Learning a Foreign Language

Learning a foreign language has proved to be one of the hardest and most challenging things I have ever done. I would say that language is the hardest thing about living in Turkey. It is hard to feel like you have no voice, to not be able to explain what you are doing, or tell something you think their dress is cute, or genuinely apologize for bumping into someone. Sometimes I just feel lost in translation (which is a terrible, strange movie!) Since moving here, 7 months ago, it has been my desire to learn Turkish. I know the more language I have, the more comfortable I'll be. I also know that it is important for me to learn the heart language of the people I live among and serve. Over the last 7 months I have done several things in an attempt to learn this language.

The first 5 months, I met with a language tutor for about 4 hours a week. Pervin is a Turk but knows really good English, because she lived in Colorado for a few years. She was a great tutor and the perfect fit for me since I was teaching full time. Because she knew English she was able to explain things to me and answer my many questions. She also was always so willing to help me to do things around the city - get my bridesmaid's dress altered, find a tanning bed, ride a taxi, order meat, etc. I am so thankful for her, and loved spending time with her - whether in or outside of our tutoring sessions. She gave me a great foundation of Turkish.

I just finished a 1 month intensive language course, with 13 other foreigners (yabanciler)! We meet for 16 classes over the last month - for 4 hours each and we had the sweetest teacher named Nuray. Nuray was a wonderful teacher, who pushed and challenged me. She only knew a few English words, so she mostly spoke to us (and requested we speak to her) in Turkish. This really helped to get me thinking and speaking in Turkish. I feel good about my class and the progress I made, now I just hope I can keep practicing and using it more. I think in the fall I am going to find a tutor to just speak Turkish with me, even if it is on like a 2nd grade level. I am done with grammar for a while and just want to use what I have learned.

Small World

A few weeks ago Selma and I went to Chilis' for her birthday, it also happened to be July 4th. We met up with some other Americans that were going as well. When we arrived, we were shown to this upstairs room that had "Happy 4th of July" signs everywhere and American flags! We enjoyed a delicious meal (I think I ate an entire basket of chips and salsa all by myself) complete with unlimited refills. After dinner they told us they had a special dessert for us, and out they came with this cake that had sparkers and an American flag on it!! It was hilarious, and so nice of them to help us celebrate our holiday!
After dinner I was talking to the manager, he is a Turk but speaks really good English. I was asking him how he learned to speak so well and he told me that he had lived in America for the last 10 years. Well after many more of my questions, I find out that he not only lived in America, but he lived in Raleigh, NC and went to graduate school at NC State, my university!!! We talk some more about how he liked Raleigh, what beach he used to go to, etc and then he tells me that for 5 years he managed a Chilis' on Glenwood Avenue. I about fell out of my chair. I went to this Chilis ALL THE TIME in college, it is right across the street from Providence. I couldnt believe it, what a small world! To think that just last year we were both in Raleigh, and now we are both in Turkey. I am so glad he is here managing a Chilis in my new city!

Dog Sitting

I just spent the last 10 days dogsitting for a family here. The wife teaches 4th grade at my school and her family went on vacatin to Antalya. They have an 8 month old yellow lab named Ella! She is a mess. I quickly formed a love/hate relationship with this dog. She is so fun and loving, but also still a puppy that can be quite naughty! We had a good time together...after she stopped peeing on the floor everytime I came home. We went for many walks, which gave me a good opportunity to use my Turkish with all the kids that asked to pet Ella. I could tell towards the end of the week that she was more comfortable with me - she listened better, went to bathroom on command, and was calmer around me. I really do love dogs and miss my dogs at home - I have 2 black labs and a chihauhau. BUT I learned this week that if I ever get a big dog, it is going to have to stay outside. I had a good week and really enjoyed my time with Ella!

One night Ella spent about 15 minutes chasing her tail...it was quite funny.

4th of July in Turkey

Last Friday I went to Polenezkoy with a group of Americans, in honor of our Independence Day. Polenezkoy is a Polish Village about 45 minutes outside of my city and there is a very nice country club there. It was great to be outside all day with friends. I spent most of the day laying by the pool and playing sand volleyball…it was glorious. As you can see from the pictures there was a beautiful view with lots of grass and blue sky! We had a fabulous lunch of hotdogs, hamburgers, bacon, and all the American fixings – pasta salad, potato salad, bean salad, chips and salsa, etc! It was all so yummy. I had a great day – even though I wasn’t at White Lake with my family eating corn on the cob and Snoballs!


I gladly watched Levi, while his parents participated in the Family Fun Run!













Polenezkoy was also a petting zoo! All day we had these animals - cows, goats, rabbits, etc walking around. It was hilarious!






With Anna -my friend and laying out partner all day!

My Time in the States

As you know I just returned from being in the states for 10 days. It was a whirlwind of weddings, good food, and catching up with friends and family! I had such a wonderful trip and am so glad I went home for it all. At both Megan and Catherine's weddings I kept thinking, "I cannot imagine not being here and being a part of these girls weddings!" It was a lot of fun and both celebrations were equally special and memorable - filled with good food, good dancing, and good fellowship. I think the thing I enjoyed most was watching my dear friends marry guys I think very highly of and knowing they will be good leaders and husbands for them. It was a joy and an honor to be a part of their wedding weekend! Here are a few pictures from the two weekends (see facebook for more!)

Megan Sadler Carr's Wedding...

Lifetime Girls :)

The Cute Couple

Doing a little dance for/with Megs!


And Catherine Wilson Barker's Wedding....

Wolfpack Girls

Kissy, Kissy!
In between the 2 weddings, I headed to White Lake for 4 days of more good food, more catching up, and time on the water and in the sun. That's the life! My lake house was like a revolving door! One group would leave, then another would arrive and I would start the whole catching up/hanging out process all over again. It was great fun and not as exhausting or overwhelming as I thought it might be. My sweet mom cooked big, delicious meals every night and was willing to go to Walmart and get my list of things to take back....that was a HUGE help!! Here are a few pictures of the dear friends and family that came to see me at the lake!

Some of my sweet friends from college!

Edwards Cousins (except for Andrew!)

MawMaw and PawPaw

One of my favorite things with one of my favorite people!

My New Home!

After a very eventful flight (we ended up being stuck in Canada for over 8 hours! When we landed we busted 2 tires and so we had to wait for a new plane to arrive from NYC. Thirty minutes after taking off there was another medical situation, but PTL we didnt have to land again!), I finally arrived back home.

I was talking the other day with a friend about the word "home" and what it means. What is home? Some say you cant ever really go back home, some say home is where the heart is. Dictionary.com says that home is: "1. a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household. 2. the place in which one's domestic affections are centered" I agree with all that. I'll always think of Rose Hill as home, as well as Raleigh, but for now home is Turkey. My life is here and my home is here. I know this is where I am suppose to be and I am grateful to live and serve here.

Since arriving back HOME, I have been extremely busy!
Flew in late Monday night
Tuesday went to school to work in classroom and complete Report Cards
Wednesday cleaned my old apartment and packed up all day.
Thursday I moved into my new apartment (see pictures below, it is so cute. i can take NO CREDIT for any of the decorating, but am enjoying living in a place that feels like home! and I have a great roommate.)
In between all this I have hung out with and said goodbye to different friends going back to the states for a while!

Surprise Trip to Canada!

I've always wanted to go to Canada, and here I am...sitting at an Airport in Halifax, Nova Scotia! Why you may ask? Well, I was on the plane from NYC to Istanbul...I had a nice window seat and they had just started the beverage cart around. I ordered my cranberry apple juice (and had my dramamine ready to take). But before she could fix it she had to move the cart because of some commotion that was going on about 5 rows behind me. Turns out that a man had a heart attack, and we had to make an emergency landing in Canada!! The medical staff came on and treated him...not real sure of his status, but he was alert and talking when they wheeled him off. We stayed on the plane for about 30 minutes, hoping to take back off soon. But it turns out that we had to exit the plane in order for it to be reweighed and refueled (Because the plane was too heavy and big to land at this airport so we dumped almost all our gas in order to land).

That was 4 hours ago!

We are stuck in the airport lobby and they are feeding us food from the plane. They just started handing out blankets and pillows. It feels like something from a movie! I am just glad to have internet and phone service. We are waiting on a new plane to arrive from Atlanta, and the plan is to leave at 4am EST, and arrive back in Turkey around 4:30pm. But who knows if that will happen! This is definietly an experience I will never forget. I got the chance to practice my Turkish with this sweet old lady who had NO IDEA what was going on. And I met a few students from Maine that are studying abroad for the summer. I got one of them to take a picture of me :)