Best Camping Partner EVER

I know that I have frequently mentioned how itchy/scratchy/uncomfortable I’ve been for a good portion of this trip. Well, my previous posts ain’t got nothin’ on this one. Last night was my final night staying at the flat in Magazia. As summer has progressed, the insect population has skyrocketed and as a result, the mosquitos of Skyros have increased their numbers ten fold- at the minimum. Now, the farm is located in Trachi, which is north of Magazia and near wetlands. Due to its mosquito-friendly location, Trachi is sprayed with some scary chemical that keeps mosquito numbers fairly “low”- something I am now very thankful for. The mosquitos of Magazia, on the other hand, are left to their own devices. Last night, they were in full force and I was destroyed. In my sleep. I lay there, positively defenseless while a swarm of vampire bugs ate nearly every inch of my exposed flesh. I tried, in vain, to remain entirely under my sheet while I slept but sleeping Corie had her own agenda and this plan failed horribly. I awoke feeling alright, a little itchy, but alright. As the day progressed, my conditioned worsened and my urge to scratch began to take over.

Eventually, I looked in the mirror. And I continued to look in the mirror. I even called Elia into the bathroom to make sure that I hadn’t lost my mind. Every (and I mean EVERY) square inch of my arms, shoulders, and neck are covered in bites. My skin and muscles are so tight from being inflamed that I feel like I’ve been lifting weights all day long. I am, without a doubt, the most miserable I’ve been here thus far. And with only 5 full days left here, I have a fair number of days to compare misery levels with.

Tonight, I ran 10k in an attempt to sweat out some of the poison… I’m not sure if that makes any sense but I’m pretty desperate. I am currently sitting in the kitchen covered in apple cider vinegar (a trick a farmer here taught me) and am drinking hot water mixed with ACV as well. Hopefully it works because I’m pretty sure my skin wasn’t made to handle this kind of inflammation for this long…