Better late than never...

So I arrived in Mytilene, and the first days have been stressful, exciting, and full of discoveries. I won't actually work until Monday, so I am waiting until then to post about my first experiences here.

I have some catching up to do on your adventures, and it has been fun getting "in touch" with you again. Also, a while ago I received two awards, and I would like to write a little about them. I know it is late, but I hope it's not too late...

This is the first one, and I received it from Tatoos and Teething rings and 5th sister. Thank you, guys! It is a personality award, and now I have to list 7 things that characterise me - so here goes...

1) Pessimistic: I always think about the worst case scenario that could take place. Even when I am happy, I keep wondering when the next catastrophe will hit me hard. For me, this doesn't always prove to be bad, because, expecting the worst, I am more often pleasantly surprised than not. But for my loved ones, it is sometimes a torture to be around me, and listen to my negative remarks.

2) Stressed: About everything and all the time. Everybody around me hoped that this would get better as I grew up and took on more responsibilities, but nope - I am still nervous, only about more serious things now. :(

3) Perfectionist: More like a typical patient suffering from ocd, actually. Everything has to be "one way" and not another, and until it is, it is "failing". I loose my sleep or my (very little) serenity over a book that is not in the "right" position, or over a small detail that nobody really cares about. I struggle to change that, though. I try to overlook the little things that bother me with their non - perfectness. After all, nobody and nothing in life is perfect, and I have to accept that and live with it.

4) Sensitive: I observe little things around me that almost nobody does, and they can have a huge impact on my mood and attitude. A tiny gesture, a single word in a huge conversation, a thoughtless remark uttered subconsciously can make me replay the whole scene in my mind for hours, and try to think of the different interpretations. Also, I am sensitive to other creature's hardships, whether it is an old lady trying to cross the road, a kid hurting his knees playing football, or a stray cat struggling to find food in the garbage.

5) Fair: I try to look things from different perspectives, and I am not too quick to judge people. Also, I try to be objective when thinking about my own actions, and I am anything but soft on myself.

6) Honest: Both in the way that I am sincere on most occasions, but also in the "integrity" department. I hate cheating and breaking the rules.

7) The queen of mood swings: This one goes along with the "sensitive" thing. While everything seems to be perfect, I may burst into tears (having noticed something that nobody else did), or may start laughing hysterically at a totally inappropriate time. My mood can change with the speed of light, and that may surprise or even make the people who barely know me tag me as "weird" and shun me. Those who choose to overlook this thing and try to cope with it have to be armed with a lot of patience and not take everything I do or say for granted - after all, who knows what the next minute will bring?

I observe now that most of the things that characterise me are negative, and that I sound like a horrible, terrible person. I don't know... I am not that bad! But pointing the things that go wrong is always easier than emphasizing on your strong points.

And now the nominees for this award:

1) Debbie from "Suburb Sanity" for her amazing sense of humour, her honesty and her ability to turn everyday catastrophes into cherished experiences.

2) 5th sister for her hard-earned wisdom and her compassion.

3) Honeypiehorse from "Our feet are the same" for her wittiness and decisiveness.

4) LB from "Muddy Runner" for his motivation and persistence to his goals.

5) Kristina from "Pulsipher Predilections" for the fact that reading her blog makes my day.

6) Raoulysgirl from "Who has the thyme?" for her eagerness to discuss different points of view.

7) Pam from "Pam fried family life" for her ability to juggle everything and still be sane.

This is the second award, the "Passionate blogger one" (thanks, Lisaloo!). So, 5 things I am passionate about:

1) Preserving life: Having seen what I have seen, I have come to greatly appreciate the gift of life. So, this is the number one priority for me in life, and it extends to many different topics. From being against abortion, to doing my best to help patients, and to avoid killing stuff, even if this is a disgusting insect that drives me crazy. It also explains my many attempts to become vegetarian (I have not succeeded yet, but I am still hoping).

2) People I love: I am not one to love easily, but when I do, I go to great lengths for these people.

3) Books: I love reading and writing. It makes me travel to faraway places, and discover new emotions and ways of thinking.

4) Food: I am always eager to try new things, regardless of their "weirdness" and unfamiliarity. I take great pleasure in cooking, and also enjoying good food with people I love.

5) The mighty trifecta: Sun, sea and a blue sky, that is. This explains why I love my country so much (and also every country with a similar climate). Cloudy weather always makes me feel blue, and summer doesn't come for me, until I get to spend some days in our beautiful Greek islands.

And now the nominees:

1) Donna from "My tasty treasures", because she puts the term "passionate" into a whole new perspective!

2) Willoughby from "This stop Willoughby", for her creative projects.

3) Katie from "Katie's corner" for her love of dogs.

4) Kristina for her passion (or should I say obsession? LOL) for Snuggies.

5) And finally, ♫ Spasm ♫ from "Got org?" for being a time management goddess.

That's all for now. Have an amazing weekend, everybody!