I made a quick iMovie of my sunrise balloon ride in Cappadocia. Enjoy!  

Cappadocia is a magical place.  As we drove to our cave hotel, I looked up and saw a blanket of stars, gleaming across the sky. The night air was so clear and crisp. It reminded me of Death Valley… the quiet, the emptiness, and the other worldliness of it all.  Humbling and inspiring. Interesting fact about me; I am not afraid of heights. I always thought I was but I realized that it is the fear of falling from said heights, but not the actual height itself. Well, it makes sense to me.  Anyways, I bring this up because I…

So much has happened since my last post! I surprised my family by going home for Christmas.  I will never forget the look on their faces as they walked into my mom’s house expecting to decorate cookies.  That was wonderful. Plus just being home, surrounded by friends and family, it was ‘holidaytastic’! As for coming back to Istanbul, it was a breeze. The beauty of the city alone just resonates deep within me. In many ways, I feel like I am still very much adjusting to my new country, which can be overwhelming and isolating.  Also, some of the best…

First Turkish dinner party … check! Not sure if I would call the soup potatotastic, but it was good and the company was great.  I really enjoy having friends over and getting to know more about their lives-you just never really know about people. Anyways, I had the main ingredients translated and although it was a bit stressful in terms of just really not having a firm grasp on converting measurements into the metric system… it was a nice, relaxing time.  I am attaching a couple of photos. Forgot how many dishes are involved in these things!!! Just another reason…

This afternoon was my first ceramics class in Turkish! I know what you are thinking… just what the world needs, another homemade vase… right? However, it was really fun and I promise that whatever I make stays with me. The great part was getting my hands dirty and creating something.  The instructor spoke a bit of English and she was very patient. The class is in a craft center by the Haghia Sophia…yes that is my hood now. There are different types of workshops there as well as a small café and gift shop. Not sure if I mentioned it…

The community of international teachers is small and as a result, it can be really comforting and familiar. But the thing is, I didn’t move across the globe for the same old stuff! So last night, I went to a place where I have never gone before… a cooking class! Yes, the cereal for dinner girl took a cooking class and it was really fun! And let me tell you, I can whisk with the best of them. I made Cumin Flavored Chick Pea Soup (delicious), Garlic Scented Pilaf (seriously yummy), Battered Chicken with Honey and Onions (meh…), and Clotted…

I may have mentioned before that working abroad is full of opportunities and amazing fun. However, it’s also full of just plain ole day-to-day stuff with frustrations and aggravations. It’s funny though because now that I have been living in Istanbul for about three months, it feels like my life is just getting settled. The past three years my life could be summed up like this: searching, moving, managing, surviving, searching, moving, and smiling. When I started to think about moving abroad, it was about six months before I actually got a job at the fair in Boston. Then it…

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…