Larisa

My backpack, which I swore I never wanted to see again after my two weeks of traveling, has already been whipped back out. I’m spending the night in Larisa so that I can take my AP Lit Exam at the International School here. The bus doesn’t run early enough in the morning for me to make it so I have to spend the night. I’ve actually been here before—we took the bus here to get to Tyrnavos for the Phallus Festival. We didn’t actually get to see Larisa, and although it’s dark now, it actually looks really cute. I’m staying in a hotel right on the main shopping plaza, with cobbled stones and little fountains all over the place. There are tons of people out right now, having a coffee or rushing to finish shopping as the stores start to close. I ran across the street to a gyro place. The hotel is simple, but clean, and I get breakfast tomorrow before I leave. I realized that this is actually the first time I’m really traveling by myself, without any family or friends—I’ve always stayed with someone I knew but now I’m all by myself!

It’s really warm here—I wore sweats and sneakers for the bus, which is usually on the cooler side, and because it was raining cats and dogs back in Thess, but I’m burning up. I have the balcony door open (letting in all the street noise) and my PJ shorts on, but I’m still really warm.

Wish me luck tomorrow on my exam!