Not the Best Friend...the Leading Lady.

Istanbul, Turkey

When I lived in Istanbul, Turkey last summer, the CBU crew was divided and dispersed into other teams and combined with other college students from around America. These groups were called "takims", the Turkish word for "team". I grew to love my takim (although the only females on it were Shannon and myself).
Every Sunday while we were there, an American family who lives in Istanbul would take my takim into their house and just let us have family time with them. They would cook us a great American meal, we would sit around and just veg out and talk about our weeks...they also let me play with their (then) 3-month old little girl. I came to cherish my Sunday afternoons/nights.
I was browsing blogs tonight instead of doing my homework and I found the family's blog and I really missed my "family" in Turkey.
It was an extreme experience living there 1 1/2 months...extreme in every sense of the word. It was new, exciting, scary, exhausting, funny, great, sad...every emotion that you could have I experienced. Towards the end of my time there, all I wanted was to be back in America, but looking at those pictures tonight...
...I want to go back. Turkey captures your heart, whether you think it does or not. I know it captured mine. The people, their faces, their hearts...I'd love to go back.


Perhaps on my way to Santorini, Greece I'll swing by there first... ;-)

I'll leave you with a picture from one of our "family" nights. Starting at the bottom, going left to right: Kyle (I miss you bud), Bryce, Derek, Elizabeth, Shannon, Myself and Billy. Elizabeth and Billy were our family (their beautiful baby is not in the picture).

posted by RobinDayle @ 9:51 PM