Someday Starts Today

If You’re Reading This, I’m Still Here

This week was tough. Mentally, emotionally and physically. There were moments where I flung up my arms because I just didn’t care any more. There were moments where inside I wanted to cry but I kept it together and kept it moving. There were moments where I had to drag my limbs to take that next step and to keep it going. This week was tough. But I made it. I’m here. If you’re reading this, I’m…

It has been just over a week since I left Lesvos to return back to the USA and I just got home on Monday. I took the longest route home, partially because it was cheapest and partially because I made a detour to see some friends on the east coast. Since getting back to Portland, it’s been a whirlwind few days as I tried to get my bearings, as I pack for a move to the Bay on Saturday and as I try…

A month ago I was packing my bags for what I know was the biggest adventureI’ve had to date. A month later, I’m sitting at the Thessaloniki Airport, enjoying my last bit of genuine Greek food, waiting to take the second of seven flights to eventually get me back home to Portland, OR. Once I get back to Portland on Monday, I have 4.5 days to catch up on what I’ve missed, pack up what I need, and…

The mood around the bonfire when on night boat patrol is usually jovial as volunteers chat with each other in the warm of a cackling fire while keeping an eye on the horizon for a speck that turns into a boat. Usually. But not tonight. Tonight I made the worst phone call I’ve ever had to make.

Ready for night patrol and looking official!

Earlier in the evening, my friend and I started chatting…

I’m Glad I’m Here

Someone asked me last week, “How is your volunteer trip going?”

I’ve been quiet. Not because I have nothing to say, trust me–there’s a lot that’s been happening, but more so because there hasn’t been as much time to sit and write. Or I’m simply too exhausted to. Or more often than not, there’s so much to say and share, I struggle with where to start.

It’s going. Up and down. It’s tough but…

Saturday night. I was sitting at a bar with a fellow volunteer and new friend, Maria, having a glass of wine when we got word that hundreds of refugees were stranded outside at the port because ferries had been cancelled or rescheduled for the next morning. There was an abandoned building next to the port that they were camped out in as they waited out a pretty strong wind storm. They needed some…

I woke up today not knowing what day it was. It’s Tuesday. The last scheduled day I worked was Friday. So what happened between then and now? Your guess is as good as mine–time has flown!

First off, there have been more volunteers arriving, which means more people to hang out with, which means less time for writing and sleeping, but I’m trying to figure it out. No complaints–there are some really…

Blogging is tough for me to do. It’s something I want to do more often and on a regular basis but it requires time and thought and effort and energy that sometimes, much of the time, I just can’t, and sometimes won’t, muster up. I have tons of half-written blog posts floating around in my head that I just didn’t make the time to sit down and write out. I honestly hope to get back to those…

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My Monday night was a special one. It was my first shift on my own at the clinic, meaning there wasn’t anyone to ask questions to. I kind of knew what I was supposed to do but also had no idea what I was supposed to do–but it was going to happen. Fake it ’til you make it? And made it I did. From helping reunite two different familieswith missing family members to using my Hindi/Gujarati to act as…

Reuniting never felt this good; family reunions in the camp.

  The view from my local cafe before I went in to camp for my shift.

Yesterday was a good day. I finished my first solo shift. I helped two different families semi-reunite with missing loved ones. And I held back tears as a wonderful soul shared his story and experience fleeing the Taliban with us (covered in a later post). This is why I’m here.It was my first day of working solo and working an…

Day 0 and Day 1

As I was telling you last night before I drifted off into deep sleep (melatonin, you are helping me kick jetlag’s butt like no one’s business!), I had the option of taking it easy yesterday and acclimating, or checking out the camp and helping out. I wanted to do something so I opted to head to Moria camp to finally see with my own eyes the camp that I heard so much about.

 This black barn right…

6 flights, 5 bags (including my purse), 4 days. To say it was a journey to get here would be an understatement. Things were going fairly smoothly, though I am super grateful for some travel tips I follow and kicking myself a bit for some rookie mistakes that I made:

How is it that I’ve gone this long without a travel pillow? My neck and shoulders are not pleased with me. 

Weigh your bags. Weigh…

Off I go!

All my bags are packed, (I think) I’m ready to go…Singing that song is how I woke up my roommate this morning at 4:15am to drive me to the airport. (Best roomie ever–for taking me to the airport, and not hitting me for singing.) I, myself, woke up after my second of five alarms went off at 4:05am after an hour of sleep, with the lights on, because I was terrified that I wouldn’t wake…

48 hours until I leave for Greece on my biggest adventure to date

In 48 hours, I’ll be on a plane starting the long trek towards Lesvos, Greece. I’ve booked three different round-trip(ish) tickets to get there. On Wednesday, I fly from Portland to Minneapolis to Boston as part of RT Ticket 1. I have a little over 24 hours in Boston, a city I’ve never been to, and I plan on exploring a little bit (weather pending) before my flight Thursday evening. Thursday…

Where Did You Go, 2015?

Yesterday, when I started writing this post, it was the last day of 2015. Where did this year go? So much has happened, and so much hasn’t either. I’ve been getting all of the “end of the year” type of posts from different places; online retailers I frequent, social networks I’m part of, updates from friends and family… The end of the year is a common time for people to pause, reflect and share…

Lending a Hand in Lesbos

I’m home, in Portland, for a week. Whoa. That’s the longest amount of time I’ve spent in Portland since early November, and the last time I’ll be here for that long for the foreseeable future. <That’s just sinking in now.>

After 20 months of funemployment, I’ve accepted a job. I start training mid-February (that I need to pass before I officially am back in the workforce again). I was originally…