Rough Seas, viewer discretion advised

I woke up at 5am this morning because I couldn't sleep. I was worried that someone was going to forget something or things weren't packed and ready to go for our very early, 6am, departure from Istanbul.

Then, on our way back to the airport, spirits high, we took the tram 1 to the metro, argued about taking our bags on the plane, baggage fees we should or should not have to pay and then finally to our gate. I get a little weak at the knees each time I check my pack holding everything I need for the next year, minus the irrepressible important things I keep in my purse such as passport, prescription medications, and tablet. I had an apple juice and some cashews before the flight and then finally landed in our seats, wheels up to Greece!

My stomach had been a little queasy the night before, another reason why I think I was up early, so I tried to rest on this flight. A bumpy start, the inflight food came relatively quick and I think they came back around to collect trash even faster. It wasn't a long flight and I hardly had time to finish chewing my food. By the time the plane was in decent and everyone had to be fastened in their seat I was wondering how I could escape to the bathroom. I had that ut-oh I need a bathroom now feeling. Finally on the ground and I thought they had landed us in the middle of the desert. We were let off the plane where 3 buses were waiting to take us to customs, still no sign and no chance for a bathroom, or shall I call it a water closet, break. Fully concentrated on the task at hand to keep everything inside me, passport was stamped and I didn't even get a,"welcome to Greece" rude, more importantly there was a bathroom directly ahead. Little did I know this was the first episode of many for the next few days.

We had to take 2 taxis to the docks for our ferry ride to the island of Paros, Greece. We had some time to kill before our departure so we had lunch at the docks. Still queasy, I passed on food and only had a glass or two of water along with a few more bathroom breaks.

Once we were standing in the mob of people waiting to board the boat I already felt sick and thought I had to run to the edge. On the boat and forced to put my pack separate from the rest of my group I took my seat, assigned and designed like an airplane, I grabbed a few barf bags and passed a few out to the more prone to motion sickness travelers. I'm not exactly sure how quickly the boat took off from the dock but my head was already in a bag. Realizing then I needed more bags and feeling sorry for the strangers seated next to me, I got up, grabbed more bags and continued to get sick standing in the luggage storage area. I will never forget the sweet mate who saw me and immediately asked, the best she could in English, how she could help. I motioned for a napkin for my face and a bag of ice. She grabbed more bags for me, explaining I should always keep one open, a napkin and a bag of ice. Each time I got sick I broke out in a hot sweat which the ice bag soothed. I had to stop at the bathroom before returning to my seat, still with a nauseous feeling. I tried falling asleep several times, each time waking with a horrible feeling, most cured by placing the ice bag on my neck and forehead. Boat ride from hell, a total of 5 bags were used.

I have never been sea sick before and although the conditions did not help the situation I believe my feelings today are the result of some bad food in Istanbul, perhaps the fish sandwich. It did feel good to walk on land, feel the salty sea air and see the Greek island views once the boat landed and although I no longer needed a barf bag my stomach was still not cured. This was literally a long,14 hour, travel day.