It has become a tradition of mine to go somewhere for Thanksgiving (although since living in Europe... I go "somewhere" just about every weekend!) The past five years I've spent the holiday at Macchu Picchu in Peru, diving in Dominica, cruising through the Caribbean islands, lounging in the Canary Islands... and Turkey Day 2010 was spent in, none other than, Turkey!
Istanbul has been near the top of my list of places to visit since I moved to Spain, so I had high expectations and was armed with my guidebook and camera. The city did not disappoint. I'm not sure which gained more weight during the trip: me or my luggage! The sights were breathtaking, the food incredible, the shopping, oh, the shopping. There was even a marriage proposal (from our waiter one night at dinner... he informed me he wanted to have seven kids together... I was frightened).
We made many friends during our four days of traversing the city. Everyone was so warm and knowledgable and always invited us in for a cup of tea. I'm a total coffee snob (unfortunately) and have never been particularly fond of tea but I accepted every offer and am now obsessed with their version of tea-- basically glorified apple cider, delicious! I was totally shocked by the liveliness and buzz in the modern area of Istanbul and the availability of alcohol. My ignorant perception of Turkey was that every woman would be in a burka, younger Turks would be very conservative and it would be hard to find a good time. Boy was I wrong. And I thought Madrileños liked to party... damn!
It was a wonderful trip with three of my closest friends. I don't often just stop and realize I have quite an amazing life with the most supportive friends and family, a job that fullfills me, and a thirst for adventure and travel that is quenched by living in one of the best continents in the world for both. I truly am thankful for the ability to do everything I could ever want at this time in my life.
Aşk için tüm, Linds
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