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I'm home. Last night my parents picked me up from the airport and we had a late night Japanese-style dinner. Then Rick and I drank some American beer and mom and I stayed up half the night (despite not having slept in two days) talking. Eventually I went to bed under my down comforter and woke up freezing. It just isn't 104 degrees here and I won't be able to get used to it. I woke up at 8 this morning, again despite the lack of sleep and have been drinking coffee (okay, plural. Coffees.) and talking. I'm giddy to be home but nervous to start my day because I have an incredible amount of stuff to do today. First thing, ride my pony. (Last night I went out to the barn and called her name and she came galloping in from the pasture and the first thing she did was smell me all over. She sniffed my face for a good five minutes before she realized I brought her food.)

Anyway, I'm home. I miss Alex, but I'm home and happy to be here. It feels surprisingly natural. I'll try to make lots of phone calls today but feel free to call me at 603.547.6278!

Love, Elena

AlexAlexAlexAlexAlex...

I don't think I've ever really thought about Zurich before, but it sure looks green from an airplane. Or maybe I'm just comparing it to Athens. 

Anywayyssss (as Jessica and tora half of Korinthos would say), here I am, halfway to America at the Zurich airport in Switzerland. I used mommy's credit card number to buy some Internet time because I have a 9-hour layover here and I can't leave the terminal group I'm in which basically leaves me bored. Really, I should be sleeping instead of typing, but there isn't anywhere good to lie down and I can't sleep sitting up. It is 9 am Swiss time (10 am Greek time) and I've been awake all night sans maybe an hour total of sleep on the plane here. 

Let me catch you up on my life.

My friend Jason visited me for a few days at the end of July. He's in the Peace Corps in Macedonia (or whatever you want to call it, Greeks). It was amazing to see him and be with someone who strangely seemed to relate really well to my situation. Unfortunately he didn't stay long. 

Then, Zach (the little brother) came to visit at the beginning of the month and Alex, Zach, Laura and I went to Santorini to camp for a few days. It was lovely. We rented scooters and ate well and I got to relax for the first time in ages. The only problem was that sleeping on ferries sucks. But anyone could figure that out. After Santorini I had to say bye to Laura (waaaaaahhhhhh) because she was going back to England for a little holiday. Zach stayed with me a few more days after that and by then it was countdown-to-America. Which sucked. I hate goodbyes and Greece is too damn nice in the summer to want to leave. I should have waited until winter. 

Two days ago, after a nice calamari dinner and right before my going away party, Alex tripped on the curb and sprained his ankle pretty badly. He sucked it up through my (AMAZING) party but he's in pretty bad shape. The going away party was really nice. Everyone wrote on a card for me and printed out place cards with my face on them and some Greeklish. I cried a lot and then it took us an hour to walk home because of Alex's ankle. 

Last night (which still seems like today) Alex and I took the last train to the airport. Someone was supposed to drive us, but it fell through so we had to wait 5 hours in the airport. The time went fast because it was my last time with Alex until December which basically sucks a lot. The goodbye was very tearful. Then I had to go through dreaded immigration (you know what I mean by that if you know me) but everything went totally fine. What a waste of 6 months of worrying! (*GRINNNN*) When I got to my gate I hung out with a nice New York couple and then Alex called me to check up and told me to look in my bag where he had hidden a goodbye post card. I started crying (again). I've basically been perma-crying for a week. Why bother drying my tears?

That all said, I AM excited to go home and see my family and my friends and my pets and be somewhere where showers are nice and I can speak English. I'm not sure how long I'll last in America, though. Europe does that to people. Fortunately in December I'm going to Ukraine for a few months to finalize Alex's visa to America. America would be so much cooler with Alex in it. 

Which brings me to what I can't get off my mind. Alex. 

For the first time in my life I feel like, despite so many differences in background, I'm with a guy who wants just what I want. Our lives seem to perfectly intersect and I love him more than should be humanly possible. 

We just have to patient. Which isn't my strong suit.