I’ve spent a total of 10 days outside of the United States now, the longest time since I have been alive, according to my knowledge. It has caused some interesting results. I realized that I am inextricably connected to the people who I am familiar with in my life, and being without them decreases my mood significantly, and without contact to them decreases my mood sharply.

I am not alone in this fact. There are many studies that show that people who have more social connections lead happier lives. I am lucky in that I am technologically ept and can connect to my near and dear in a number of ways, and be resourceful in finding other ways to contact them if necessary. I feel that I am lucky to live in a time which it is possible for me to spend so much time apart and still be in connection with people. I am also lucky that I was born in a geological area which enables me to be as such.

At the same time, I am sad to leave this place. It is a nice area, with good food and a very long history. As Nikos reminded me the other day, it is the birthplace of Democracy, which I hold to a fairly high regard. It is also the birthplace of modern medicine, and a significant portion of many early sciences. The wealth of the nation as a whole and as parts is clear to me, and I wish to return.

I’ve learned part of the language while I am here, and it has made me more cognizant of communication with other cultures. People in Athens seemed put off when I tried to talk in Greek, but in Kos they were at the worst amused at my attempts. The language may not be as romantic to learn as French or Italian, and may not be as useful in the long term as Latin, but it would be interesting to speak nonetheless. I am tempted to start working on some of the i18n Greek QA issues in Debian — It would help me learn the language more, and also keep me aware of the issues in software when you start working with other countries’ characters. I have been lucky to be using a MacBook this entire time with decent Greek support, allowing me to type at least some greek while I was here. It helped me understand even more of the language – I now know mostly the numbers 1-9 at least.

The trip has highlighted for me something which is highly lacking in airports: power. Every airport that I have been to has prominently displayed the signs of wireless access, and has people using their laptops in almost every direction you can look (I am one of those), but they are sorely without power points for people who are using those laptops. This may be a designed flaw in order to save energy, but I don’t really believe that 50 or even 5,000 laptops at 65-150W will put a significant dent in the power grid at somewhere as large as an airport, where LCD screens are running 24/7 with ads and bright lights illuminate every corner for all to be seen. I won’t even start talking about the airplanes themselves.

All in all, the trip has been a happy one, and I would very much repeat it. I will make different decisions on lodging at some places and probably plan a shorter trip. I however wholly endorse Greece as a vacation spot, and even would consider moving here if offered a position (that would depend highly on Diana as well, obviously). I find it entirely favorable. I hope that this small series on the site has caused you, the reader some pleasure at least, even if it was at my expense.

Now begins the long trip home, on three planes and with 14.5 hours in the airplane and 18 hours in total. It’ll be only 10 hours counting local time, unfortunately — the jet lag will, I’m sure, be horrible.

Afterwards Hyeun and I went to a restaurant that we hadn’t been to before and I had more σουβλακι. The meal was good but not as good as some others that I had been at. Hopefully I will be able to get to Psiri and at least one ouzeri while I am here. After lunch, I was dead tired from working on my presentation at the night and also waking up earlier than I usually would. I decided to go back to the hotel and talk to Diana a bit, which was very nice because I hadn’t had much time to talk to her the night before. I ran out of minutes though, and need to buy more. She was happy to hear from me and clearly through the new phone. Even with the cheaper rates of the pre-pay cellphone I only get about 45 minutes per 33€.

The rest of the day and night was spent sleeping – I don’t think I had slept so much in my entire life! The thing is, that being in a foreign country with a foreign language is very psychologically tiring for me. I am always worried and self-conscious about trying to speak the language and I think that everyone who I even attempt to resents me for even attempting it. So I only try in small bursts, and then retreat into my shell a little more until I get the courage to try again. I really wish that I had someone who knew Greek that I could practice with so that I am not so self-conscious. That is one thing that I think I will do differently when I travel again – I will try to find someone via Skype that talks the language and wants to practice english, and also is willing to put up with me trying to learn basic conversational whatever.

I woke up around eleven and played a game or two, but then went back to sleep again. Breakfast was later because there is no conference to go to today. I was planning on spending the day in, but I think I will go to Acropolis and look around, and possibly go to a museum which is on the tourist map I got at the airport that advertises some Escher paintings in it’s permanent collection – I would very much like to see those as I am a great fan of his work. I feel kind of bad going without Diana, but I am sure we will return and go. It is a nice place after all, and I think would be even nicer if I wasn’t staying in such a horrible hotel. I hope to have cell camera photos of the hotel for you tomorrow on my new phone.

Now I am sitting at a Starbucks, getting ready to walk a while to Ακροπολ. The only reason that I am here really is to be on the Internet for a few minutes – it is a place I know that I can connect. One thing that I have been very pleased with while I was here was the availability, ease and general cleanliness of the Μετρο (Metro) – it has been enjoyable every time, except for one trip I took yesterday where it was packed to the gills and a tourist family was taking up a lot of space. I would be more incensed with them, but I remember that I am also a tourist and probably am annoying everyone around me, although hopefully not as much as them! Anyway the Metro is very nice here, and they use a similar system to the Minneapolis light rail where you buy the ticket and get it validated, and then you can ride without having to go through turnstiles or whatever. There are people apparently who check tickets for validation every once in a while, but I haven’t seen them. The tickets are also a very reasonable 0,80€, which amounts to about $1.