Last week, I had the opportunity to tour some ancient sites in Turkey with my grade five students. We visited St. Jean’s Church, Artemis Temple, Ephesus (including the Terrace Houses) and Priene. As I move and travel around the world, it’s really impossible not to learn about myself. For instance, it’s important for me to get a feel of a person, place, or situation to learn, rules/laws that don’t make sense are very difficult for me to follow, I have fashion ADD, I want to learn to speak French fluently and make chairs, I hate that I am not book…

Roma è molto buona. If Rome were a piece of clothing, it would be a tuxedo. Sure, there may be some holes in the pockets, but overall, the Rome that I experienced is sophisticated and vey hospitable. Around every corner is a beautiful detail that is easy to take for granted in a city so steeped in history.  Walk on the cobblestone streets into any church and there you will find ceilings filled with gorgeous Catholic imagery. I was immediately transported back to my childhood. I visited the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, St. Peter Basillica, St, Peter’s Square, Sistine…

Things are going well in Istanbul. There was a 3.8 earthquake last week-it was a little freaky because it was at school which was also the epicenter. The funny part was, it was the first earthquake for some of my students. Being from California, I have already felt my fair share. I am a bit of a plate tectonics snob if you catch my meaning! So the other night, we had an Apartment Crawl. I had the idea when all of the new teachers kept talking about having everyone over to see their new places. Basically, we visited five apartments…

For the past week, I have been battling a flu bug that seems to really, really like me. You know the kind of sick that just lingers, like a bad party guest? That’s been my life for about six days. However, things finally seem to be turning around. In between long, long naps and early, early nights, I was invited to attend a professional networking group called the LTENS. Basically, it is where private and international schools in Turkey get together and discuss technology in education. This was a big deal for me. Interesting fact about Istanbul… it’s awesome. I…

My eyes were sleepy but my heart was wide-awake. It was 5:45am and we were officially on our way to Bozcaada, Turkey. I didn’t want to miss a thing. The sun was just starting to come up and to the left was the sea. As the sun rose, it brought with it every color of orange imaginable. The soft pink clouds hung low as the boats rested calmly on the still glass water. It was at that moment that I wished I could have bottled up the happiness I felt in my heart and send it to my friends and…

Have you ever just had a piece of delicious chocolate cake and all you want to do is share it with the people you love? You can’t help but close your eyes because it just tastes so good? That’s Istanbul to me. I want everyone I know and love to experience this lovely city. As a result, I am going to offer some travel tips that a friend and I developed last year to help you along the way: Always bring a bottle of water on the plane Bring a couple of snacks… you never know what is being served…

The honeymoon period is over and everything is starting to settle. This is my life now. This morning I was walking to my bus stop and when I looked up, there was this early morning sun shine gently floating on the Bosporus. The clouds were softly lit with pinks and greys. It was really breathtaking and my heart just sang as I marveled at the fact that this is my home. At the same time, I had to hold back tears this afternoon as I thought about my family and friends and how much I just miss them. It was…

Moving to a new country has its ups and downs. Even with all of the events and activities the school plans, it can be difficult. I really miss my family and friends. Making true friends takes time and effort. Although all of the people I work with and have met so far are really nice, right now, it just feels like a lot of small talk and polite conversations. All of that is great, but I just miss hanging out with people I know and who know me. So when I woke up this morning, I planned on just running some…

Currently, there are five… wait, make that six Turkish men in my apartment and it’s a Friday night.  Wouldn’t the women in the headscarves be scandalized!?! Did I mention that? Some, not all, of the ladies that wear the headscarves actually look down on Western women. These particular ladies think all Westerners have loose moral values.  All of us. Whatevs. Since I have been here, I have received several of these looks or treated like I wasn’t there, particularly if they are in groups, as well as being cut in line… of course they have priority. Well, the men in…

Overall, I feel pretty safe in my new city. For the most part, people leave me alone unless I am at a street market or around tourist areas. I just keep on walking and don’t worry too much about being too nice. Some of these guys can be relentless. It’s interesting to me because in China, I felt invisible. This is not the case here. This morning I went to an area that is falling apart and getting torn down for more commercial abodes and businesses. However, my understanding is the people are who are living there now are being…