Week Two – A Mixed Week of Late Nights and Little Sleep

Monday, April 6th 2026

Marvin and I had a relaxed workday at MagicNet, tackling more faulty laptops—often minor issues like loose connections preventing screen detection, quickly fixed with careful diagnostics.
After work, Victor and I enjoyed the beautiful warm weather with a 7 km walk around Episkopi. The landscape and mountains were breathtaking; I captured great shots, including macro photos of bees drinking from a small puddle- a true hidden gem. Exhausted but content, I called my girlfriend and family before an early night.

Tuesday, April 7th 2026

At MagicNet, we met a new face: a Spaniard on his Erasmus+ internship there, already a month into his stay on Crete. He shared great tips on mustsee spots and we had engaging conversations—refreshing after the week's solo focus.
Besides the chats, Marvin and I swapped out faulty RAM in an old PC. Spotting DDR2 modules (1GB sticks!) was a blast from the past.
Prodromos even had spares in stock. As the "elder" in the group, I felt right at home with this "stone age" tech.
After work, we hit the wholesale market next to MD Hellas a Metro-like gem, thanks to Torben's digital membership card. True bargains like 30 large eggs for €4.80! We prepped our first BBQ: Marvin's delicious pasta salad (I need to get the recipe) paired with fresh meat, enjoyed by all.
Unfortunately, Torben, my doublebed roommate started feeling ill with breathing issues, worsened by his asthma. Loud noises and lung wheezes turned nights restless for me; Tuesday was manageable, but worse was to come.

Wednesday, April 8th 2026

After a tough night with little sleep, I almost overslept and would have been late for work if the others hadn’t woken me up in time. At MagicNet, there wasn’t much to do and I hardly received any tasks, so I used the quiet time to focus on my vocational school work. In our Linux elective we have to complete an assignment instead of a written exam, so I connected to my homelab in Germany via VPN and worked through the tasks remotely. Towards the end of the day, we were informed that the shop would be closed from the next day onward due to Orthodox Easter, which meant a very long weekend for us until Monday, April 13th.

After work, Marvin and I had to wait quite a while for Victor and Nico, who share our car back to the accommodation. To make use of the time, we drove to a nearby beach and lay down in the sand for a bit, soaking up the sun. Unfortunately, it was very windy and the sand was quite coarse, which made it rather uncomfortable to stay there for long.

In the evening, Marvin and I took the chance to jump into the pool. According to him, the water was supposed to be warm, but we both changed our minds instantly after jumping in. It was freezing, but we had a good laugh about it.
At night, Torben’s breathing noises got even worse instead of better. Sharing the double bed with him, I again slept very poorly. I could clearly feel how the lack of sleep started to affect my mood and patience.

Thursday, April 9th 2026

After another long, sleepless night due to Torben’s worsening breathing issues, I decided to drive into Heraklion to buy him some medicine. Surprisingly, prices were incredibly low: €11 for 40 Ibuprofen 600mg tablets, 15 throat lozenges, and a nasal spray.

Since the others still had to work, I dropped them off at MagicNet, visited the pharmacy, and returned to the accommodation to catch up on much-needed sleep.
Back home, a major annoyance hit: the cleanliness (or lack thereof) was unbearable. As someone who thrives in tidy spaces, the dirt, dirty bathrooms, piled-up trash, and unwashed dishes dragged me down mentally, making me irritable and uncomfortable. I spent time cleaning up to feel better.
That day, the owners also drained the pool completely due to Saharan sand contamination it was fascinating (and oddly empty) to see it without water.
We shopped at TheMart for more BBQ supplies, including delicious grilled skewers and everyday essentials.
The rest of the day, I kept to myself, frustrated by the sleep deprivation and mess.

Friday, April 10th 2026

Not much to report from this day—I spent it mostly on my laptop gaming, with little interaction with the others.
In the evening, the group went out to party during the holidays, which I thought was a bad idea. My suspicion proved right; they returned late and disappointed.

Saturday, April 11th 2026

Another poor night's sleep left me low on energy and motivation, but I let the group convince me to go out—this time, we weren’t disappointed.

We started at a sparsely attended club in Heraklion, where 0.5L beers cost 8€. After debating whether to leave or head back, we drove to Hersonissos, where things were livelier. We settled in an Irish pub with great music and affordable drinks. 4.50€ per 0.5L beer, reasonable enough for everyone to indulge.
We didn’t make it back to the accommodation until around 4 a.m.

Sunday, April 12th 2026

The frustration from the past days reached a breaking point: everyone's belongings scattered everywhere, dishes piling up unwashed, and toilets left unclean. A nightmare for my chronic rectal condition, which requires impeccable hygiene to avoid flare ups and pain. I'd brought it up multiple times, pleading for everyone to share the load, but only the absolute minimum gets done. I'm not claiming I do it all—far from it—but the imbalance boils my blood, especially knowing Torben suffers too. It makes me feel undervalued, unhealthy, and increasingly resentful toward my roommates.

That evening, some headed back to the Irish pub in Hersonissos for more partying. I crashed around 1 a.m., relieved for once without Torben's noises—pure bliss, or so I thought.

Then, around 2:30 a.m., the drunk crew burst in, roaring and bellowing, shattering my fragile sleep. Exhausted, hygiene-stressed, and at my limit, the fuse blew. I exploded yelling furiously, hurling insults in the heat of the moment. Not proud of it. I apologized sincerely the next day. But right then, I was desperate for rest that no one respected. It left me feeling more isolated and miserable than ever.