Day 15: Shall We Stay or Shall We Go?
Friday, August 8th
Today’s blog post is brought to you by Matty in Ms. Hrvatin’s English class.
Ferry Tales
Blown Off Course
If you’ve never had the incredible experience of being “stuck” on a Greek island with thirty classmates and no escape plan, you’re missing out.
Our day began with a cancelled ferry ride and ended with what can only be described as an unofficial nap competition. I’m claiming first place.
The morning began luxuriously late with a 9:30 a.m. breakfast, the kind of gift you only get when the universe (or in this case, the ferry company) forces you to cancel your alarm. I woke to the whistling sound of branches whipping in the wind and sunlight spilling across the whitewashed walls outside my hotel window. We were supposed to be boarding a ferry to Crete, but the wind had other plans. Ferry Update #1: “Delayed.” A gentle knock on the door confirmed it, with Bertan, our program manager, letting us know Crete would have to wait.
The wind was already howling when we wandered down to breakfast at the Aeolos Hotel in Tinos, not a gentle seaside breeze, but the kind of wind that pushes you sideways and makes you swing your arms to keep your balance. Inside, breakfast was a slow parade of students grabbing portions of toast, towers of watermelon, and even soft chocolate cake from the buffet.
With an unpredictable day ahead, Bertan made the call for morning classes to run so that we’ll have extra time at the beach once we get to Crete! This was the first day of a new novel study unit in my English class. We were taking a deep dive into Circe by analyzing the book through both a feminist and psychoanalytic lens, including Freud’s id, ego, and superego. Watching everyone silently hope that the ferry would magically appear felt like watching the id in action in real time. Every so often, a gust of wind slammed against the windows like it was trying to contribute to the conversation. The wind confirmed that we were not going anywhere today.
By lunchtime, our priorities shifted to something decidedly less academic… gyros (pronounced ‘YEE-roh’, I learned recently)! Ferry Update #2: “Still delayed.” A group of us wandered into Tinos’ buzzing, narrow streets. The sun bounced off the whitewashed walls as we followed the scent of sizzling meat until it led us to a shop with an awning flapping like a flag. The first bite, warm pita and the cool tang of tzatziki were pure happiness and made the whole day feel instantly better.
When we got back, the verdict was in. Ferry Update #3: “Cancelled.” Not just ours, but every ferry departing from Athens. The rest of the afternoon slipped away in the blink of an eye. The wind roared, pushing the salty air in through the open doors to the lobby of our hotel where we were all lounging around. A few persistent flies joined the party. Some people read Circe, which felt very fitting while being ‘trapped’ on an island by forces out of our control, just like Circe in the novel. Others played chess, and many surrendered to naps on chairs that were two sizes too small. Dylan from photography said she “enjoyed the quiet and having time to edit photos from earlier in the program..” Michaela from Ancient Civilizations was still smiling from working hard on her essay, titled “Was Alexander the Great actually great?” (her answer was yes) before heading back to play chess with friends.
A few weeks ago, this scene of thirty-five students scattered across a lobby with few activities would have felt awkward. Now it feels relaxed and comfortable, like we are becoming a big family that didn’t mind napping on the floor beside one another.
Another thing this situation has brought to light for me is the kindness and hospitality of the Aeolos Hotel. The staff worked tirelessly to ensure that every single one of us could keep our rooms. This was a large task, considering they had new guests arriving and even more guests unable to leave due to the cancellation of the ferries. In other cultures, this situation may have resulted in irritation and chaos, but not here. Greek culture is known for its hospitality and friendships, with even a Greek term for this, ‘Xenia’. As a result, our situation was met with compassion and generosity of spirit.
Dinner was at Ethrio, a last-minute rescue when the hotel couldn’t serve all of us. Plates of spaghetti arrived steaming, piled high with parmesan that melted into the sauce. It reminded me of dinners at home, except this ‘home’ smelled faintly of the sea, and the conversation circled around what shops we’d wander into afterward during our bonus night in Tinos.
The thing is, this day could have been a throwaway day. A filler. The kind you gloss over when telling your travel stories. But it wasn’t. The wind forced us to stop moving, and in doing so, it made space for lighthearted conversations, ridiculous snack runs, and belly-aching laughter over nothing. It cemented friendships and even created new ones. It made me wonder if, in fact, abandoning the schedule once in a while might actually create different adventures. Maybe the best experiences aren’t always the ones you plan. Maybe some of them need to be unpredictable, just like the Tinos winds!
It wasn’t the day we planned, but like Circe, we adapted. We found new ways to fill the time, new corners of Tinos to explore, and new reasons to be grateful for the people around us. Ferry Update #4: Tomorrow, if the wind cooperates, we’ll be sailing to Athens, where we’ll reunite with the Double Credit group, before braving the rolling waters to Crete the following day. And if the wind stirs up more trouble? Bring it on. I’m starting to think that the detours of this program might be some of my best memories of all.
Stay tuned for more ferry tales tomorrow!
