It's A Small World...
...after all. Or is it. Maybe the person who wrote that song has been to Disney World, but I'm not sure that they've been to Istanbul. I have now...twice! So, i don't think I'm self medicating (maybe i'm in denial), but I did have Domino's, something pretty close to Mexican food, and maybe Starbucks on more than one occasion this past week. We don't have that kind of stuff where I live, so I had to get while the getting was good! Starbucks is always a fun visit. Let's see, I'll share with you some of the fun names we've had written on our cups. Katie has been Kerry and Kelly. Craig has actually been 'Crack' before. I was Jessi. You have no idea how many people here want to give me the nickname Jessi. Turks love it. Or people in Turkey, in general for that matter. Some other fun ones have been: Dragon and Beff. It's always fun waiting for your cup of "beyaz cikolatali mocha" to see what name you'll be given!
So we went to Istanbul for a week of meetings and orientation to this new life we're in now. I got to stay with some precious precious friends--there is your shout out! Thank you guys! Love ya'll!--and how often do you get to take a boat and a bus or taxi to work in one day? That's what I thought. I did it every day during my tour o' Istanbul! It was so fun! Wind in my hair riding across the Bosphorus or Marmara Sea--I think at some point, i went over both--all the while looking like I don't actually live in Turkey because I might as well have had a fanny pack. May camera was in hand hanging over the boat clicking away! This city absolutely blew me away. It is enormous. Just mind boggling how huge it is!
It was such a great week of meeting new people and getting some advice, encouragement, and some challenges on how to get used to my new life and thrive. I'm back feeling refreshed and ready to spend the hot hot summer here in my Mediterranean home! We did get to spend Katie's birthday at the Mexican 'gibi' (Turkish=like, somewhat similar) restaurant. This is where the sombrero fits in! It's not every year, you have a birthday in another country...but I am going for two years in a row here! Last year I had a birthday in Africa, and this year--this Wednesday (was that a shameless plug?)--I'll be having a 2nd birthday out of the country! Look out. Who knew, I'd be such a cross cultural little girl, now? I'm glad to be back in my city for awhile, glad to be looking forward to a few manila envelopes in the mail from my folks for the b-day, glad to see Turkish friends this week, glad to be refreshed and encouraged, and glad to have endless hope regardless of the place I find myself in from week to week.
