It's All Good

Finally we had a snow day! Yay! We had one full day and an early release, so it was nice to have some extra time to finish up report cards that were due this week.

I’ve been thinking a lot about things that I miss back in the states. The obvious is family and friends, Skippyjon Jones and Max, cheddar cheese, Oreos, Phoenix Suns, desert hiking, swimming, English, being in the same time zone as people back home, big English book stores, teaching resources, dollar stores, my guitar, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, good coffee in general, pork, MEXICAN FOOD! frozen yoghurt, driving to the gym, good sidewalks, diversity, my car and just generally knowing where I can go to get anything I need.

It might sound silly, and some of the things aren’t a big deal at all, but these are just some conveniences of home that I miss. But there is always a flip side, right?! Here are the things that I really like about Turkey: history, hospitality, tea, beautiful people, national pride, expat community, location, fruits and veggies, cultural opportunities, and my students. As much as I complain sometimes, I do like Turkey and am thankful for the opportunities that I have.  

On Saturday, I joined some girlfriends for a Sex and the City day! We went shopping for a while, went out to a nice dinner, Novembers Pub to hear a friend sing, and then out dancing (of course)! Sometimes life is funny. By the end of our evening, we had made friends with a few American professional basketball players who are currently playing for a team in Ankara. So much for my idea to blend in as much as possible! These guys were all 6’10” and I felt that everybody else knew who they were! All I could do is giggle a little, thinking about how weird my life has become. Who knew that this is where I’d end up? Just a year ago I was on my way to Italy and here I am somewhere in the middle of Turkey! It’s rough at times, but I also like to remember that I’ve been very fortunate and that I’m quite lucky to be where I am today. J

Now back to the homework! Ugh!