I've got a glass of wine (Jessup Cellars 2009 Cab) gifted by family friends, my husband on the couch next to me, and the fresh air of a Flagstaff summer evening blowing in through our screen door. Life doesn't get much better than this.
I said "trying" in the first sentence because my to-do list seems to be getting longer, rather than shorter. Today, Alan and I finally finished up our wedding thank-you notes. Although the project of writing 150 notes seemed daunting, it was a great exercise in communication and gratitude. Our friends and family were incredibly generous with their gifts, and I'm sure that if Alan and I ever needed help, we have at lest 150 people we could call upon.
The previously mentioned to-do list includes preparations to leave Flagstaff and move to a foreign country. If you've never moved overseas before, I can tell you that it involves a lot of canceling of accounts and services, throwing away of sentimental stuff, and good-bye meals with friends and family.
The move to Turkey has seemed so far away that I've not really mentally prepared yet. I was focused on the end of the semester and the wedding, and now suddenly TURKEY is only 16 days away. I'm moving to a foreign country for a year (or more), and I have a husband. Major life changes--I've got 'em (I also bobbed my hair--representative of the life changes, I guess. Or my obsession with Beyonce.)
I don't really know that much about Turkey, and that's made painfully clear as more and more people ask me questions beginning with "So in Turkey, will you...?" I think this is one of those politeness things that people feel obligated to ask when they don't really know what to say, but they want to show interest--similar to "So, how was your Christmas?"--I always cringe on the inside when people ask that question. "Good?" Seems to be the only answer--yes, with the question mark because really, what else can you say? Anyway, the preemptive Turkey questions bother me because I just want to say, "I'll know more in about a month, so if you could just hold off on that question..." Clearly, I've never been there, so I don't know whether people with be speaking Arabic on the side, or if it will be windy in the summer, or if I will have an easy time learning Turkish. It's a wait-and-see kind of situation: stay-tuned-to-my-blog-and-I'll-fill-you-in. I don't like coming off as ignorant or poorly researched. I want to have the answers, but the questions require a level of hands-on experience, or at least a quick skim of a travel book--I've not done either. My best guesses about all things Turkey are based on my former roommate, a Turk with the biggest heart and strongest political opinions I've seen in a long time.
So, a sigh of relief it isn't; but a glass of good wine, a night in with my husband, and a big adventure on the horizon suit me just fine.
Stay tuned.
Feel free to check out Alan's blog: http://turkishtraves.blogspot.com/
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