Merhaba one and all.
So as most all of you know, I will be spending the next year in Turkey. Specifically I will be living in Manisa, which is a smaller town just Northeast of Izmir, which is the 3rd largest city Turkey. It sits on a bay that connects to the Aegean sea.
As of now, I have no idea when I'm leaving. I could get a notice saying I'm leaving in 48 hours at any moment. What I do know is that my first host family seems very nice. I have 2 parents, both of which are lawyers. I have a 15 year old brother, and a college aged sister who I am conversing with right now. She's saying how the family doesn't speak much English, so it looks like I got my work cut out for me.
I'm actually really excited to learn Turkish, and experience the culture. I'm especially excited about going on a bunch of new adventures through Izmir and Manisa. For those of you who didn't know this about me, I am quite the foodie. I have made it my goal to find the best places to eat wherever I am. I've sniffed out some of the best spots in Portland, so now I get to put my nose and taste-buds to a whole new test. I've heard Turkish food in amazing, and I hope my mother is a good cook and is willing to teach me, because I'd love to learn how to cook good, authentic food before I leave.
Anyways. As for now I am still getting ready to leave. I finished my eagle project like I had hoped. Now I just need to finish the write up. I've been doing some pre-packing in order to figure out what I want/need to take. The biggest thing I've been doing is saying goodbye to my friends and to my city. It's an interesting feeling having to say goodbye to the place you were born and raised in, but still knowing that you'll be back in a year. It's a sort of bitter-sweet feeling. I have this momentous, life-changing event ahead of me, and I am so excited. It will be quite a trip. I'll see you next fall.
Elveda,
-Torvald
