When I moved to France, I remember sitting on my flight. The movie Leatherheads was supposed to be playing, but the movie system on the flight was malfunctioning, so we were movieless on the 9 hour trip. I guess if something has to malfunction 35,000 feet in the air, I'd gladly choose the movie system, playing a movie I had no desire to see. I put on my headphones and thought. I was completely alone. I wouldn't see a familiar face until I came home at Christmas. I wondered what I was doing. What I didn't realize was that the people I'd meet in France would quickly become my people. They were people who, like myself, were offered the chance to teach in France, leaving behind their friends, family, and possessions that wouldn't fit into two suitcases. Fast forward to now, and they are still some of my very best friends, although our relationship is far from normal. Aside from a brief visit in New York, a briefer visit in Chicago, and a few days in San Francisco, I only see them outside of this great country. This isn't intentional, it just seems to always work out that way.
Anya is currently calling Istanbul home, and the three of us who'd lost our title of expat had been throwing around the idea of going to visit. The January blues were hitting me hard, when Kate or Anya one text to say that tickets to Istanbul were stupid stupid cheap. Nothing cures my winter blues like a trip, so I looked and saw round trip, Chicago to Istanbul for $580. I couldn't afford not to. Somehow we were all able to coordinate dates, and it kind of just fell into place. Kate, Randall, and I were headed to Turkey.
I'd been to Turkey before, but it was honestly kind of a blur. When I left Korea in 2011, I flew from Seoul to Istanbul. Korea put me in a weird place. I knew I needed to leave, but was really sad to be leaving anyway. Anya was working crazy hours at the time, so I spent a lot of that trip walking around solo, missing Korea, my students, and my piece of crap future ex boyfriend. I'd been wanting a do-over and this was my chance. Plus, anytime I get to see Kate, Randall, and Anya is an absolute win.
I'll write more details later. I really need to get everything written in my journal before I forget, but school is kicking my butt this semester and I have zero free time, ever.
The trip was everything I'd hoped for and more. It included a hot air balloon ride, kittens and puppies, a food tour, and laying naked on a table while an old Turkish woman wearing nothing but a pair of lacy black underwear loofahed EVERY inch of my body with the world's dirtiest loofah.
Anya is currently calling Istanbul home, and the three of us who'd lost our title of expat had been throwing around the idea of going to visit. The January blues were hitting me hard, when Kate or Anya one text to say that tickets to Istanbul were stupid stupid cheap. Nothing cures my winter blues like a trip, so I looked and saw round trip, Chicago to Istanbul for $580. I couldn't afford not to. Somehow we were all able to coordinate dates, and it kind of just fell into place. Kate, Randall, and I were headed to Turkey.
I'd been to Turkey before, but it was honestly kind of a blur. When I left Korea in 2011, I flew from Seoul to Istanbul. Korea put me in a weird place. I knew I needed to leave, but was really sad to be leaving anyway. Anya was working crazy hours at the time, so I spent a lot of that trip walking around solo, missing Korea, my students, and my piece of crap future ex boyfriend. I'd been wanting a do-over and this was my chance. Plus, anytime I get to see Kate, Randall, and Anya is an absolute win.
I'll write more details later. I really need to get everything written in my journal before I forget, but school is kicking my butt this semester and I have zero free time, ever.
The trip was everything I'd hoped for and more. It included a hot air balloon ride, kittens and puppies, a food tour, and laying naked on a table while an old Turkish woman wearing nothing but a pair of lacy black underwear loofahed EVERY inch of my body with the world's dirtiest loofah.
