Palas

1. "For fuck's sake."

2. Ride a Ferris wheel. Stop being a baby.

Coming from cold England and walking down the stairs of the plane in the burning sun is such a big difference that I almost can't cope. Within five hours I am in a completely different world. The sea is only yards away whisking against the rocks. The intense blue color blows my mind. It looks the same as it did on the websites that my dad showed me. I thought it wouldn't look the same, but it does. Even the sky is blue and I realize that I haven't seen a sky without clouds for a while. In the distance I spot another island but it isn't very clear. It looks rocky like the island I just landed on.

“Miss can you please walk.” An impatient man pushes me in the right direction.

I take a glimpse over my shoulder to see a tall Greek man with a white sweatshirt that is stained.

“Please walk,” he repeats and I walk into the bus that is supposed to take me to the airport.

Like the plane, it isn't really crowded. In the plane I had the whole row of seats to myself. The bus sets of as soon as the door closes behind me. It causes me to fall on another person standing behind me. My back lands on his chest, but I quickly jump back to my feet to keep the contact minimum.

“Watch yourself for fuck's sake.” The person I bumped into clearly is a very annoyed man. I am afraid to turn around so I keep looking ahead.

“Sorry,” I mumble to the person behind me. I straighten my clothes and my body as I find a handle to hold on to.

He doesn't speak back and it makes the drive feel like hours instead of minutes. As we approach the airport I wonder where I'll end up. I took this job as a last resort hoping that it will help my father out of his debts, but it isn't what I hoped life had in store for me.

I exit the bus without giving the person I bumped in to another glance. He didn't need to be so rude, I didn't do it on purpose. The airport isn't as big as Heathrow, but I like it. It is small and has its charm. Everything is white and the floor is made of marble. The directions are in English and Greek making me wonder how anyone can read that, or understand.

I decide to follow the crowd and we arrive in a hall with two luggage arrival belts. A woman that sat in front of me waits at the second one so I think that is the one where my bag will arrive. Since I will stay here for a while I have one big weekend bag and a suitcase. Packing is always difficult, but it turns out to be a real struggle if you’re staying for four months. When my green suitcase appears on the belt, I let out a sigh of relieve. I wouldn't know what to do if it was lost. I would be just as lost as the suitcase if I had to try to get it back.

I grab the suitcase and lift it off the luggage belt. I drop it next to me and look for an exit out of this room. Rosie will be waiting for me to pick me up and bring me to the flat where we'll live for the next months. She's from the same town as where I'm from. Her uncle is an old friend of my dad and I owe this job to her. She works here seven months a year as a life guard at the most famous beach of Europe.

Once I am outside again I look over my shoulder to spot the white building I just left. In the typical Greek blue color the name of the airport is shown. It isn't fancy or lighted, but at least all the letters are there as I read Palas Airport. So far everything looks exactly the same as it looked on the internet. I still haven't seen anyone with a sign with Lifeguard on it and I start to get nervous.

Some twenty stores of travel agencies are in front of me, but most of them are closed. It is only the beginning of the season. The busiest period will be in July and August. My dad told me to expect a lot of drunk teens. In June and September the visitors of this island are more diverse. Drunken teens combined with families or people who are retired. Apparently you can hike on this island, as well as get totally pissed. Two things I don't really care for.