Arrived Alive

Long day yesterday. The phone woke us up at 3 am and I never went back to sleep. Taxi came at 6:15 and then the trip began. A bit confusing in the Munich Airport, but other than that, things went well. I arrived home after layovers in Munich and Dulles, with my head buzzing, at 7:30 pm (2:30 am Greek time). Did not get to sleep till 10:00 pm (4:00 am Greek time) and then woke up at 3:00 am (10:00 am Greek time). My first impressions of RI after such a long hiatus are ... that it looks like a rain forest!! So much green and so many trees. Greece is arid and dry and HOT. And it's so quiet here. I got used to garbage trucks banging dumpsters overhead at 2:00 am, car alarms going off for days, and buses and cars passing by our window almost constantly, not to mention the bird that sang all night, the nearby soccer players yelling well past midnight, cats screeching at all hours, and the distant sound of a bugle from the nearby naval facility. Aghia Paraskevia only quieted down in the dead of night. After wilting in the 90 plus heat it's good to feel alive in the coolness. My garden is overgrown with weeds, some up to my waist. I yanked a few last night and will tackle more today. It should be in fine shape in a couple of weeks. I'm happy to be home, but will miss my very attentive and thoughtful husband. See you in 6 weeks, Ted!!