repeat and then just nod and smile before you look like a total idiot. I would have to be careful around these guys lol Got back to the room, Bec was asleep but she left a light on for me, I thought that was very thoughtful. I fell asleep right away, with my wet cloth, just in case.

Contiki: Spotlight on Greece + 7 days Med cruise, September 2011

Here we go. My (very late) blog about my fantastic Contiki trip last year. Technically it was a 2 parter, the Spotlight on Greece, followed by the 7 days cruise. More on that later.

Contiki Day 1. From Toronto to Athens, September 4th 2011.

Sunday Morning. I went to bed very late and I got up early, I wanted to make sure I would be able to sleep on my overnight International flight. I booked this trip back in December 2010, so I had a long time preparing/waiting for this. I was a nervous wreck that morning, feeling nauseated and stressed out. I almost didn't want to go anymore. Almost. It was just nerves though. It was just hard to realize that after almost a year of planning, it was time to go. I had my shuttle pick me up at home promptly at 10 am and drive me to the airport. With the time difference, I was to be landing in Athens around 7am (midnight for me.) I wanted to spend the day in the city, so I absolutely had to sleep on the plane. I figured, with all the included booze with my Option Plus ticket, it would be more than easy, as I can doze off in an hour long plane trip. Boy was I wrong! Next time, I will either stay up all night before, or bring sleeping pills or something.

I was at the airport a bit too early, but there was  a long line so it was ok. By the time I made it to the counter to get rid of my giant suitcase and check-in, I was allowed to check-in for my flight. 5 min earlier, it was too early still. (Another note to myself, next time, you can leave 30 min later.) In no time, I found myself on the other side of security, with my backpack and my carry-on, in a part of the airport I was unfamiliar with. And a very long wait ahead of me. I was disapointed that I didn't found any friends online leaving from Toronto, it would have been cool to have someone from Contiki on the same flight. Oh well, I'd have plenty of new friends by tomorrow anyways.

I walked around a bit, but finally caved in and sat down at the bar near the gate. That was probably my 2nd mistake. day-drinking very rarely ends up well, unless you eat a lot and do exercise. I figured I'd be fine, reading my book and nervously looking at my watch every 5 seconds.

Finally it was time to board, thanks to my priority tickets. I was disappointed in the plane, you know I was expecting a big comfy, luxury bus but no, we got the cheap-ass regular one. Pretty much the same one I take all the time for my Toronto-Quebec flights. There was only a few TV screens here and there and the closest to my seat made me crane my neck. Not a good start.

I was sitting on the window side, as I had chosen previously. I settled in, still excited. Not too long after we took off, I received my comfort package (earphones, socks, earplugs, blindfold and a blanket) and then my mini bottle of champagne. Drinking it was probably my 3rd mistake lol I tried watching a movie on my dvd player, which for some reason has decided it won't play for more than 30 min if it's plugged in. It's fine, I can read and listen to music. I also tried to watch the movie playing, it was Thor, I had to give it a try. I had a beer during snack time and pringles, seriously they wouldn't stop offering me booze lol I had another mini bottle of wine with dinner (which was some kind of rice with gray chicken) I barely touched the food as I didn't want to be sick. I ate some rice and some salad and the desert.

Sleeping didn't really work, I guess I was too nervous. I'd doze off and then wake up in a jump. The lady sitting next to me wasn't too impressed. And I hated to disturb her and her husband whenever I needed to use the bathroom. Downside of a window seat.

After an exhausting night though, it got better as I started seeing land. We had breakfast with tea, which was really good and made me feel better. All the alcohol throughout the day probably didn't help my night and the jet lag. (I always have at least 1 drink before I fly, but I'll never have that much again in the air.) But seeing the pink sky and the  sun rising over the mountains made me forget it all. It was amazingly beautiful and I couldn't help but take pictures.

My talent in procrastination.

I procrastinate, a lot. *I love that word, it sounds so deep. Lol thanks to Gabs for teaching me that word some 10 years ago....* So, yes, I procrastinate. I haven't updated this place since October 2011. Oh, I have reasons, some of them even good. Here's a list: I have been really busy at work, I work too much and too hard, I have been trying out online-dating again, I started writing Fanfiction again and making new friends through the site, I'm always planning my next adventure... etc etc etc. See? Reasons, I have.

But honestly, really honestly, the real reasons are not as entertaining. Everything I listed above is true. But to be honest, the main reason I stopped writing here was that I a) Didn't want to vent and whine too much, and having a blog is an easy trap. and b) the self-pity excuse that no one cares anyways, so why should I? Blah. That makes me angry because I do not want to be that person. The same could be said for my stories as well, but who am I writing for? Myself or just others? Yes, it's flattering to know people read your thoughts and stories, but I mainly do it for me.

So, I am dusting this place up. I won't promise to update often, as I have no idea if I really will. But I will do what I promised a year ago, and blog about my trip to Greece in 2011. Not just because it changed my life nor because I am leaving for Europe again at the end of the summer, but because it matters. For people like me, who is constantly browsing blogs about travels, especially Contiki. I like to read about other people's views and experiences. It helps me in my decision-making and expectations. So what if my little corner here can help? Then I'll do it.

And it's also a place to keep it all down, day by day, so to remember all the little details. So, before I tell you about what's my life's like these days, before I go on and on and on about my next trip and the next one, I will talk about last year's.

Coming soon!

Guess who's baaaaaaaack????

Hey, I'm back. Been back since September 20th actually. Seriously, I meant to stop here and say something, but then I kept telling myself <Just finish writing your journal, so you can make your travelblog>  I'm almost done.

It's been busy since I came back, I was done enough to not book an extra day vacation between my evening return to the country and the next morning back to work. Yep, less than 12 hours back and I was at work. That was brutal. It took me several days to go over the jetlag, it really hit me. Then I had to finish unpacking and putting the house back in order, all of it while working. Then I started working on my pictures and souvenirs. I made a scrapbook and almost completed all my photo albums on facebook. It's a lot of work, and I've made the mistake to start playing Dragon Age 2, so I'm completely addicted and my life is passing me by while I play. I'll rectify that.

I shall be able to start posting my trip review soon, finishing up a couple details, and I'll even put a couple pictures.

Until then!

So say we all!

Riiiight. My resolutions of updating this place more didn't really work out now did it? To be honest, I have been starting posts pretty much every week, but never got to finish them or got delayed so much that I lost my train of thoughts. (But to be fair, no one is anxiously waiting to to read what I have to say hehe)

Work has been somewhat busy. There is always something to do, or rather, there is always something that I am working on. Even very quiet days turn into busy days for me, especially while making lists or making sure I thought of everything for my trip. Planning a trip is exhausting and you'd think I wouldn't have that much to do since I've been buying stuff and making lists since January. Well, I do. But right now it's mainly last minute stuff that I still have to take care of. I even packed my suitcase, twice this weekend. I know I'll empty it and re-verify it once, at least, before departure, but still, I think I'm ready.

Ok, I have been babbling about this trip since December, I can't wait and I'm ready, but it's a whole other story to realize there is less than a week to go. I'm leaving Sunday Morning... I've lost the excitement and the jumping around factor, I switched to panic mode. I think about it being so close and my heart starts pounding, my breathing accelerates and I sometimes gets dizzy, not to mention sick to my stomach. I'm not sure why. I assume it's good anxiety, as I'm not scared and this is a lifetime dream, but still, part of me whishes I could get back to the happy state I was in a couple weeks ago.

It'll be ok, I got it all figured out. I got my transport shuttle picking me up at home Sunday (I caved, it's vacation, let's spend money, I didn't work all that OT all summer just for kicks), then I'll be super early to the airport, check-in, security, then chilling (Having a beer or 5, I'll pretend I'm on Greece time already) then it's a direct flight. No hassle or worries there, 1 plane, 2 meals, lots of booze, I got all my "comfort kit", I'm getting one on the plane, it's a big-ass plane, and I have my Kindle/Ipod/Dvd player to keep me busy. And I have to sleep (that's where the booze will be helpful) since it's technically an overnight flight if you count the time change. Luckily, I have never been afraid to fly. I'm certainly not a big fan of turbulence (I remember a bad Florida flight) or flying overnight, (It's kinda creepy and the lights on the plane confuse me that there's a storm outside) but overall I'm fine. I'm more scared of crossing a street with no pedestrian sign than flying. (I know I got issues, sue me :P)

I have organized a meeting with the people from my trip I've ben in touch with online, so we all get to meet before the official meeting that evening. We'll be spending most of the day together, walking around, having a drink, letting the feeling that "we're finally here, we're in Greece" feeling truly sink in. So I don't even have to worry about walking in a room full of strangers by myself, I'll have new friends with me. But, as I've mentioned before, when in unknown territory and by myself, this new confident Milou comes out and leaves the shy Marilou at home. I'll probably be going around the room introducing myself and making new friends before long. I have this image of me walking around right beside our guide/Tour Manager everyday, asking questions and trying to help and keeping people in line. So very me. But it won't happen, I'll probably be asking questions and participating all the time, can't repress my personnality that much, but I want to feel on vacation, so I'm there to have fun, make new friends and take it all in. Greece, it's hard to believe....

I should also mention I know for a fact I will be crying during this trip. And I don't mean a drunken cry, no drama and no homesickeness either lol. I mean, when I truly realize I made it, probably when I get off the plane or the airport (probably when I see my name on a sign at the airport) or after I've checked in the hotel and set foot outside on my own and take a good look around me. Maybe even still while flying, before landing and looking down to see this very ancient, yet still new to me landscape, the one I've been studying and dreaming of for as long as I can remember. I have to see it all, do it all and bring back with me as many memories and pictures and souvenirs as possible. This trip has to last me a lifetime. And I'm sure it will.

Alright, back to doing research (and work), I'll try to come and vent more about my stress later on this week.

So say we all!