I forgot to post a few photos that were left on the camera from our last night in Istanbul. We took a stroll through a beautiful section of the city, from Taxim to Bayolu, and stopped for some appetizers at a quaint restaurant. We got to sit on the upstairs terrace, so we could watch the hundreds of people bustling by. It kind of reminded me of somewhere in NYC. You can see the last 10 or 15 pictures and captions in the "Istanbul" album.
We arrived in Boston on Sunday, and except for a brief moment around 3pm today, it has not stopped raining. I would say that's somewhat ironic.
It's hard to write anything of quality on here due to an intense onset of laziness that some call "Vacation." I've been getting my regular nine hours of sleep in-between playing with my new camera, cooking, reading, and cuddling with Chris. (All of these activities are ideal on rainy days). We did get to visit with our friends Simon and Tiffani last night, who bought a new house this Spring and are expecting a baby in August. We always have a great time with them.
I finally posted our pictures from Istanbul. I know there are a lot, but there was a lot to see! It's a pretty amazing city that's so expansive, one would need more than a week to cover half of it. We were pleased to visit the parts that we did, and may take another look when we stop there on our way back to Arabia; however, I will not be eating the local food after having so much the first time. Enough is enough.
1. Nobody says "R" in words. Grass grows in the "yahd" and people live in "Wousta."
2. Cardinals and red squirrels abound.
3. Cool, rainy weather
4. Mini-golf can be played outdoors.
5. Cut flowers are cheap, and some grow right outside the window!
We are back on the continental Unites States! We might not be at our brightest and best yet due to extensive traveling, but we're here, in one piece, and ate calzones from our favorite local pizzeria last night. Chris' mom is going to make her famous chimichangas for us tonight. We are blessed to have such easy lives...
We got into Logan Airport in Boston around 7pm yesterday, due to an extended delay during our transfer in Rome. We were awake for more than a whole day because of our early flight and the switch through time zones, and managed to stay awake until about 9pm EST last night. Something went terribly wrong with my ability to sleep anywhere, so I literally slept for 12 hours last night. So far, coming back seems to be a lot easier than going.
It's nice to be here in West Boylston, where the temperature is currently 58 degrees with drizzling rain. This morning was kind of like Christmas because Chris and I remembered that we had a number of things shipped here that we bought throughout the Spring. I've got a new camera and lots of books to pore over.
Let the Summer begin!
For most of the week, we've been in Istanbul, a truly amazing city. There is so much to do there, and so many things to see that there is no way we'll be able to catch it all on this trip.
Last night, we took an overnight bus to Selchuk, a town just 3km from Ephesus. We left at 10pm and arrived around 7:30am this morning, with our day trip starting at 9:30. We visited the ancient city until about 12:30, after which we ate lunch, saw Artemis' temple (what's left of it), saw Mary's supposed living place, and visited businesses where they make ceramics and rugs by hand. Without morning showers and with a day full of hiking, we were feeling pretty crummy by this evening. Thankfully, we splurged on a nice hotel for the night, where we just cleaned up and ate dinner. We've met lots of neat people along the way, too, which has made the trip fun.
Tomorrow, we lounge around in Kashadasi, where our hotel is right on the sea. We'll take another bus back to Istanbul, stay the night, and fly out to Boston at 6:30 on Sunday morning (11:30pm EST Saturday). And then, it's really time to relax.
We're so looking forward to seeing everyone after about 10 months of being away!
I. AM. SO. TIRED.
But, it's kind of a delirious, happy tired.
We have had a crazy last few days. From traveling to Antalya, Turkey on Friday and Saturday to flying back to Istanbul today, I am wiped out. In the last 48 hours, I have flown in and out of the country, canceled our residency until it's changed in the Fall, made sure everything was out of our old apartment, gone to church, made several errands, forgot my passport at the bank and had to return immediately for it, said my goodbyes for the summer, and slept a grand total of 9 hours. It is nap time.
While our last days in the region were really busy, I can say they were good. I am content to have accomplished everything that was on my list, only to make another for the summer. The big difference will be that this one includes a few more fun activities.
In Antalya (be sure to see the pictures!), we enjoyed the luxuries of being in the Western world while technically still being in the East. We spent time at the beach, waltzed around the city, swam at the hotel, and generally just lounged for two days in-between five days of being busy. It was a much needed and well received respite. If too much sun is my greatest worry, I would say I'm doing well at this point. God is good.
For the remainder of the week, we will make our way through Istanbul and around Western Turkey, hopefully including Ephesus. Ultimately, what we do is up to my sidekick, but I am putting in some more votes for relaxation.
6 days to the U.S.
The beginnings of summer are always so sweet. Do you remember going home from the last day of school as a young child? In the first house that I remember my family living in, there was a long gravel driveway that led to the house, beyond that a barn, and over the hill another house. When I was seven or eight years old, that driveway seemed so long, when in fact it's probably only 20 yds. from the road to the house. I distinctly remember thinking, "Man, I won't have to walk up here for three whole months!"
The sweet summer time has begun for us, with a weekend trip to Antalya, Turkey. So far, we've enjoyed a total of 3-4 hours just walking around the city, laying by the pool, lots of delicious food, and just relaxing! It is so, so good to be here.
We're headed back to KWT late Saturday night so we can check out of our apartment on Sunday morning. We have everything but our clothes and minimal food moved to the new apartment, so we just have to zip our suitcases and go on Monday when we leave for Istanbul. It's hard to believe we'll be away from our second home for two months, but I am really looking forward to the time of rest.
9 days to the U.S.
New pictures are up with Chris and Kyle's trip to Oman, concerts, and friends. Click on the "through photos" link at right and select the "May and June" album.
Anyone who has ever lived life at all knows that it comes with challenges. I've come to understand that the most important aspect of these challenges is not about the specific set of circumstances, but how we react to them. This is what shows who we are.
Yesterday, we were able to finish packing everything in our current apartment and move it to our new building. Thanks to the help of some of our friends, we did this pretty expeditiously. (I knew that feeding them and letting them play video games all the time would eventually pay off!) The new apartment is not only a bit bigger and closer to the sea, it's in a more residential area. We're hoping for a little less busyness, although I've heard that soccer matches in the area definitely break the silence. All things considered, the move was pretty easy, but tiring.
On a different note, we are having a bit of difficulty transitioning to our new jobs. Most of the problem lies with our current employer, so we are doing a lot of research and talking to folks whole are well-versed in these types of situations. We have wonderful friends and a good network of knowledgeable people who are helping us make some decisions. This experience certainly falls under the "adventure" category of living in a foreign country, although I wouldn't rank it the same as going to Egypt.
It's sometimes difficult to trust that every trial appointed to us is good for us, but we have seen glimpses of God's mercy throughout. We just ask for your prayers! Wisdom, faith, patience, and favor are all things that we need...
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
It's not every year that one turns 1/4 of a century. I can say that it seems no different than 24, and will probably be no different than 26. How did anyone ever start celebrating birthdays, anyway?
On Sunday, I had a fairly normal day of teaching and church in the evening, so Chris and I went to a tasty Arabic restaurant on Monday night. I would venture to say that no one else in my family has ever tried raw minced lamb, and probably never will, so I guess that's a one-up on my part. Once I got past the fact that I was really eating it, I found it quite good on bread! Beside that, we had lamb chops, hommos, and baba ganoush (Don't quote me on spelling). Talk about a protein diet.
We can see the end of the week approaching, albeit too fast for me. I only had one set of my exams taken until today, when I received the other 72. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day! Since Chris is nearly finished with his grading, he will help...I love that guy.
Everything else around here is fairly quiet. Packing mode has not kicked in yet, so I will end up doing a lot this weekend. Tonight, I had my last tutoring session until we come back. Things are wrapping up quickly!
19 days to the U.S.
Oh my gosh! 19 days?
