Eleven days into our trip and I am finally adjusting to the time change. Each day is progressively becoming harder and harder to wake up as our mornings typically involve waking up at 7:00 am. I do not identify as a morning person and my daily intake of coffee is increasing. However, once I get through the struggle of waking up, I snap back to reality and remember that I am in the most amazing place I have ever been to – which fuels my day. 
We all headed up to the school to work. At this point in the production, we are all in different points. The video team has been doing a lot of editing as we completed our last interview yesterday for the documentary. Since the script and narration is dependent on the interviews, the research team has been helping others with their tasks. Today Ashley created maps with Photoshop, Cynthia went out and shot film with Andy, and I worked with Thomas on completing a timeline. As a group, we had a short workday, but much was accomplished.
Our next priority for the day was to figure out the plan for our upcoming free weekend. We all headed to town to first grab a favorite local find: veggie gyros for only 1,50! While eating, we like to sit on the rock ledge near the water by the port and it is really pretty and peaceful. Next, we divided into three groups to go to different ferry offices to get the best deal for next weekend’s travel. After much discussion we finally have it figured out. Next Friday we will take a ferry from Paros to Mykonos at 1:40pm. We will spend the night in Mykonos and then on Saturday, take a ferry from Mykonos to Santorini at 2:40pm and stay the night there. Sunday, we will head back to Paros at 3:30. It will be such a great weekend! We have yet to figure out hotel arrangements, but it will all work out!
We all went back to Katerina to nap for a while before our group dinner by the pool. While most napped, I laid in bed and watched Grey’s Anatomy. Dinner was amazing tonight! Thomas and Albert did the majority of the cooking with some assistance from the students. Ashley chopped dill, Cynthia prepped vegetables, I made pasta, Sarah cut cucumbers and Riley made homemade guacamole. After a while, dinner was served! We ended up having kebabs, cucumber salad, romaine with lemon juice and olive oil, spaghetti and bread. After cleaning up, a few of us went to a local bakery to get baklava for dessert. I have only had this pastry twice in my life, but I am convinced that this bakery made the best baklava in the entire world.
The evening was calm while we spent the night by the poolside playing games and having a great time!
-Julia Whitaker