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