A Taste of Turkey...and Greece

It probably seems a little hard to keep up with my life right now. Heck, it's my life and even I'm having a hard time keeping up! So, upon special request, I am starting my own "official" family blog. Weird! But first things first...The Mediterranean. Istanbul, Turkey Ephesus, Turkey Athens, Greece "The Parthenon" Patmos, Greece Cappadocia, Turkey Whirling Dervish Cappadocia, Turkey

Breath taking, eye-opening, life changing. Guys, it was amazing. Imagine 23 days of nonstop adventure in a country filled with history and relics dating back to the time of Christ! Imagine daily baked bread that melts in your mouth, valleys filled with olive trees, monasteries at the tip of flat faced mountains, ocean water so blue that when it splashes onto your white shirt you worry it might stain it.
Now, imagine a figure in black that reveals nothing but the eyes of a woman. Imagine an elderly couple digging through trash looking for cans, women and children selling handmade trinkets on the side of a dusty road. Imagine riots and protesting and families living in tents in a field of weeds and garbage.
I am a strong believer that if anyone ever goes to a foreign country and has nothing but "fluff" to report, than they did not venture pass that line that separates comfy tourists from actual reality. I love getting away from the touristy areas and seeing the looks of shock and surprise on the natives faces. People wont believe that you traveled halfway around the world just to learn about their country and visit their small town. One man in Turkey told my professor, "We are not all bad, we are not all terrorists... thank you for coming with an open mind and a desire to learn."

I did go on this trip with a desire to learn and I think I came back a more well-rounded person. It was an amazing experience that I will treasure the rest of my life. If you remember, please pray for those in Greece during there time of financial crisis, and especially pray for those who are suffering in Turkey from the devastating earthquake.