Good Morning

I wake up early to video chat Jeremiah before he goes to sleep. I miss him terribly and cry just about every time we hang up a call with each other. It's emotionally tolling to travel to another country, let alone another whole continent, by myself, especially with how my flight out here went. I lay in bed and check my email. New Life clinic is asking if I've started my cycle yet. I haven't. I know it will come, but I'm annoyed with the delay. I could have stayed home for four more days. Oh well, one cannot control these things, and I would have been angry if I missed the first day, as absolutely have to report to the clinic on the first full day of my monthly cycle. I start feeling nervous.

"That's what I'm here for," I remind myself. "To try to start our family."

I roll over and fall back asleep, and I must need it because I don't wake up again until 13:00. I could honestly sleep more, but I make myself get up. I get ready for the day and make myself breakfast - scrambled eggs with mushrooms, spinach, and feta cheese.

Walk to Alexandros

I leave the apartment to go get some fresh air, and some fresh coffee. One can never go wrong with that combination. I walk down to Alexandros, but instead of going inside, I walk down a little further to where I first met Thessa yesterday. I don't see her, sadly. I take a few photographs of a table on the beach that looks inviting, and the trees that line the shore on this part of the coastline.

As I'm walking back to Alexandros, I pass by a restaurant on the waterfront. A maître d' steps out in front of me, quite literally blocking my path. His dark hair shines in the sun and he reaches a hand out towards me to shake, which I do, though I'm a bit miffed. He asks me where I'm from, so I tell him I'm from America.

"Where in America?" he asks.

"Colorado."

"Ah, the United States then." This takes me by surprise - but I learn a valuable worldly lesson. The rest of the world sees the Americas as "America", which is completely valid. I make a mental note to say I'm from "The United States" moving forward.

He asks me a few more questions about my time in Greece, all of which I answer briefly and with a lack of detail, and insists that I sit down for an iced coffee and that I must be hungry. I tell him no, thank you, and step to the side.

"Ah, you do not need to worry, I work here!" He smiles whilst stepping in front of me again. My guard, which was already up, starts to ring the alarm bells. I step around him again, this time continuing to walk forward as I say "No, thank you" a second time. I feel my hairs on my head prickling as I walk briskly away from the man and the situation.

I return to Alexandros, go inside, and order a latte double, no sugar, yes cinnamon. This is how the lady that works there taught me to order my coffee yesterday. I also decide to purchase a profiterole with chocolate. I ordered both to "take away", which is what they say here instead of "to go". The lady behind the counter and I exchange some language lessons - she teaches me how to say "please" in Greek, which is παρακαλώ (parakaló), and I answer her questions on some English words.

I step back outside, but I don't want to be visible on the boardwalk and have the man spot me again, so I turn a block in from the shore and decide to walk back to the VRBO on the inner street.

Nik. Plastira

I walk along Nik. Plastira and come across a printing shop on the corner. This seems to be the only business that's up on this street on this block. I walk by two empty lots, taken back over by nature in a bold display of wildflowers and greenery that I'm sure once dominated this coast before humanity moved in. Both lots are for sale, and temptation seizes me. I decide to look up the costs when I get back to the VRBO.

There's a beautiful building that catches my eye. Its beauty is disturbed by boarded up windows, but the original stonework and the blue door stand out. I take photographs of it, and continue on. I pass by a building that unfortunately suffered a fire, its pink walls still blackened by smoke. I photograph this as well.

The VRBO

I return to the apartment, sipping on my coffee, and I begin to work. I already binge-watched the heck out of Maestro in Blue, so I start watching The Crown as I work the evening way. I, of course, am immediately sucked into the show.

I eat my profiterole later on in the evening, and it is delectable. The cream puff pastry under the chocolate is just absolutely scrumptious.

After work, I call Jeremiah to wish him good morning. Tears fill my eyes as I tell him how much I miss him. It's been six days since I left Colorado. That's not even that long, but my heart makes it feel like it's been a lot longer than that.

After hanging up the phone, I fall asleep shortly after.