Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

Yep, that's right, the world was blessed by the birth of Jane Austen on December 16th, 1775!

Are you a fan of Jane Austen novels? Here's 3 fun facts about my love of Austen:

#1 - Before I was old enough to read Austen, I was watching the film-adaptations of her novels. My favorite was the 6-hour long version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth; my family would watch 1-hour a night together :)

#2 - My favorite Jane Austen novel is sort of a tie between Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park, with Northanger Abbey in a slight lead. These are less-known novels by her, but they are both so amazing! Northanger Abbey makes me laugh so hard, which is something you don't always find in these romantic fictions. I relate in different ways with the different characters, which makes these books a joy to read.

#3 - This past summer, I had the most fun watching Jane Austen's work come to life in modern-times on Youtube! The Lizzie Bennett Diaries are such an amazing creation, and right now you can also watch Emma Approved on Youtube as it comes out.

So, as you go about your day, grab some dessert and wish Jane Austen a "Happy birthday!"

What is your favorite novel of Austen? Are you doing something to celebrate her today?

***Snow***Snow***Snow***Snow***

I am writing this blog post curled up in bed with the heater on and all my blankets on top of me. Outside, the world is completely white. The winds are blowing hard, and sometimes they turn to fling all the oncoming snow straight at my window. I can't see any signs of the huge city that lies right outside my home. Instead, I can only see a few lights from brave cars on the highway and the shining windows of the apartments across the street.

As I was walking home last night from a friend's house, the snow blew all around me, and even more thoughts flowed through my mind. I passed our university campus, where students had left the warmth of the library to act like kids and have a snowball fight. I passed other Turkish children and families braving the cold to play in the powdery white. The verse from the Bible that mentions "storehouses of snow" (Job 38:22) came to mind, as I marveled at how amazing God's creation is (I mean, snow, doesn't it seem like something that should come out of a sci-fi story...I mean, really, think about how crazy it is!). Ok, and there is another thing that comes to my mind too every time it snows...




My stomach is hurting right now because every time I watch that video I laugh so hard! Coming from Georgia, where it only snows maybe 1 day out of the year and even then only 1 inch or so, this is really new and exciting for me. Snow is so beautiful!

Wow, something just happened that I have never experienced. Amid the snow storm, the brightest flash of lightning lit up my bedroom and the sky is rumbling with thunder as loud as a large plane. Is that normal? Someone with snow experience let me know!

Now, please excuse me as I go put on every piece of clothing in my closet so that I can brave this beautiful, wet, crunchy mess to make it to class. Iyi gunler!

P.S. - While you're at it, click on this -> https://www.mygfa.org/faithfulnomad/ and join with me in sharing the joy of Christmas with people around the world!

Turkey Day in Turkey & the Start of Christmas

This past week I celebrated Thanksgiving with so many great friends that we had not one, but two Thanksgiving celebrations!

First Thanksgiving Celebration...and yes, that 7-Layer Salad in the top left corner has BACON ON IT!

We had turkey, which actually isn't a very common food in Turkey believe it or not, and all the other Thanksgiving favorites (and yes, I must mention again, there was bacon...my first pork in 3 months!).

We have a lot we are thankful for...

These include, but are not limited to: Turkey in Turkey, "everyone I met here, especially HIM",  music, family and friends, wassel (long story), celebrations, 7 Wonders (I think in reference to the board game..), BACON, a warm home, pumpkin, and "not falling far from the tree"(the little red leaf at the bottom left of the page).

After our meal, we did something that I haven't done on Thanksgiving before; we sang worship songs together. Our hostesses accompanied on piano and guitar, and we belted out our praises to God. It was such an amazing time, I really can't even put into words how it felt. But one thing is for sure: God has really shown me over the past few months that HE is always right by my side. I sang that night in utter awe, thankfulness, and amazement as I thought about how great HE is.

Two days later, on Saturday, we had an even larger celebration with tons of our Turkish friends as well, and it was so much fun to see them eat traditional Thanksgiving food for the first time. And, as you can imagine, "You are eating your/my country" was spoken many times that day. We also played Nertz (which I know thanks to my housemates from my summer in Washington DC), and watched "The Ultimate Gift", a really heart-felt movie that went perfect with Thanksgiving. And, to end the night, we had a bath-tub party to wash all the dishes (this only happened because the sink clogged...it was totally hygienic, I promise...we even sang The Happy Working Song while we worked, which made it so much fun!). 

If you are a reader in the USA, you are probably starting to get into the Christmas mood, and I am too. I've been playing some of my favorite Christmas songs, like "Snow Globe" and "Christmas this Year."  But, this year is really different for me because I am in a country where the majority of people do not recognize Jesus Christ as the Savior. A few Christmas trees can be spotted at the malls, and icicle lights are hanging around some larger restaurants, but these (and Santa too) have all been integrated into New Year's celebrations and festivities. Unless you are at one of the few churches in Istanbul, you won't be seeing any Nativity scenes. No crosses. No reminders of what this holiday is really all about. In one aspect, this has made it even more important to me to focus on the reason for Christmas instead of all about gift-giving and stuff that is focused in on the States. On the other hand, it has shown me what life without Christmas looks like. It seems like such a joke in the USA, you know, "the Grinch stole Christmas," and all of that, but we don't often think about the fact that many countries around the world don't have the hope that is so visible throughout the States at Christmas time. For a lot of people, like many here, there is no Christmas because there is no reason to celebrate. This hurts my heart, as Christmas celebrates the day that has forever changed my life. It's not about "keeping the Christmas spirit alive", like so many movies such as Elf seem to think is important; it is all about telling people of the hope in Jesus that makes every day worth living.

On that note, please go check out www.mygfa.org/faithfulnomad/ to see my thoughts on another country that also needs our help throughout the year - India. 

Thanks for reading, and until next time, "Gorusuruz!" (talk to you later). 

It's a Good Morning!

The Bible

Psalm 139:3
"YOU see me when I travel and when I rest at home. YOU know everything I do."

Psalm 139: 9-10
"If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there YOUR hand will guide me, and YOUR strength will support me."

GOD is faithful. It is such a comfort and encouragement to read verses like these while I am far from home. I don't just know that HE is near me from reading the Bible, though. Through taking care of me, providing for me, blessing me with an abundance of friends and people who love me here, HE continually shows me day by day that HE is right by my side every step of the way. GOD is awesome, guys! I hope these verses are an encouragement to you too. No matter where you are or what you are going through, GOD is right there by your side. Here's another one:

Lamentations 3:23
"Great is HIS faithfulness; HIS mercies begin afresh every morning."

Now, the fact that this verse comes up in a book of the Bible called Lamentations is amazing to me. The whole book of Lamentations is about the Israelites lamenting that they are being punished, and yet a whole section of chapter 3 is all about how they know that GOD is still faithful too them. GOD's promises never fail, and we know that HE is faithful to us too, in every situation whether joyful or grief-filled. I love that part of the verse where it says that HIS mercies are new each morning. Isn't that great to know that when you wake up in the morning, HE is right there to get you started on a fresh new day? In the Bible study I am doing from Beth Moore, she made a point a few weeks ago that stuck with me: The Israelites were given manna (bread from heaven) each morning, but they had to go out and gather it right away or it would disappear when the sun rose. In this same way, we are given mercy from GOD each morning, but we must go out and gather it up. We must take hold of the mercy HE gives us instead of trying to make it on our own. I have to remind myself this, and I even wrote in my Bible next to Lamentations 3:23: I must gather what GOD provides; it is partially my responsibility. Don't lay in self-pity! Gather HIS mercy!

If you are waking up right now to start your new day, this is for you! GOD bless your new, mercy-filled day :)

A Race Between 2 Continents

Today I did something so cool that I never even thought of putting it on my bucket list! Pelin and I woke up at 6:15am today in Asia (the Asian side of Istanbul that is). We hopped on a bus, then a dolmuş (in which I spent the first bit kneeling in the floor because it was so packed) and finally made it to the starting line of the 10k race in the Istanbul Marathon. This is no ordinary race; it is the only race in the world that crosses between 2 continents! What an experience! We started in Asia, ran across the Bosphorus Bridge (this is the only chance people have of crossing the bridge by foot for the entire year) and ran to Europe. So glad I was able to have this great, unique experience with such a great friend. I actually felt like a real Istanbullu today as I heard my name called out many times as I ran alongside the friends I have made over the past few months. It is really awesome to be able to spend enough time in a city that you start feeling like you belong. People are always asking me if I love Istanbul. I do really like the city, but what makes me love Istanbul is the people that I have met and built friendships with here. I am so thankful that God has led me to meet so many great people! Here are a few pics from the race. More on Instagram - @faithful_nomad    :)

Getting ready to cross the bridge!

İ am not sure which İ appreciated getting more, the banana or the medal...I mean, bananas are just so good!

We did it! Mission accomplished!

Comment below if you have suggestions for what races I should sign up for in the States come spring! Am looking forward to prioritizing running from now on and getting in on this fun racing action more often. 2014 goals will include setting some PRs :)

Starting New Things

I'm in the middle of finishing a lab report that is taking me SOOO long to finish, but I think I will take a few moments to give you an update on the new things I have started doing in Turkey. Two weeks ago, I was blessed to find out from a friend about a Beth Moore Bible study going on in her home. I went to the study, and I seriously almost started tearing up whenever they prayed in English...I hadn't prayed with someone else in my language in over 6 weeks (my church is in Turkish). It's an understatement to say that this Bible study has been an amazing gift from God. The study, A Women's Heart, is about the tabernacle and how God wants to meet with us. By reading how He sought out a relationship with the Israelites, how He brought them out of Egypt after 400 years of slavery, how He used Moses's life, I have had so many things hit home with my own personal life. I am amazed that the Creator of the Universe wants to meet with each of us, His creation, that He wants to speak with us, that He wants to show us His glory. It is awesome! Through the women leading the Bible study, I have also made more friends with Christians in my area, and it is really great to get to know them and hang out.

I also found out from another friend that there are beginner Turkish folk dance classes at our school that meet for 6 hours of practice a week. It is so much fun! We are all pinky friends now (most dances involve standing in lines or circles with your pinkies linked with the people on either side of you). I have made even more friends, and Turkish folk dances are really cool. My favorite part of practice is at the end when the whole group (30-40 students + 3 teachers) dances a fast routine together and we are all bouncing, pinkies linked, shoes clicking on the wooden floor and smiles all around. Dancing is so good for my soul :) The classes are mostly in Turkish, so I am getting really good at counting and knowing my lefts and rights in Turkish, as well as picking up some other words and phrases from the other Turkish students.

Well, got to get back to that lab report. I've got Imagine Dragons playing, and I am going to try and finish this report before the album repeats itself. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Growing Roots and Sprouting Wings

^This has been on my mind a lot this week. Roots. Wings. Roots to me means living somewhere where one of the first questions people ask me is not "So, how long are you here for?" or "When do you fly back home?". Roots is making friends that I don't have to worry about missing in a few months. Roots is getting to actually decorate my room. Roots is looking out the window and knowing that I will be able to enjoy this view indefinitely. I have not grown roots. I'm not really sure how to start. Because to grow roots, you have to pick a spot. And picking a place is that much harder when you aren't sure where God is leading you.

But that isn't to say that I don't have the wings part down pretty solid. I know how to find an adventure if I want one. I know how to make friends on a moment's notice. I can find temporary housing, and pack my life into my blue rolling duffle bag (although it still scares me to see my life wrapped up in one large tote).  I know how to look at the view and think, "I'm going to think back on this moment and remember it for the rest of my life." I know that making more friends and having more experiences makes life that much richer, but it also gives you more to miss later on.

This week I met an amazing group of Istanbullus, ex-pats and Turkish natives who love Christ with all of their hearts. They were so loving and opened up their homes to me this week as we had Bible study together and spent time building our friendships. God has really been speaking to me through the story of Moses, which we discussed this week and which I have been studying on my own in our Beth Moore Bible study guide A Women's Heart. Moses had an amazing childhood, I'm sure, as he was raised as a prince of Egypt. He had all the splendor, had all the wealth, had all the comforts, and had a loving family. But God led him into the desert, which was a far cry from the comforts of Pharoah's palace, and used him to rescue the Israelites from the country he had called home. An action, an event, that changed history forever. Moses had roots, but God called him to have wings. God called him to live a life that wasn't comfortable, but that was full of love and purpose. God used Moses.

I want God to use me too. But I don't know if that means growing roots or keeping my wings. Because I have seen this past week how amazing it is for Christians to join together in a permanent community and grow roots in their city. Where they can go through life together and not have to worry about planning good-bye parties every few weeks or months. Where they can reach those around them and really build every-day relationships that will last a lifetime. 

I would really appreciate your prayers as I make plans and try to make sure I am following God's will for my life. I am trying to graduate this spring, but right now that is up in the air because of my courses I have left for my degree. And I need to figure out what I will do after graduating so I can start applying to the right things (roots or wings part). Thanks! 

Miss all of you in the States and hope you are having a wonderful autumn...appreciate the red leaves and fall-decorating for me :) Friends in Turkey - thanks for reading :)

Your faithful nomad, 

Kaelin

Inspiration. Motivation. Discipline.

Here is my wish for your day and your life, written beautifully by the author of todaywasmeaningful.wordpress.com.

`and while you are here, on this earth, i hope you make someone smile.  i hope you forgive someone when it’s the hardest thing to do, and i hope you say you are sorry when you’re wrong.  and with the time you are given, i hope you find the things that you love and spend it with people that help you to become a better person.  i hope you say ‘i love you’ every chance you get, and i hope you wear that expensive perfume you’ve been saving up.  and in the amount of hours.minutes.seconds. you have, i hope you take risks, go on adventures, and eat good food. i hope you laugh until you cry and dance even if you don’t know how to.  i hope you help when you can and that you replace quick judgments with attempts to understand. and with your time, i hope you find yourself trying new things and growing in whatever way that you can. i hope you change someone’s life and find the one thing you are really good at.´

I pray that each of your days is filled with knowing how much God loves you. That you will fully understand His Truth, His Strength, and His plan for your life. I hope you are able to spend each day sharing the joy that fills you with those around you, and that you will be a shining light to all the world. I wish for you a life that is filled with meaningful days, and that you will seize every opportunity, and not just that, but that you will create opportunities to help others and bless their lives. That your life won´t just be about you. That it will be about all of God´s creation, all of His children, all to His glory. 



This next month is a month of Thanksgiving. Since I am in a country that does not put such seasonal significance on helping others, giving thanks, and sharing what we have been blessed with, I am reminded that this must not just be an activity that we focus on for 2 months out of the year. People need to be shown God´s love 365 days of the year. As you go about your day, keep your eyes open for ways to help everyone; they are each someone that God created with love and purpose. Stop and give your boxed lunch to the homeless guy on the street. Smile at the janitor; ask him how he is doing...be genuinely interested in his life. Hold the door open for the person behind you. Say good morning (or gunaydın) to your neighbors. Strive to be a friend who is always opening your home to others. Share what you have with others. I don´t just say this to motivate you; I say this to myself as well. Many days I fail to take opportunities to make that day meaningful for someone else. I don´t want a single day to go by that I do not take full advantage to love everyone around me. 

In this day and age, we have so many open ways to help people around the world, people we will probably never meet but who can greatly benefit from us sharing our blessings. Keep your eyes open for these opportunities; you may forever change someone´s life forever. You may just be the action that is needed to show them that someone out there cares for them. 

www.gfa.org
www.samaritanspurse.org
www.asourown.org
Scarf project (not too late to sign up!) - http://stayathomedaughter.com/ktil/
libertyinnorthkorea.org

Have a great weekend and make today meaningful!

So much fun!

The past two weeks have gone by in a whirl and I haven't kept up with blogging (although new pictures go up on Instagram each day, so follow @faithful_nomad to keep up with me on a daily basis). Life is a daily adventure here. Today is the last day of class before our 'fall' break, which is called Bayram ('holiday) in Turkey. We have a week off, and many Turks travel to go visit their families this week and take part in religious traditions, such as slaughtering animals and giving the meat to the poor. My week will consist of relaxing and going to the beach, but I will blog about that after the fact :)

Two weeks ago, my flatmate, Joost, obtained this amazing book called Istanbul Eats: A Guide to the Culinary Backstreets. It's a really great guidebook to a lot of amazing restaurants in Istanbul. The book divides Istanbul into several sections, and we decided to hit 3 of the restaurants closest to Rumelihisarustu (where we live) and try out what the book recommended. Along with another exchange student from the USA, Aileen, we walked about 5km to an area along the Bosphorus Strait and decided to eat our hearts out (on a college budget, of course). The first restaurant we went to was Bodrum Manti & Cafe (which was my favorite of the 3 places). We ordered a 1/2 serving of manti (stuffed pasta, boiled) and a 1/2 serving of kofte (fried meatball). After our meal, each of us were promptly brought our own dessert for free, which was one of the best desserts I have had in Istanbul! It was two thin crispy waffles, a scoop of vanilla icecream in the middle, and some sort of berry sauce (*yum!*). We ooohed and aaahed as we ate our desssert and couldn't believe how hospitable the staff was (especially when the desserts alone cost more than what we ordered and paid for). I'm sure the server noticed us using the Istanbul Eats book, and also noticed that we were on a tight budget. Turkish hospitality is the best! We trooped on to two more places and tried several more appetizers, including huge kalamari, fish balls (which are like grown-up fish sticks in a ball form), and lahmacun (pronounced 'lahmajun'). At each place, we asked the chef to sign the page of the book that was about their restaurant. They were more than happy to give us their autographs, and the book has continued to fill up. Hopefully by January we will have tried each place in it. 

Last weekend, I traveled once again to Ankara, this time not to crash a wedding, but actually go to one that I was invited to! My friend, Pelin, has a friend who was getting married, and they invited me to take part and see what a Turkish wedding is like. The happy couple is so kind, and I had an amazing time. This wedding was fairly modern, and very similar to the many weddings I have worked at in the US. There were, however, many small differences that I noticed that were very interesting:

Me and my bestie at the wedding. Such a beautiful celebration, beautiful people, and so much love!

1) The bride and groom are able to see each other before the ceremony. There is no ban on the groom seeing the bride in full bridal dress, and they were hanging out together in a dressing room before they came out for the ceremony (we even got to hang out with them and joke as they got over their pre-wedding nerves). 

2) There was no 'vow' or 'exchanging rings' part in the ceremony. The couple simply came in, sat down at a table, the officiator read something like a contract, and the bride and groom said 'evet' (yes) in turn. They signed the contract, and then took pictures. That was it! For the rings, they wear their engagement rings (both of them) on their right hands until the wedding, and then switch to their left hands after the ceremony. 

3) No wedding registry or cards! Everyone brings gold items (either small coins you can purchase, or gold bracelets and necklaces) and money as gifts. As the bride and groom go around the room after the ceremony, they wear large sashes and the bride carries a small bag. They greet each person, get congratulations, and then that person gives them the gift. Family members usually give larger gold items, like gold bangles that they place on the bride. The money is pinned to the groom's sash, and gold coins can be pinned on the bride's sash or placed in her bag. By the time the couple has made it around the room, they are covered in wealth that can be used for whatever they need as a new couple.

In between all these fun events and trips around Istanbul, I've been hard at work taking classes at Bogaziçi University. Because I want to graduate this spring, I am taking 3 senior-level chemistry courses and 1 course in microeconomics. They have all been really great, and I am making friends with the Turkish students, which is a real blessing. I have been able to Skype home a few times, and even got to Skype with my grandparents (hi, Boomama and Boopapa!). It's really great to get to see everyone's smiling faces and stay in touch. 

Make sure you follow my blog by putting your email address in the right-hand side box, and also follow me on Instagram (@faithful_nomad and @k_rover_explores_the_world). Would love to hear from you! Hadi gorusuruz (talk to you soon)!

You know you live in Turkey if...

#1 - You hear the Islamic call to prayer 5 times a day.

#2 - You forget that there are lines on the road because nobody actually uses them. 
#3 - All meet & greets include touching cheeks (at least once on each side) with your friends and new acquaintances. And you ALWAYS say goodbye to everyone in the group before leaving. No sneaking out of the party here!

#4 - You have bread and çay with every meal. Yes. E-v-e-r-y meal. 

#5 - You know that real men have tea parties. Well, they wouldn't call them tea parties, but they are. They sit outside of cáfes with çay and a cigarette in hand and talk for long periods of time. Tea parties.

#6 - You don't think twice when you see 20 cats and dogs on your way to school or work. It is a well-known fact that they are legitimate neighbors, deserving of your extra food and loving kindness. 

#7 -  You spend half of your life on some mode of public transportation.

#8 - One of the most important decisions you make is what futbol team you support. Go Fenerbahçe!

#9 - A simit cart is never more than a few steps away. 

#10 - you are a girl and you don't go anywhere without a scarf. I mean, they are the best fashion accessory ever! And they are great for if the weather turns cold all of a sudden :)

#11 - You can't buy granola bars at the grocery store...but there is a whole aisle dedicated just to cookies.

#12 - You eat olives with your breakfast. And tomatoes. And cucumbers.

#13 - You don't normally shop at huge stores or supermarkets. Everything you need can be found at one of the tiny Mom&Pop places on your street. I think this is directly related to the fact that most people don't go driving to run errands, and so there are more options for buying within walking distance of everyone's houses and apartments.

#14 - Coffee = Nescafe or Turkish coffee. Which means that it is either 'fake' (as I like to call the instant stuff), or as thick as coffee mud (but utterly delicious). Unless you go to Starbuck's or Dunkin Donuts, where you will pay much more money for your American-style cup of joe.

#15 - You know that drinking water is not ever free. You pay for each bottle of water you order at a restaurant, and you drink bottled water at home as well. The tap just doesn't make the cut here.

#16 - You read "c"s as "j" sounds. Jacket = ceket, jazz = caz, etc.

#17 - You have a huge appreciation for being near large bodies of water, and you love being near the seaside.

#18 - If it's nice weather, you would never imagine eating inside! Actually, even if it is bad weather, you will still sit outside under an awning or inside a temporary shelter with blankets and a heat lamp provided by the restaurant.

#19 - Images of cigarettes and alcohol use on TV are fuzzed out.

#20 - You have a habit of haggling for everything you buy.*

#21 - Entering a mall means going through a security checkpoint.

#22 - When you talk about breakfast, you get a dreamy far-away look in your eyes.**

#23 - You call cake "pasta."

#24 - There is intermission at the movie cinema...and they always pick the MOST intense part of the movie to cut at. You're all like, "Say whaaaat?" 

#25 - If you don't see mountains on your horizon, you're probably not in Turkey anymore.

#26 - All of your friends' names mean something, like a certain type of flower or wheat, heart, sky, angel, light...

#27 - You add "yaaaaa..." to the end of most of your sentences. And you know you do it just to sound cool. 

#28 - You say "yes" by winking both of your eyes at the same time, and "no" by jutting out your chin and "tsk"ing your tongue.

#29 - You NEVER wear your shoes inside a house...and they even give you plastic covers for your shoes once you enter the gym!

#30 - You have mad jaywalking skills, because it's not jaywalking here...it's called crossing the street. 

#31 - when a bus pulls up, you don't wait your turn in line. Instead, you push and shove your way to the front (but do give way to older people or those with children). Without this maneuver, you would never actually make it onto the bus. Like ever.

#32 - You give up your seats on buses and public transportation to those who are older/elderly, pregnant, or have children with them.

#33 - The public transportation advertisements involve reminding you to watch out for having too much body odor, not using other people's transport cards in order to get the discounts, and not falling over and sleeping on your neighbors. 

*Courtesy of Martin, a fellow exchange student in Istanbul

**Courtesy of Tara, a fellow exchange student in Istanbul

Turkish Breakfast, Hamamonu, and more... Ankara Part Three!

Ok, here's the last installment from my first trip to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. My Sunday started off at around 11am with the best breakfast ever...

A complete Turkish breakfast. Gozleme, french fries, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, fried eggs, bread, çay...the list goes on and on. I could get used to this. Just so you know, though, this was a special brunch-like spread at a really nice restaurant...Turkish people don't eat breakfast like this every day. They usually have a few of these things, not all of them. We decided to go all the way :)

Me enjoying this delicious meal outside under the trees on a crisp Sunday morning.

And my bestie!

We went to old-town Ankara, called Hamanonu. There was the most cute bazaar where all the ladies had hand-made a ton of jewelry. This lady was a real seller...we both got a bracelet from her, and she made us make a wish and then she put the bracelet on us. She was so sweet :)

Pelin and me at the bazaar.

The buildings and roads in this area are just gorgeous.

Nobody was at home... :)

Going to definitely make some of these for my room when I get home. They were so beautiful. And you know how much I love color!

After Hamamonu, we went to the mall and found an H&M (I know it sounds touristy, but it is really nice to go to a store where you know what you will find). Got dinner at the mall and headed back to Pelin's place. Not pictured is our awesome game of Okey that we played that night - you play with tiles just like Rummicub but it is a little different and the strategy is fun. I didn't win a game against the experts, but I will conquer next time. Stayed that night and then headed back to Istanbul early Monday morning. Really enjoyed Ankara and visiting Pelin's family! Can't wait to go back :)

Stay tuned...last night we went on Day 1 of Joost's "Istanbul Eats" food adventure and I will be blogging it up in the next few days. In the meantime, you should definitely see if there are any Turkish restaurants or cafes in your area (they are sometimes camouflaged as 'Mediterranean' places). Make sure you try kebap, durum, çorba (soup), mezzes (appetizers), and kofte! Comment and let me know what you think :)

Snail Mail Rocks!

I love getting and sending letters so much. It is just so special to write a letter to somebody on a beautiful card or on cute stationary, and then to receive letters and get to keep them for forever and read them again and again :) I've been sending snail mail since I was a little girl. I would write letters and color pictures for my Aunt Ev, who was in her 90s and lived in Florida. When I went and visited her, she would have my letters all up on her fridge or propped up in her living room...it made me feel like I really was brightening her day when she opened an envelope from me.

My favorite memories of receiving mail are from March of every year. I would always figure that two weeks before my birthday was right about the time that I should start receiving birthday cards. In our house, if your birthday is coming up, you have first rights for checking the mailbox. I would listen so carefully for the *stop, go, stop* sound of the mail truck (actually, I listened for it every day of the year...of course, not on Sundays, silly). Then, I would dash out to the mailbox to see if I'd gotten anything. Those birthday cards rocked! (and if you are taking notes, I still really love getting birthday cards, so send me one come March!). Even though my birthday and Christmas were the most ripe times for getting good mail, I always enjoyed getting notes from people throughout the year. There is just something so happy and cheerful about getting a note from someone saying that they are thinking of you. It really does make any day a little brighter.

My friend, Megan, shared this Buzzfeed on Facebook today, and I thought it was really cute (I'm not a Harry Potter fan, but everything else was pretty right on) - http://www.buzzfeed.com/tabathaleggett/reasons-everyone-should-start-writing-letters-again

I like sending mail so much that once-upon-a-time I made a ton of really amazing envelopes (for brightening up plain stationary...or the cards that I always can't find an envelope for) out of magazine and catalog pages.

All you have to do is take a normal envelope of the size you want, carefully unfold it, trace it onto the back of a magazine page, cut out the envelope from the magazine page, and carefully glue it together as a new envelope. Much better than just throwing away those already-read but beautifully illustrated magazines, right?

I also love how they mention sealing with wax on the Buzzfeed I linked to above. One of my great friends, Paula, gave me wax and a wax seal for my last birthday, and I have enjoyed sealing letters with my special seal ever so much :)

Anyway, my main form of brightening the world right now with snail mail is sending postcards from Turkey! So, if you want to receive a postcard from me (it may take a few months...actually, I might see you before you even get my postcard LOL), then comment below with your address. The comments actually get moderated through me before they get published, so I will write down your address and then not publish the comment... and no worries about the whole world starting to send you mail :)

And, hopefully after reading this post, you will go send some snail mail to someone else. Maybe be creative...send a message in a bottle, a matchbox, or think of something new. Just go brighten someone's day...you won't regret it :)

Comment below if you are sending out some snail mail today!

And, don't forget to follow me on Instagram because I'm always posting some sweet pictures of Istanbul @faithful_nomad and @k_rover_explores_the_world.

Exploring, Shopping, and More Partying! Ankara Part Two

Party crashing wasn't the only thing I did in Ankara this past weekend. Pelin, my bff, and her brother were amazing tour guides! Here's what we did (because I know you like pictures)...

This is the mausoleum above where Ataturk is buried. Ataturk was the founder of the Turkish Republic.

The guards at the mausoleum. They have these cool boxes they can stand in if the weather gets bad! I don't think I could stand still for that long...

Me, Pelin, and Polat inside the mausoleum. We also went through the museum on Ataturk and the War of Independence, but we couldn't take any pictures in there.

Such a beautiful place! This is the walkway up to the mausoleum. (By the way, who likes my awesome Istanbul shirt from Mavi? Repping my lovely city!)

Watching the changing of the guard. Pretty cool!

More watching of the guard. 

Enjoying çay and famous Ankara simit in Kizilay during our first mad shopping trip of the weekend :)

Pelin and I at a really cool bar with live music...everyone was singing along with the Turkish songs and the atmosphere was amazing!

We are waiting patiently for our mezzes to arrive...

Live classical Turkish music at the restaurant...we pretty much just walked around and went wherever we heard some good sounds :) Worked for us!

Tamam (Turkish for "ok"), so that concludes my Saturday in Ankara. Sunday was another adventure too, so part 3 of Ankara will be coming soon!

Party Crashers! Ankara Part 1

This weekend I took a break from Europe and decided to head over to Asia...the Asian side of Turkey, that is. My best friend is from Ankara, and she was heading home for the weekend so I rode a bus (all by myself!) to Ankara to meet her. It was so great to finally meet her family and get to see where she lives. I also officially added a 'first' to my list of Turkey adventures...crashing a party!

It's a running joke now that my friends use me, the American, to do cool things. It usually goes like this (or so they've told me...my Turkish is still pretty poor)..."Hi, our friend here is American and she is really interested in Turkish culture. Could we have a look around?" Of course, with the way Turkish hospitality is, everyone always says yes. And that is how you crash an engagement party, folks!

Here's the photo evidence...

The girl in green is the future bride. She was totally nice about us crashing her party.

It was totally fun and amazing, and I couldn't have thought of a crazier adventure in my wildest dreams. There is much more that we did during our weekend in Ankara, but I will save some for later. Someone tell me I'm not the only person to crash a party, right?! Comment below :)

The Cats Take Over!

In honor of all the cats of Istanbul, I've got a cat challenge for you today! 

MUTTS by Patrick McDonnell | 09/05/13

I see cats everywhere I go, and I'm sure you do too. Take a snapshot of the cats you see during your day, put it up on Instagram, and tag @faithful_nomad and #theCatTakeover on your picture.

 

If you don't have an Instagram, right now is a good time to sign up :) And, if you aren't following @faithful_nomad and @k_rover_explores_the_world yet, go ahead and do that too. Can't wait to see the cats of your neighborhood. I'll be sure to post some pictures of cats I see today, so keep a watch on @faithful_nomad for some cute kitties to brighten your day.

Adventure at Prince's Islands

Istanbul has its own set of islands called the Prince's Islands, located in the Sea of Marmara. A bunch of exchange students (including me!) went to the largest island - Buyukada - today and it was a real adventure.

First, we rode a bus from Bogaziçi University to Kabatas, where we hopped on a ferry. Ferries are super-cool...they are an inexpensive mode of public transportation, and double as a sight-seeing cruise! It only cost us 5 tl (about $2.50) each way, and it was 1.25 hours of sea-time.

Istanbul looks so amazing...and so big!...from a Bosphorus view.

We <3 Turkey!

We decided to walk to the monastery at the top of the island. It ended up being about a 10 km (6 mile) walk round-trip. Here we are wondering if we have made the right choice...well, it's all up-hill from here.

We nick-named this dog Spunky Bear. He found us and led the way to our destination and followed us almost all the way back. He was a very friendly companion, and even waited outside for us when we went to a cafe or stopped for a rest.

We made it to the top! It was totally worth it. The view was gorgeous!

Here I am enjoying the view!

We saw these guys sitting out on the ledge and we stopped to take pictures of and with them :)

People tie pieces of cloth or plastic to trees as they make wishes on their way up to the monastery.

The monastery was beautiful! Unfortunately, couldn't take pictures of the artwork inside, but here are some pics of the outside of the church.

Church

Because there are no personal cars on the islands, people get around by horse and buggy. A lot of people would rent the buggies for a ride instead of walking like we did. 

Our treat at the end of our journey...ice cream!!! And it is so inexpensive in Turkey...even at a tourist attraction, I paid 5 tl for a nut-covered cone and 4 different flavors. That's about $2.50. 

Enjoyed going to a cafe for balik ekmek (fish in a sandwich) with Anne after shopping around a bit.

Gule gule, Buyukada!

Taking the ferry back to Kabatas.

Beautiful sunset over the islands.