One month...Where did it go?

It's hard to believe we've been away from home for over a month. We're still living in Istanbul. Before my mom left she made a comment that it's amazing that you can travel around the world and find a place that can feel like home. She was right. Even though Istanbul is so foreign to us in many ways, we still feel comfortable and content.

What do I love about Istanbul? We live near water for the first time in my life. We don't need a car because public transportation is so convenient. Ferries across the Bosphorus are a major source of transportation and they are cheap, relaxing, and a great way to enjoy the scenery on the way to your destination. Mark's quote: "The best thing about Istanbul...public transportation. The scariest thing about Istanbul...public transportation." The roads in general are scary. It is okay to turn one lane into 2 or 3 if necessary. Plus, we've gotten very lost on buses a couple times. But, I got sidetracked...more about what I love...

Every neighborhood has a unique flavor. Some areas like ours feel very traditional while others feel modern and "European". My first blog from Turkey talked about the conservative dress. However, as we've journeyed to other neighborhoods, I have seen many women showing their knees and shoulders - how scandalous! :)

It's amazing that we feel somewhat at home and able to get around a city of 17 million people.

What do we miss? Of course our family and friends. Along with that we miss salsa, sharp chedder cheese, frosted mini wheats, icey cold drinks, and air conditioning. Also, milk - in the pasteurized form we're used to - is hard to find. In Istanbul some stores have "normal" milk for foreigners, but when we move to Eregli we will have to embrace a life with milk that doesn't have to be refrigerated and tastes a little sour. Just today I started to miss stores like Fry's or Safeway. I remember being able to go to one grocery store and find everything you need. Nowadays I know where I can get milk, but they have no peanut butter. Or, there might be peanut butter but no bread. Shopping entails visiting several different small markets and many times it can take days to find something a little more rare like basil.

I mentioned Eregli in the last paragraph - we just went there a couple weeks ago as a family and I finally saw the small city that will be our home for 10 months. Mark signed his contract for his teaching job and we did some shopping and exploring. The apartment we will be living in is right in the heart of town just a few blocks from the Black Sea. Eregli is a beautiful city that could be compared to many costal towns in Greece, I'm sure. The landscape reminds me some of the coast of Central California with striking blue water, rolling green mountains, and small cliffs dropping into the water. The difference: there are no waves. The water seems more like a gigantic lake because it is perfectly still. It may change as the seasons change...we'll see. The city of Eregli reminds me of what I consider the most beautiful city in the world - Guanajuato, Mexico. I still consider Guanajuato more beautiful, but Eregli has some of its flavor with colorful buildings built on the sides of steep hills, narrow streets, and well-manicured parks.

I have so much more to write, but will stop for today. In my next blog, I will need to talk about the Turkish culture, which I find fascinating. It reminds me a little of Japanese culture and Mexican culture combined. I'll expand on that later.