Holiday Week.

The week BEFORE Thanksgiving, I was out of school for an entire week! It was a big holiday week for Mslms around the world and I enjoyed the week off from school. I was hoping to take a trip with some friends, but everything was either booked or too expensive. I was disappointed, because I was really wanting/needing to get out of the city! A few teacher friends and I decided to have our own vacation right here. It was lovely. We slept in, ate out, did some shopping, watched movies, had sleepovers, visited museums and the zoo, read books, and just enjoyed the beautiful fall weather. Every day it was sunny with temperatures in the high 60's - so nice!

One of the most interesting things I did was walk down to the Bosphorus with a friend to see if we could find any sacrifices on the day of the holiday. It was so bizarre to watch, but I am really glad I did it. For the 2 weeks leading up to the holiday there were tents like this set up all over the city selling goats, sheep, and cows. Who knew Turkey had such an awesome zoo, with such cute animals?!?The Body Worlds Exhibit has been here for about 5 months and I haven't had a chance to go yet, so I took advantage of my week off and went with a friend. It was a little difficult to find. We were told it was beside Istanbul Modern and that we couldn't miss the Istanbul Modern sign because it was HUGE. Well we did miss it and walked around for about 30 minutes up and down this street. No worries, we finally found it. If you ever get the chance to see the Body Worlds Exhibit, DO IT! It is so interesting. The entire time I was in there I kept think, "How can people not believe in a creator?"

Bridge Walk

My favorite thing about the city I live in is the Bosphorus Strait. It is a strait of water that connects the Black Sea (up north) to the Marmara Sea (down south). In order to get from Asia to Europe you have to cross the Bosphorus either by boat, or by car on 1 of the 2 bridges. The main bridge is about a kilometer long and you are not allowed to walk or ride a bike across it. But every year they open up the bridge to pedestrians for a marathon. The same weekend they also allow you to participate in a fun run or a walk. Since I am not a runner and the thought of running long distance brings back painful memories of playing basketball in 9th grade with Coach Wiggans, I decided to do the leisurely walk. It was a beautiful day, especially after weeks of clouds and rain!
There were so many people that came out for the race - remember I live in a city of 17 million. At times you could feel the bridge swaying. It was a fun day, and I so enjoyed the view!

Julie :)

A few weeks ago my old roommate, Julie came to visit. The first 6 months I was in Turkey, Julie was my roommate. Together we transitioned to living overseas, cooked dinner, made friends, and fell in love with this country. Then she had to move to England. Even though I was really sad that she moved, I was also so grateful for her friendship during my first months here. We have stayed good friends, she has made a few trips back to Turkey and I was even able to make a trip out to England to see her!

Here is a picture from when we first arrived. Everything was so new and interesting and it was fun to have someone to explore the city with.

Before heading back to the states Julie came one last time to hang out. It was wonderful. The weather was gorgeous and it was so fun to be together again in this city we both love. It also caused me to reflect a lot over the last 2 years here. The Father has been so faithful and kind to me. It is been an incredible experience so far, and I am glad it is not over yet. Here we are a few days before she left for the states. I miss knowing she was on the same side of the world with me!