Day 16: Next Stop Athens!
Saturday, August 9th
Today’s blog post is brought to you by Kahli in Ms. Hrvatin’s English class.
Travel Journal
The day started quietly, sitting in an outdoor classroom space. The air was warm, carrying a faint salty smell from the sea nearby. This morning, we went over the structure of an essay: how to make a hook and introduction pull someone in, how to keep body paragraphs connected, and how to end strong. Then Ms. Hrvatin sent us to work independently in the lobby. We all got comfortable and started writing while others read. The steady tapping of laptop keys and the sound of pages turning as people tried to finish the book made the lobby feel calm and focused.
While we worked, other classes had their own lessons. The photography group learned how to blur backgrounds so the subject in the foreground becomes the main focus. Dylan told me it was “a good skill to learn because now they could take photos of flowers with all the details popping while the rest fades away, making the image look really pretty.” The Ancient Civilizations class was also busy. Callie and Mykala were working on essays debating whether Alexander the Great truly deserved his title. Callie said “the extra work time was a relief” because she’d been a little behind and finally got the chance to catch up.
By lunchtime, the calm morning was over. We headed into the main town of Tinos and stepped onto busy streets full of chatter and clinking dishes. The smell of grilled meat drifted from somewhere ahead, so we followed it straight to a local restaurant. The gyros were unreal—warm pita, juicy meat, creamy tzatziki. They somehow tasted even better than the last time we were here! We sat outside, soaking up the sun and enjoying our food like we didn’t have anywhere else to be.
After lunch the reality hit. We finally had a ferry to catch. The bus ride to the port was short, but the heat made it feel longer. The water sparkled in the sun, fishing boats bobbing lazily, while the constant chatter of people waiting for ferries filled the air with a restless energy. Our ferry was about an hour late, so we sat on our bags and waited. Some of us dozed off, trying to ignore the growing impatience. The wind whipped my hair into my face, salty and sharp, and the air smelled like a strange mix of sea salt and diesel fumes. The longer we waited, the more my excitement turned into that tired, impatient “let’s just get moving already” feeling.
When the ferry finally arrived, it looked huge and steady, the kind of ship that made you think the ride would be smooth. That illusion didn’t last long. We boarded, relieved to be on our way, and settled into business class, which had cushioned seats and a small but impressive café. Not even thirty minutes into the five-hour trip, the waves started hitting us. At first, it was just a gentle rocking, but even that was enough to make my stomach turn. Soon, a lot of people were pale and quiet, focused on just getting through it. This was all a learning experience and truly taught us what it means to be travelers.
While on the ferry, most of us wandered out of business class to grab snacks from the ferry’s restaurant. Our haul included chips, pastries, burgers, and cold drinks, we were stocking up for the rest of the ride.
By the time we docked in Athens, it was dark. Stepping onto solid ground felt strange, like my legs had to relearn how to stand still, still having that swaying sensation in my mind. We rolled our suitcases over cobblestone streets, past shuttered shops and quiet alleys, until we finally reached the hotel. The lobby’s warm lighting and soft chairs felt like the perfect ending to a long day. We went straight up to our new rooms and fell into bed.
Looking back, the morning and afternoon felt like two completely different days, one calm and planned, the other unpredictable and exhausting. I think that’s what travel is, though: the steady and the chaotic mixed together, both shaping the experience in their own way.
Tomorrow, we head back to the port. Another ferry, another ride all the way to Crete. Hopefully this one treats us a little better, but Bertan likes to call it the “Vomit Comet,” so… no promises.
