Life is Life

A very wise friend of mine named Kelley once gave me a very good piece of advice..."life is life, no matter where you live it."

That piece of advice has been a comfort over these 2 years, and I was reminded of it again today.  I have been spending a lot of time focusing on being back home.  The shopping, restaurants, freedoms, entertainment.  It is easy to fall into a trap of thinking that by moving to America, my life will automatically be flawless.

I have been emailing my friend Sarahbee a lot.  We talk in the emails like we are sitting at a park together, watching our boys play.  She has been in the States for right around a month, and things aren't perfect. Her son is having issues with this transition just like W is.  They haven't found a house yet.  There are stressors.  Sure, it is nice to be home, but life isn't perfect.

Good to remember.  Life is life, huh?

Turkey Tensions

I have gotten several inquiries regarding the news about the shooting down of a Turkish jet by Syria.  First of all, thank you for your concern and prayers for our safety.  They are always appreciated, regardless of the situation.  As of right now, we don't believe we will be affected by this at all, but things of course could change rapidly.  If things should change, I will update this blog appropriately.

Again, thank you for all the inquiries and concern.  We feel blessed to have so many out there that are concerned about us. 

In 18 Days..........

........this Turkish adventure will come to an end.  It got me thinking about all the things that are commonplace here, that in 18 days, I may never experience again. 

• The ever popular Call to Prayer
• Stopping on the way home from the gym for a tank convoy
• Being greeted by a car search and armed guards upon entrance to my neighborhood
• Meat and milk shortages
• Literally knowing more than half of the people in your neighborhood well
• Shooing chickens from store entrances
• Saying "Merhaba, nasisin?" at least once a day
• AFN
• The Rotator
• Ryan riding his bike nearly everywhere
• NO cell phones, text messages, etc.
• NO traffic or stop lights
• 114 degree heat (hopefully not!!)
• taking a "quick trip" to Germany
• Doners, borek, and kebabs

Crazy!!

Would I?

I got asked the following question recently...

"Now that you are almost done with your first overseas assignment, do you want to do it again?"

The answer?  At this moment, no.  Like I said in an earlier post, I am perfectly content at this point to let my passport expire and never leave home again.  But that is now.

One thing that I am pretty much sure of?  I would absolutely not want to be stationed in Turkey again.  No offense, but 2 years is just about all I can handle.  It hasn't been a bad assignment by any means, but I am done.

I can totally see Germany, Italy, or Britain changing my mind though.  After being home for a bit, will I get restless?  Will I be ready for this adventure again?  One thing is for sure, nothing will ever be as shocking or life-changing as this assignment was.  There is a certain comfort in that.  If I can do Turkey, I can do anything!!

Pearls of Wisdom, Part 2

Here is the second installment of things I have learned on this journey.  I have never lived in a huge city, but have never lived in a very small town either.  All of my homes have fallen somewhere in between.  Boy, have I learned a lot about surviving in a small town!

Living on a Tiny Base or in a Tiny Town

• There is always a need or a volunteer opportunity.  There will never be enough people to fill every slot.  Choose one or two areas to really plug into, and don't feel guilty about saying "no" to the rest of it.  Burn-out is very real and very common in places like this.
• Don't be a gossip.  I guess this is applicable to everyone no matter where you live, but it is especially detrimental in a small town.  You will get caught.  It will come back to you.  And you will lose friends.  End of story.
• If there isn't a program or club or organization that fulfills your needs, start one.  This is the beauty of small town living....the sky is the limit.  Don't sit back and complain about the lack of activity.  Get out there and do something about it!  My friend Angelica noticed that there wasn't a good activity to plug new moms into base life here, so she started a playgroup that continues to this day, even though she is gone.
• Walk the Walk.  Especially in tiny towns, people notice you.  They know who you are and what you stand for.  It is even more important here to remember who you are and what you represent.  Someone is always watching.
• Enjoy the simple things.  In small places, options are scarce.  That isn't always a bad thing.  Not many restaurants?  Potlucks with friends are so much better.  Not much to do on a Saturday afternoon?  Round up some folks and a ball for a kickball game.  There is a beauty in simplicity.  Learn to see it and appreciate it.

Souvenirs

Say what you will about Turkey, but the place has some awesome shopping opportunities. Right off base in the Alley, there are many merchants who are all to eager to sell. And if you feel adventurous and go further into Old Adana, you can get even better deals. If you ever find yourself in Istanbul, the Grand Bazaar is a shoppers paradise-literally miles and miles of storefronts offering lamps, rugs, clothing, jewelry, accessories...really anything you can imagine. It was quite overwhelming to a non-shopper like myself.

 We waited a very long time to make any purchases, but once the ball got rolling, it was hard to stop! What are we coming home with? See below......

Rugs
I really don't know anyone who doesn't buy at least one while here.  Most people buy several.  You would be crazy not too, really.  If you attend a carpet party off base at one of the shops, they will feed you dinner and give you an education about the different types of rugs, how they differ by region and even village to village, and the different materials and dyes used.

  Of course, the machine made rugs are cheaper and most like what you would find in the States, only much cheaper.  My mother in law and her friend each got a good sized machine made rug for under $400....a steal!!  By contrast, we went to a carpet store in Cappadocia with my mom where they had a handmade rug available for...wait for it........$62,000!!!!!  So, there is a lot of variety out there.  

  After 2 years here and much research and shopping, we were finally ready to buy.  We ended up with 3 rugs, all handmade.  One runner, one 5x7 and one 6x9.  I am extremely happy.  They are beautiful.  All of them are handmade using silk and wool with natural vegetable dyes.  Because of the dye and materials used, they actually change color depending on the light and the angle from which they are viewed!

Below is an image of a handmade Oushak (our rug type) that has similar colors to one of ours.  I can't wait to display them in our new home!!  To check out more pictures, search "Uzbek Carpets" on facebook.  Esref has pictures of his carpet selection that are a good example of what you might find here.

 Lamps
I just recently discovered these Turkish mosaic lamps.  Several of my friends had them in their homes here, and I always noticed how beautiful and unique they looked.  Apparently, they are a pretty famous Turkish export, that again, we can get very cheaply here.  I ended up with 2 smaller table lamps that i think will look awesome in our house in DC.

  Pashminas
Oh ladies!!  Let me tell you, the pashminas are wonderful!!! A man in the Alley sells them for $10 here.  He also exports the same thing to be sold at Neiman Marcus for over $100!!!  Again, you would be crazy to live here for any amount of time and not purchase at least a couple.  I think my grand total was 4, but I have many friends with whole closets full of them.  Wonderful!!

Furniture
Other than the rugs, this was the thing that I heard about the most before coming here.  The furniture stores in the Alley will make you just about anything for a fraction of what it would cost you Stateside.  I know I sound like a broken record, but you would be crazy not to take advantage.  I don't know anyone who didn't get at least one thing made.  Most folks I know got completely new furniture sets in every room while here. You can simply take them a picture of what you like, and they will make you something identical (or very similar).  I took them pictures from Pottery Barn and got a TV console, bookcases, a bar (for Ryan...don't get me started), a chair recovered, an ottoman/coffee table and a computer desk.  All of this for around $1500.  Crazy cheap.  If you are curious, look up "Aydin's Furniture" on facebook.  He posts pictures frequently of what he's created.

Our leather ottoman that can be converted to a coffee table that is hollow inside for extra storage!

Our computer desk...before knobs were added.

Shotgun
This one was completely Ryan, and was actually done within the first year of our time here.  Turkey is apparently famous for something called Huglu Shotguns.  So Ryan got one.  As did my dad.  They make the gun to your specifications and Ryan was pleased.  It is waiting for us in Alabama.


I'd say we have done pretty well for ourselves!!
 

Pearls of Wisdom

I've done a lot of things over the past 2 years that I never imagined I could or would do.  And, I've done them all at least fairly well.  So, I think that qualifies me to dole out a least a little of what I've learned so that it could be of some help or service to others who happen to find themselves in similar circumstances

Living Abroad

• Don't spend your time wondering why this or that isn't done like it is at home.  You are not home. Try to embrace, or at the very least accept, the differences.
• Realize that homesickness is inevitable at some point.  It does not mean that you are weak or not cut out for living abroad.  It is just part of the experience.
• Learn from the culture of the country you live in.  Don't be so set in your American ways that you can't see that some things are just done better elsewhere.  Allow the experience to change you, even if it is just a little.
• Cultivate international friendships. 
• When you return home, accept that you will be different. You will view your home differently and the world differently.  It changes you from the inside out.  And accept that others may or may not understand. But regardless, don't spend all your time talking about your experience.  It is annoying to people 99% of the time.
• If you are hesitant to live abroad and the opportunity presents itself, DO IT.  It is easier than you think.  You are stronger than you think.  If Sarah Thompson from Montgomery Alabama can do it, trust me, you can too.
• Make the most of your time overseas.  Travel, travel, travel.  See as much as you can.  This wide world is so full of amazing things to see and do and learn.  Get out there!!
• Try to learn at least a little of the language of your new home.  I wish I had done more of this.  It makes you feel so much more confident when out and about.  After 2 years, I finally feel like I have learned enough conversational phrases to get my point across in most of the more common situations.  I am FAR from even a little fluent, but I can tell that with each phrase I master, I feel less nervous going out.
• Keep a blog or journal of your experiences and emotions.
• Be respectful of the culture.  This is especially important in the Middle East.  You are a visitor.  You are also a representative of the United States, whether you realize it or not.  This is the thing that foreigners resent about Americans the most, or at least in my experience it is.  You don't have to agree with something to be respectful.  We would expect the same of visitors to our country.
• Encourage people to visit you.  When they see you in your new home, it increases their understanding of your new life, and they can relate to you on a much deeper level.

Enough for now.  More to come.