Thursday, November 27, 2008 – in transition to the USA!

I was curled up in a Starbucks lounge chair at the Istanbul airport when I was rudely awaken by a strange man sitting next to me offering to buy me coffee. When I told him I didn’t want coffee he continued talking to me in his broken English, asking if I was traveling somewhere. I thought to myself what a dumb question! Why else would I be sleeping at the Starbucks in the Istanbul airport with at least a dozen other people who were doing the same? When I turned around in my chair to give him the hint that I wasn’t interested in talking and would rather sleep, he insisted that he pull over another lounge chair in front of me so I could stretch out my legs instead of being curled up in one chair. I told him I didn’t need another chair and I was just fine the way I was and then I closed my eyes hoping this would deter him from trying to have another conversation with me. He finally got the hint and left after probably five minutes of staring at the back of me. What a weirdo!

At 4am I left Starbucks to check the monitor for departing flights and I was starting to get a little concerned because I didn’t see any Iberia flights on the schedule. Before Gokhan dropped me off he asked which airport I was flying out of and I assumed I would be flying out of the one I flew into from Tbilisi (and where I had paid to store my luggage). So when I didn’t see any Iberia flights listed I started to worry and immediately went to the information desk to find out. Praise God I was at the right location! I think I would have had a mini panic attack if I had to go to another airport with all of my luggage!

After getting my things from the locker storage I went upstairs to wait for the Iberia flight to be listed on the monitor so I could check in. Over an hour and a half later I was boarding the plane to Madrid (my final connection to New York) and departed close to 7am. It was a four hour flight and with the time change it put me into Madrid at 10am with about a six our layover until my next flight. Since I had a lot of time to kill I did a little bit of shopping, ate lunch and wrote in my journal. After basically spending the night in the Istanbul airport and then having all this time in the Madrid airport, I was more than ready to be going home to New York. Time was just not moving fast enough!

By 5pm I was finally on my second Iberia flight of the day for an eight hour flight to JFK. I was totally exhausted and couldn’t wait to lay back in my comfy airplane chair (joke!), cover up with a blanket, put on my eye mask and lean up against the window with a pillow! Praise God it wasn’t a full flight so I had two seats all to myself and was actually able to get some pretty good shut eye. More than an hour from JFK the lights came on and the flight attendants began to serve breakfast. As I looked out the window I was amazed by the view. Clouds were covering the sky below the plane for as far as I could see and I didn’t have a clear view of what was underneath the clouds, but I knew without a doubt that there was ground below. This felt very symbolic for me because in my life that translated into me not having a clear picture of what will happen once I’m back in NYC, but knowing that I will always land on solid ground no matter what because of my faith in a God who is loyal in meeting all of my needs. I also know that clouds in the sky mean turbulence for the plane, which I can relate to as well. When my path seems hazy I feel like I also go through a little turbulence until my vision becomes clear.

Just before 7pm, Iberia flight 6253 was finally landing on the JFK tarmac. I had a million butterflies in my stomach and a rush of emotion engulfed me as I thought about what might lie ahead. I was excited and nervous all at the same time and tears began to fill my eyes. It was Thanksgiving Day and I had so much to be thankful for. What a fitting day for me to be coming home! As I deboarded the plane and made my way to baggage claim I saw tons of people behind the rail waiting for their loved ones and for a brief moment I felt like I was going to break down in tears. Although I had a LOT to be thankful for I felt alone…no one was there waiting for me, not even a hired driver holding a sign with my name on it. No one to help me with my luggage or even make sure I got dinner before heading home. And home? Where was home? I had to shut off my brain from thinking too much or I would start to feel overwhelmed. I did have a place to stay for the night so that’s what I needed to concentrate on. My dear friends Anne and Chris were out of town so they left a key with their doorman so I could get in…which was very-VERY thoughtful. So after a US$56 cab ride to their place in the city, and after reading the note Anne left the doorman to give me concerning bed bugs and how to tell whether or not I have them (very motherly of her!), I was settled into their apartment by 8:30pm. I took a very hot and steamy shower, put on some fresh clean clothes, had a bowl of cereal for my Thanksgiving dinner and went straight to bed, just to be up by 5am the next morning to head back to JFK for my flight to Austin, Texas. Oh, and before jumping into bed I decided to step on the scale (that is strategically placed by the closet) to weigh myself. After being in Ghana and working at a clinic I was on the scale at least once a week (just for fun) and hadn’t been on one since then. Well low and behold I had gained five pounds during my month in Georgia! I had a feeling I was gaining weight considering I really didn’t exercise while I was there and I ate WAY too much bread and cheese. Stuff I really shouldn’t be eating anyway with my tendency for high cholesterol. Believe me, I’m not concerned about gaining weight because I could probably stand to have a few extra pounds, but it’s just crazy how much a person can gain when you’re not even thinking about it. I know I’ll be eating LOTS of yummy food when I’m home in Texas so I might as well end the year with a bang and gain another few pounds while I’m home eating Texas BBQ and TexMex…my two absolutely favorite things! Lone Star State here I come!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 – one more day in Istanbul [Turkey]

I had my alarm set for 2:30am but as usual woke up before it had a chance to go off. I was out of bed by 2:15am getting ready for my departure from my host family’s house at 3am. My host father was gracious enough to get up at that time as well and take me to the airport. My host mom got up to tell me one final goodbye and I could tell she was getting a little emotional. I tried to be lighthearted and told her to continue praying for my prince charming and I assured her she would get a wedding invitation once an engagement happened! We always joked about my Mr. Right taking his sweet time in finding me and she assured me that it was a good thing he was taking his time so he could sow his wild oats and do whatever else he needed to do before settling down…kind of like what I’m doing myself I guess! My host father loaded up my suitcase and I had the worst case of butterflies ever. I had such mixed feelings about leaving. Part of me was sad to be going so soon, but another part was ready to get back to my life and routine in New York.

When we arrived to the airport my host father parked the car, helped me with my bags and made sure I was checked in okay. We hugged and parted ways and as I went up the escalator to the departing gates a rush of sadness came over me. This was it…this was the last few hours of [G3]. I had experienced so much in such a short time and I had only barely started processing everything. I know I want to do something with these experiences, something to make a difference in the lives of others in New York City, but what would that be? How would I translate these experiences into something meaningful for others in my community? I do have some thoughts but I will wait to share those once I have some time to decompress and sort through my mind and heart.

A little after 6am I landed in Istanbul. Since I had twenty-four hours before my next flight my plan was to leave my luggage at the locker storage and then do my family Christmas shopping at the markets in the Old City. The reason my luggage wasn’t checked all the way through is because my return flight from Istanbul to Tbilisi was not part of my Around the World ticket, it was a separate plane ticket I had to buy. Otherwise my luggage would have been checked through to my flight tomorrow morning.

So off I went to do some shopping, taking the Metro to the Grand Bazaar and stopping for a quick bite to eat. I got to the Bazaar before 9am and all the vendors were still setting up their shops. I bought lots of trinkets and various other things, all for less than US$100…and that included gifts for my entire family! Can’t beat that. Each time I bought something the seller would say “I’ll give you the morning price” or “I’ll give you the first buyer price” and I kept saying “I just want the best bargaining price” (which would still be a few Lira less than the original discounted price they quoted me). After shopping at the Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Market I walked across the Galata Bridge to the New City and then took the Tunel to Taksim Square where I did more shopping and had lunch. At 6:30pm I was supposed to meet Gokhan, the Turkish guy I met the first time I was in Istanbul (we’ve been keeping in touch via email). As I was standing outside the Burger King in Taksim Square waiting for him it began to rain. The entire day was absolutely beautiful…sunny skies, no clouds at all, and probably in the low 70’s or high 60’s…and now it was raining! I thought it rather fitting since it was raining the last time I was with Gokhan! At 6:50pm I was starting to get worried that maybe there was a miscommunication because he still hadn’t shown up. At 7pm I started to debate on whether or not to leave and try to call him, and then he finally showed up! He had just come from work and thankfully he brought an umbrella big enough for both of us! He looked so cute in his suit and tie! From Burger King we walked west down Istiklal Street and he asked what I would like to eat and I said “anything Turkish”. When we got to the restaurant he chose and sat down at the table I was looking over the menu and saw every international cuisine EXCEPT Turkish. I pointed this out to Gokhan and he was so nonchalant about it and said “No, no Turkish”. I was so confused! Did he think I said I wanted to eat anything BUT Turkish? I then told him that I wanted Turkish food, not pizza or Thai food which were items on the menu. He apologized and said he thought I said “anything” and didn’t hear “anything Turkish”. He said we could leave but we had already placed our drink order and I didn’t want to be complicated. But I have to be honest, I didn’t want anything that was on that menu. I finally settled for a mushroom pizza, which was good, but didn’t satisfy my craving for Turkish food.

From the restaurant he took me to a really cute bar on the top floor of a very old building located in an alley. The views from the bar were stunning! You could see the Asian side of Istanbul and the Bosphorus River from where we were. We each ordered a glass of wine and struggled through our communication. His English is not the greatest so we were always having to look up words on his Blackberry’s Turkish-English dictionary. I had a really nice time but there were a few times he answered his phone and checked his email on his Blackberry, which I think is inconsiderate when you’re spending time with someone. He said it was work and he had to take care of a few things, but come on! Can’t that stuff be put on hold for a few hours?! He works for ING and deals with 401k’s and retirement plans, etc., so I don’t really see how anything would be that urgent to have to answer the phone and check email. Not that I’m dating Gokhan, but it just brought back memories of guys I dated in the past that did that and I didn’t realize how much it really bothered me until he was doing it that night. During one of his phone calls I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation of the girl sitting next to me, especially after she threw a few “y’alls” out there, so I asked her where she was from. Turns out she’s from Louisiana but now lives in New York! How crazy is that? We talked for about five minutes or so and exchanged information. You never know, I just may have a new friend when I get back to New York!

From Istanbul, Turkey

Gokhan drove to Taksim Square so when we left the bar we headed to his car. He was going to drive me around the city for a bit and then take me to the airport. I thought that was really sweet! It was still raining as we left the bar and I was carrying my backpack and shopping bags and I have to admit that I was a little annoyed that he wasn’t helping me with them. Yes, he was holding the umbrella but he had another hand free! Can you tell I’m such a southern girl who believes in a man being a gentleman?! 🙂 When we got to his car he went straight to the driver’s side and didn’t even attempt to open my car door. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect a guy to do that ALL the time but you would think he would want to try to make a good impression! I guess I’m used to even my guy friends opening car doors or restaurant doors for me so when he didn’t it was pretty obvious to me. I also realize I’m in a different culture and the people here may not always emphasize the things I feel are important.

We drove around the city and over one of the famous bridges (can’t think of the name now) and then headed to the airport, arriving a little after 1am. Gokhan and I hugged and kissed on the check and he told me he would email me and that he hoped to come to New York soon. My flight wasn’t until 6:45am but I figured I would just hang out there, get a little shut eye, then have breakfast before boarding the plane. I really did have a nice time with Gokhan and I really appreciated all he did for me, even when there were a few strikes against him! 🙂 I am thankful that I met him on that road to St. George’s Monastery, the day I found my first shamrock!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 – one more day in Istanbul [Turkey]

I had my alarm set for 2:30am but as usual woke up before it had a chance to go off. I was out of bed by 2:15am getting ready for my departure from my host family’s house at 3am. My host father was gracious enough to get up at that time as well and take me to the airport. My host mom got up to tell me one final goodbye and I could tell she was getting a little emotional. I tried to be lighthearted and told her to continue praying for my prince charming and I assured her she would get a wedding invitation once an engagement happened! We always joked about my Mr. Right taking his sweet time in finding me and she assured me that it was a good thing he was taking his time so he could sow his wild oats and do whatever else he needed to do before settling down…kind of like what I’m doing myself I guess! My host father loaded up my suitcase and I had the worst case of butterflies ever. I had such mixed feelings about leaving. Part of me was sad to be going so soon, but another part was ready to get back to my life and routine in New York.

When we arrived to the airport my host father parked the car, helped me with my bags and made sure I was checked in okay. We hugged and parted ways and as I went up the escalator to the departing gates a rush of sadness came over me. This was it…this was the last few hours of [G3]. I had experienced so much in such a short time and I had only barely started processing everything. I know I want to do something with these experiences, something to make a difference in the lives of others in New York City, but what would that be? How would I translate these experiences into something meaningful for others in my community? I do have some thoughts but I will wait to share those once I have some time to decompress and sort through my mind and heart.

A little after 6am I landed in Istanbul. Since I had twenty-four hours before my next flight my plan was to leave my luggage at the locker storage and then do my family Christmas shopping at the markets in the Old City. The reason my luggage wasn’t checked all the way through is because my return flight from Istanbul to Tbilisi was not part of my Around the World ticket, it was a separate plane ticket I had to buy. Otherwise my luggage would have been checked through to my flight tomorrow morning.

So off I went to do some shopping, taking the Metro to the Grand Bazaar and stopping for a quick bite to eat. I got to the Bazaar before 9am and all the vendors were still setting up their shops. I bought lots of trinkets and various other things, all for less than US$100…and that included gifts for my entire family! Can’t beat that. Each time I bought something the seller would say “I’ll give you the morning price” or “I’ll give you the first buyer price” and I kept saying “I just want the best bargaining price” (which would still be a few Lira less than the original discounted price they quoted me). After shopping at the Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Market I walked across the Galata Bridge to the New City and then took the Tunel to Taksim Square where I did more shopping and had lunch. At 6:30pm I was supposed to meet Gokhan, the Turkish guy I met the first time I was in Istanbul (we’ve been keeping in touch via email). As I was standing outside the Burger King in Taksim Square waiting for him it began to rain. The entire day was absolutely beautiful…sunny skies, no clouds at all, and probably in the low 70’s or high 60’s…and now it was raining! I thought it rather fitting since it was raining the last time I was with Gokhan! At 6:50pm I was starting to get worried that maybe there was a miscommunication because he still hadn’t shown up. At 7pm I started to debate on whether or not to leave and try to call him, and then he finally showed up! He had just come from work and thankfully he brought an umbrella big enough for both of us! He looked so cute in his suit and tie! From Burger King we walked west down Istiklal Street and he asked what I would like to eat and I said “anything Turkish”. When we got to the restaurant he chose and sat down at the table I was looking over the menu and saw every international cuisine EXCEPT Turkish. I pointed this out to Gokhan and he was so nonchalant about it and said “No, no Turkish”. I was so confused! Did he think I said I wanted to eat anything BUT Turkish? I then told him that I wanted Turkish food, not pizza or Thai food which were items on the menu. He apologized and said he thought I said “anything” and didn’t hear “anything Turkish”. He said we could leave but we had already placed our drink order and I didn’t want to be complicated. But I have to be honest, I didn’t want anything that was on that menu. I finally settled for a mushroom pizza, which was good, but didn’t satisfy my craving for Turkish food.

From the restaurant he took me to a really cute bar on the top floor of a very old building located in an alley. The views from the bar were stunning! You could see the Asian side of Istanbul and the Bosphorus River from where we were. We each ordered a glass of wine and struggled through our communication. His English is not the greatest so we were always having to look up words on his Blackberry’s Turkish-English dictionary. I had a really nice time but there were a few times he answered his phone and checked his email on his Blackberry, which I think is inconsiderate when you’re spending time with someone. He said it was work and he had to take care of a few things, but come on! Can’t that stuff be put on hold for a few hours?! He works for ING and deals with 401k’s and retirement plans, etc., so I don’t really see how anything would be that urgent to have to answer the phone and check email. Not that I’m dating Gokhan, but it just brought back memories of guys I dated in the past that did that and I didn’t realize how much it really bothered me until he was doing it that night. During one of his phone calls I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation of the girl sitting next to me, especially after she threw a few “y’alls” out there, so I asked her where she was from. Turns out she’s from Louisiana but now lives in New York! How crazy is that? We talked for about five minutes or so and exchanged information. You never know, I just may have a new friend when I get back to New York!

From Istanbul, Turkey

Gokhan drove to Taksim Square so when we left the bar we headed to his car. He was going to drive me around the city for a bit and then take me to the airport. I thought that was really sweet! It was still raining as we left the bar and I was carrying my backpack and shopping bags and I have to admit that I was a little annoyed that he wasn’t helping me with them. Yes, he was holding the umbrella but he had another hand free! Can you tell I’m such a southern girl who believes in a man being a gentleman?! 🙂 When we got to his car he went straight to the driver’s side and didn’t even attempt to open my car door. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect a guy to do that ALL the time but you would think he would want to try to make a good impression! I guess I’m used to even my guy friends opening car doors or restaurant doors for me so when he didn’t it was pretty obvious to me. I also realize I’m in a different culture and the people here may not always emphasize the things I feel are important.

We drove around the city and over one of the famous bridges (can’t think of the name now) and then headed to the airport, arriving a little after 1am. Gokhan and I hugged and kissed on the check and he told me he would email me and that he hoped to come to New York soon. My flight wasn’t until 6:45am but I figured I would just hang out there, get a little shut eye, then have breakfast before boarding the plane. I really did have a nice time with Gokhan and I really appreciated all he did for me, even when there were a few strikes against him! 🙂 I am thankful that I met him on that road to St. George’s Monastery, the day I found my first shamrock!