No such thing as a free... anything.

We're broke. As always, but it starts to get stressful. I mean, OK, I just found out I'm owed a good sum of money which I should be getting next week. Yay, right? Problem solved. Except the second I get any money it disappears. Just like that. Rent. Groceries. The occasional beer. I am not joking at all when I say I have yet to purchase an item of clothing (including shoes) for myself since July. And, I mean, come on... that's ridiculous.  Most of my shirts are literally fraying away to nothingness. Last night Alex and I had a little "money discussion". He pointed out that ONE night out can easily equal and entire day's work here. Everything is just incredibly expensive. (And plus, wages are worse than terrible.) On Saturday we went to the beach. That's cheap, right? We packed a picnic lunch (total cost, 20E). Took the bus to Kiato and back (10E). Alex bought cigarettes (3E). We bought water (1E). When it got too hot we went to a taverna and had a beer each (8E) and some calamari (10E). There you go, 52E... more than I make most days... gone in 5 hours of "outdoor fun". And, okay, you can't live life counting pennies like that, but around here it seems like we're always working for the next day. Just barely staying afloat. Praying nothing tragic happens... hoping the washing machine doesn't break... mending the broken bathroom window with duct tape... rigging the coffee machine with a toothpick. 

I can handle this for now, I just hope life isn't ALWAYS like this. 

And with that in mind: America, here we come.