Sandra

I have promised that I would write about my trip to Turkey, so here I am again. It is nice to revisit my travel journal… pictures from CD bring back the memory when I first touched the land. It was a blessing that I arrived in one piece at 1:00a.m. Nov 12 with the fact that I jumped on plane after my 6 hours work in hospital and the 8 hours layover in Amsterdam. Of course that was also a miracle that someone did not fall asleep and forget to pick me up… For some reason, I felt distance from the airport to the place where we stayed was long and the ride was long enough to make me fall in love with Istanbul. It is a really beautiful city especially when everything lights up at night. If I could choose, Istanbul would be the place I want to stay forever. Instead of trying to kill myself like when I was in India or Kenya, I choose to take things easy this time. Of course without mom Maggie and Savannah, how could I push the limit during the trip? Without a fixed plan, what we did everyday was sleep to whenever and slowly moved our limbs to make sure they still do move. But I still can’t figure out how I misjudge the step during my normal walking and end up having the lovely shade of purple and yellow on my knee. Thanks God that I did not need to get on a 54 hours train ride and sleep on the floor of the train stations this time. (but sadly I do miss that!) Even a BIGGER thanks for the hosts from couch surfing who provide us space and food, priceless is the friendship and the time that we spent together. Share the culture differences, experience in life and expectation of the future. Inanc, if you are reading this… Just want to say I really appreciate the courage that you have. You will have a new start in Australia, and I know you will be successful whatever you choose to do because you have faith, and you are willing to work on your goal. Promise you that I will do email later… Meeting with all the people there, I realize how much I could learn from them and how little I know about this world. Think back, I do feel a little guilty about spending TOO MUCH time talking with Bre instead of them when I was there. (Will you agree with me, Bre?) Well on the other hand, Ammon should feel no guilt. He is pretty good at keeping conversation for hours and hours. I remember that one night we stayed with Abraham. I was completely convinced and impressed. That picture still stays in my mind. The two men set on the floor, without much facial expression, but they kept mumbling for more than 5 or 6 hours after the 2 or 3 hours talk in the afternoon of the same day. I know that conversation would never stop if they never look at the clock. They talked until 3 in the morning! The other highlight of the trip is the visit to Cappadocia. Amazing volcanic landscape carved by the nature! All rocks are in different shapes, carved non-purposely, but somehow fit with each other! As there is no theme for this art, it is even better… You can look at them in whatever way you want, depends on how you put your imagination… Savannah in case you feel left out here, I want to tell you the question I asked myself the most during the trip is “Where is Savannah?” … To make up the time that I spent 24/7 with Bre, I will… The day when I miss mom Maggie the most was that night I had to walk up the steep slope. I know I could die on that day! The supermarket saves me. I still remember that supermarket and exactly where water place in that store. Without mom and Savannah, everything was less exciting as it should be. There is more that I could write, but it is never the same and there is no way I can pour my memory out with words…Turkish delight, apple tea, colorful carpet, glass shade for the lights, halva that I once addicted to… I miss the way how people put sugar in tea yet I never like that… I miss all that… I love my time being there.

Sandra