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Letters Between Friends: WHAT TO PACK

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Letters Between Friends

Dear Lindsay,

THREE MORE WEEKS until you come to Greece and we (plus Emily) spend the weekend in Santoriiiini (I can only say the name with a frat bro accent).  But I do want to make something clear from your last letter – you said that Jesus calls me to amazing places next to a picture of the truly stunning white buildings/blue sea/blue sky backdrop of Santorini…and Jesus did not call me there.  Athens IS a pretty amazing place, what with its history and food, but let’s be real: it’s a metropolis of dirty city apartment complexes.  Just like, lower your expectations a little for the part of Greece in which I live.

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You asked for a packing list, so here goes.  I assume you know to bring underwear and jeans and all the normal things, so here are some random things I think you might not think to bring.

 

Packing List 

  • Boots/shoes that can handle rain (just in case)
  • Umbrella (I only have one and I’m not sharing with both of you)
  • Swimsuit (for Santorini, hopefully!)
  • Plug adapters (but not the massive converters)
  • A sweater or jacket or scarf (it’s getting cooler at night)

I honestly can’t think of anything really important.  I have stuff that you can use if you forget something, and there are little grocery stores and pharmacies everywhere within walking distance.

I also want to mention a couple things to have in mind while you’re here.  Greece is pretty similar to the US in a lot of ways, but there are some things that are different (and most are just my-house-specific).

  • Throw your toilet paper in a trash can (This is everywhere and is because the city plumbing is ancient and the pipes are too small to handle a bunch of paper.)
  • I don’t have a shower curtain (You’ve just got to kind of, point the shower head away from the rest of the room, it’s easy to get used to, I promise)
  • I also don’t have wifi (sorry!)
  • We um, also can’t open most of the windows because of Hans Harrison
  • There is a possibility that my friends Luciana and Giorgos will have moved into the second bedroom by the time you’re here (They’re so much fun!)

My house sounds like a disaster area!  I apologize, and I hope that you’ll be okay with all the weird things once you get here.  If I rephrase it all, here’s what you’re in store for:  A house overflowing with fun people and a loving cat, where you have to talk to each other instead of rely on the internet, and there are many adventures to be had in the bathroom!  Lol, I can’t wait to see you in JUST THREE WEEKS.

Love,

Tricia

Letters Between Friends: DAY TO DAY

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Letters Between Friends

 

Dear Lindsay,

I don’t have a lot to talk about today, but that’s never stopped me from writing before.  This week has been kind of blegh.  Partly because of homesickness, partly because of PMS (I actually think the homesickness was caused by PMS, too – stupid hormones!!).  But anyway, I basically went from work to home to work to home.  I did go out for coffee with an acquaintance one night, to a coffee shop that I will take you and Emily to!

What did I do at home?  I watched Over the Garden Wall, a cartoon James recommended.  It was absurdist and surprisingly emotional, so of course I loved it.  And then I started watching season 2 of How to Get Away With Murder, which is so much fun, but in a delightfully trashy way.

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Hm, I also spent a lot of time with Hans Harrison.  It’s starting to get cooler at night, and last night he actually curled up next to me while I was sleeping, which was the first time!  He’s still kind of a jerk, but he’s a loud and affectionate jerk, so I love him.  Look at his little toe beans!

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At work, I had some extra time, so I’m working on my graphic design skills.  Ever since we opened in April, we’ve wanted to put our core values on the wall somehow.  I made a business option and a pretty option (the pretty one is on the HD Facebook page), and then Natasha said it should actually have the FULL descriptions of each core value, so I made this monster.  After this lead up, I realize that what I have made is not so much “graphic design” as “these fonts make me want to cut out my eyes slightly less, because HOLY COW what a lot of words.”
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That’s about it!  I’ve got a couple hours free until my Greek lesson tonight.  I think I’m going to watch some more How to Get Away with Murder!

Love,

Tricia

Letters Between Friends: I HATE SHOPPING

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Letters Between Friends

Dear Lindsay,

Greece is the most sexually active country??  I mean, I get it.  The people here are hella attractive, and every time I see a hot guy with a hot girl, I think, “Yeah.  You deserve each other.  I’ll go find me a pasty skinny man.”  It also explains why my brief forays into the world of Tindr was just a bunch of shirtless men without any kind of profile description as if that were acceptable!!  Maybe it’s dumb that I want more than shirtless pictures, but I cannot participate in this “most sexually active country” nonsense without a committed relationship based on communication backing it up.

I learned other things from your list, but clearly the sex fact is where my brain got stuck.

You did not give me an assignment this week, so I will just talk at you!  I’m feeling a lot of feelings lately, and I wish you were around so I could externally process them with you.  The fundraising stuff is obviously stressful.  And on top of that I’m realizing that this “relaxing August” schedule we have is the exact OPPOSITE of relaxing for me.  I thrive under routine and productivity, so weeks of cooking and movies and hanging out at shopping centers is NOT fun for me.  But I think our participants really enjoyed it, and well, it’s for them, yeah?

Haha, but seriously, the one day we went shopping with them, A kept finding me sitting on benches and would say, “We’re trying things on!  Come look!!” and I would drag myself (physically and emotionally) to say things like, “That looks great!” or “I liked the green one better,” when inside I was screaming, “I hate shopping!  Can’t we just go back to the office and discuss the emotional ramifications of trying to control people with fear?”  BUT everybody recharges in their own way!

How are you doing?  Is Peoria beautiful?  A team of English speakers was at the office yesterday to help us clean and rearrange furniture, and I longingly described to them the beauty of Midwestern blue skies/green grass/yellow corn.  AND OH MY GOSH you’re going to be having hoodie weather soon!!!  I wore a sweatshirt the other day out of just…protest.  It was miserable, and I failed to change Greek weather by sheer force of will, but oh well.

By the time you come here, I THINK it will be sweater weather!  Oh God, please, I hope so.

* 59 DAYS *

Love,

Tricia

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