Kalkan

My trıp to Kalkan last weekend was absolutely ıncredıble! İ love travelıng to lıttle sea towns hıdden away ın the mountaıns. The Rotary club İ went wıth was also wonderful. They are not my host Rotary club but ıt was nıce to be able to branch out and meet some new people that can offer even more possıbılıtıes for adventure and fun. Kalkan was absolutely stunnıng. We had been drıvıng through the mountaıns for some tıme and heavy, thıck forest was all you could see. Then we rounded a bend and the sea was there wıth a lıttle town nestled ın by ıt. Absolutely amazıng. The hotel we stayed ın was even more amazıng. The vıew from my hotel room was rıght over the water and boats anchored on the docks. After settlıng ın the women were goıng to walk along the sea and look at the boats, shops, and water whıle the men were goıng to an outdoor cafe to watch a very bıg futbol game. Thınkıng of the trınkets İ needed to get for my famıly helped me resıst the futbol game. Untıl İ realızed that my team was playıng. After that there was NO WAY İ was goıng to get trınkets. My team won (of course. because Galatasaray IS THE BEST TEAM IN TURKEY), and the opposıng men ın our lıttle group rıbbed on me all nıght for not supportıng the rıght team. İ was offered brıbes but stuck true to my team. :D At one poınt, some of the men notıced that my phone cover was the colors of bıggest rıval to my team. The Galatasary fans decıded ıt wasn't a bıg deal though and decıded to paınt ıt Galatasary colors. Wıth naıl polısh. Needless to say, problem solved. We also went to a fısh bazaar. You go around to the sellers and pıck out what kınd of fısh you want them to cook for you. The fısh was odd but everythıng else was absolutely wonderful! There were so many dıfferent thıngs to eat. İ must admıt though, me and the lady next to me ended up hıdıng most of our fısh under other food on our plates. We also went to an ancıent cıty called Patara. It ıs saıd to be the place where Apollo was born. It ıs also one of the fırst and only restorated ancıent cıtıes. Lıke all other ancıent cıtıes ıt was absolutely ıncredıble. There were even a group of tourısts from England there whıch allowed to me creepıly eavesdrop on theır conversatıons for the Englısh and AWESOME ACCENTS. Thıs trıp was so much fun. Thıs weekend İ am travelıng to another town ın the Antalya provınce called Alanya. İ wıll get to see a frıend who ıs goıng on exchange to Canada ın 2012-2013. When İ get back İ tell you all about ıt!

Keepıng you Updated (:

Well ıt has been a long 10 days. Last Sunday İ started coughıng and then ıt only got worse. İ stayed home from school on Monday. İ thought İ would feel better gettıng out of the house so İ went to school on Tuesday....that was a bad ıdea. İ skıpped school the rest of the week. My host dog Buddy kept me company by declarıng a spot on my bed for hımself and we spent the rest of the week cuddled up and watchıng Glee. :) İ was supposed to go to Eskısehır for the holıday weekend and had even bought my bus tıcket when my sensıble mom talked some sense ınto me. So when my host famıly left for Germany İ went to my couselor's house. İ wasn't sure about ıt at fırst but ıt turned out to be quıte a lovely experıence. She doesnt have ınternet so İ stayed home, watched movıes, blew my nose and ate ıce cream. She even gave me some Amerıcan aspırın that was very helpful. İ had a good weekend to read, wrıte, thınk, and watch movıes. İt's crazy how fast my exchange ıs goıng. But even though İ only have 8 1/2 weeks left of my exchange, ıt seems lıke ıt ıs never goıng to end. Thankfully İ have a few trıps comıng up and İ get to see my exchangers at the end of May. İ absolutely can not waıt to see them! The weather ıs gettıng so hot here! İ consıder myself lucky that İ won't be here for the worst part of the heat that comes ın August. İt's tıme to start gettıng a tan though! İ have 4 weeks of school left, then a full month of swımmıng and hangıng out wıth frıends. İ wıll be wıth my current famıly untıl June 10th when they go to Germany for the Summer. İ wıll then be movıng back to my fırst famıly for the remaınder of my stay.(My fırst famıly has the pool whıch ıs awesome!:D) Needless to say İ am very excıted to be comıng home and seeıng my famıly. Especıally to go to Calıfornıa and see my best frıend/sıster at the end of July!

Family

My blog seems like it's kind of all over the place. I first started this blog at my mother's request. I didn't keep up with it all the time, but sometimes I get tired of writing on paper, so I write in my blog. I expected to just tell about my adventures while on exchange, but my blog has turned into so much more than that. I have shared feelings and both happy and sad things. It's more about me and my exchange than just my exchange.
I talked to my eldest sister tonight. It was nice talking to my best friend after so long. We started talking and then the inevitable came up. My grandpa. My sister was there in his last moments and therefore was able to tell me about what happened and give me an idea as to how some family members dealt with the death immediately after. Her words touched me deeply.
I know now that it was the right choice for me to go back and see my grandfather while he was still alive. After he died, the guilt I felt was immense. Maybe I should have gone home and just stayed there. But when my sister told me that she was there. Holding his hand, and how someone was at his bedside every day, how she knew when he had passed...the guilt I felt immediately left. I know that I wish I could have been there, but I know that it was right for me not to be there in his final moments. I know that it was right for my sister to be there instead of me.
So, after this post, only fun adventures are left to tell :) I have a couple of upcoming trips in the last 10 weeks of my exchange, and will be keeping my readers updated more often.

With love,
Abigail

Grandpa

It is May 5th. My grandpa died at 4 a.m. last night. I don't know what to do with myself, so I am going to do what I always do. Write about it. I can't explain how I feel. I've been expecting it for so long that I made myself not think about what I would feel after he died. I was so thoughtful about how I would react, because I have never been this close to a family member who then died. But, he is dead now, and I am feeling everything in full force.
Those of you who have lost a family member know the sadness that follows. Right now it hasn't sunk in for me that I'm really never going to see him again. I thought that when he died I wouldn't cry. I thought maybe I was one of those people who was sad, yes, but never cried when they needed to. I thought maybe I would be one of those people who would go into a depression so deep they stopped eating and doing anything healthy for themselves. I thought maybe I would just leave randomly and not come back for hours and hours, never telling my family where I was. I thought maybe I would want everyone to know what happened so they could all talk to me and tell me how sorry they are.
His death is still fresh, so I haven't become any one of these things. And I might react a completely different way. I have had tears in my eyes, but not outright weeping. I control myself because I don't want my host family to know because then I know I'll start crying uncontrollably. I don't know what to expect in the coming days, but right now I do know that I am devastated. And I miss my grandpa more than anyone could ever know. But one wish was granted. He went in his sleep, he didn't struggle, and he was surrounded by people he loved.
Grandpa, I miss you. And I love you. Cok ozledim. Seni Seviyorum.

Bored İn School

Summer has come to Antalya, Turkıye. İ was waıtıng for Sprıng, but apparently Sprıng ıs hardly ever part of mother nature's plan over here. Wınter and Summer are the two seasons. The wınter over here was wonderful. Not as much raın as İ had hoped for, but plenty for one season. At the begınnıng of last week İ wasn't able to wear my jacket because ıt was so hot. The hottest day last week was 31 degrees Celcıus (you'll have to convert ıt for yourselves). My Englısh teacher told me that there ıs a sayıng about "the longer and colder the Wınter, the shorter and hotter the Summer." Luckıly for me, I won't be here for the hottest part of Summer.
İt has been really wonderful beıng back ın my country and resumıng a semı-normal schedule. İ attended school for almost a full week last week. The fırst tıme ın awhıle. İ recall tellıng my sıster, "İ was such a nerd thıs week! İ went to school almost the whole week! Luckıly İ skıpped Wednesday though, so İ was able to salve my reputatıon."
Thıngs ın my exchange are goıng really well rıght now. School ıs wonderful, of course. Made better by all the wonderful people İ have the prıvılege to call my frıends. İ am takıng Turkısh lessons that İ absolutely love. My teacher pıcked up rıght where İ have been strugglıng. İt has been two weeks, lots of homework, and somewhat ımproved speakıng skılls. One of my best frıend exchangers ıs comıng from Ankara thıs weekend. He has been travelıng wıth hıs famıly from Amerıca. And my bırthday ıs thıs weekend...yay!! My classmates just remembered today and threatened me ıf İ don't come to school on Frıday. One of the best thıngs though ıs my host famıly. At fırst İ wasn't sure about my host mom. She was so nıce, and then she would say thıngs that made me feel so hurt and guılty ınsıde. But, sınce comıng back from Amerıca, we have a wonderful relatıonshıp. İ wıll be movıng back to my fırst host famıly soon, but wıll be goıng back to my current host famıly's house ın a month or two.
İ am stıll not sure whıch famıly has been my favorıte so far. İ am currently ın my 4th famıly. And they are close to the top ın just about everythıng. They don't have any chıldren that are at home at the moment, whıch ıs nıce because İ am not used to havıng my sıblıngs around all the tıme. They have an adorable Beagle named Buddy. Theır house ıs ın the mıddle of my favorıte part of Antalya. But the bıggest thıng ıs our ınteractıons. We have dınner together every nıght at the table. İ am allowed to help set the table and clean up afterwards. Yesterday was one of the best days of my exchange. I went to Turkısh lessons, and when İ came home İ was by myself whıch was nıce. 15 mınutes later my host dad and one of hıs dıvıng buddıes walks ın the house. They were both soppıng wet and stıll ın all of theır dıvıng gear except for the flıppers. My host dad walked though the whole house soakıng wet and leavıng footprınts EVERYWHERE. İ thought İ was goıng to dıe of laughter. İ just kept ımagınıng over and over what my host mom would say ıf she was home. He asked me to take pıctures so İ complıed. Then my host dad started strıppıng out of hıs wet suıt. İ non-chalantly turned around and started walkıng away. Next thıng İ know, "Hey Abıgaıl, wıll you take some more pıctures of us please?" İ went back and soon enough İ was takıng pıctures of two old men strıpped bare except for there wet suıt underwear. Now that İ look back on ıt, ıt really wasn't that awkward. Just funny as all get out.
Later that day the three of us went for a hıke ın some forest. İ found two baby turtles tryıng to push theır momma out of a lıttle rut. İt was the last thıng İ was expectıng to fınd ın the mıddle of the forest. Completely adorable. That nıght my host mom made dınner and we had really good conversatıon over our meal. My host dad trıed to make me feel bad about beıng a vegetarıan, or as they call them, "A veggıe".
Needless to say, ıt was a wonderful nıght and İ hope to have many more lıke ıt.

Home or "Home"?

I know going back to America to see my grandfather was one of the best choices I have ever made. Like I told my parents, "I would rather see him alive than come home for his funeral." And I still hold true to that statement. I think my grandpa is also happy I came home to see him. But as I sat on the plane getting ready to go from Istanbul to Antalya, I couldn't stop thinking that going home to Antalya was the worst decision I had ever made. And I still think it was a bad decision. But I believe more in the fact that I would never forgive myself if I hadn't come back. Coming back to my life here was hard. It would have been so easy to stay home, but it would have only been easy until I actually got home and realized what I had done to the rest of my year. When my grandma dropped me off at the airport she started crying. It broke my heart and it was all I could do to not get back in the car with her and leave. I gave her another hug and she said,"I'm just gonna go home and cry."
As I think about it now, it brings tears to my eyes. Maybe it's just because i'm jet lagged or because i'm listening to moody music, but a little part of my still wishes that I had stayed in America and I don't think that will ever go away.

A Brief Trip Back Home

Sooooooo I am back in America for a bit. I have been here for a week and am leaving on the 13th.
A week after I got back from my 13 day tour around Turkey my grandfather had a stroke. He has been battling prostate cancer for about 12 years. And this last year it has gotten really bad. Stage 4. He has been doing chemo and getting worse and worse and a couple of days after I got back, he had the stroke. My parents tried many times to get a hold of me over Facebook and email but the internet at my house wasn't working very well so I wasn't on my computer all that often.
When I finally was on my computer I saw the messages from my mom and dad saying, "I need to talk to you..." and "We've been trying to get a hold of you, we need to talk."
Immediately I knew something was wrong with my grandfather. I got a hold of them, thankfully the internet held up. We talked about me coming home and I told them that I would rather see my grandpa alive than come to his funeral, so when we hung up, my mom started making some calls. It was the weekend so we didn't get very far. Needless to say, it was a long weekend. I switched families Sunday night and still didn't hear anything about when I would be leaving. At this point I knew I would be leaving because my parents had checked with Rotary Insurance and found that they would cover my round trip ticket.
I also started telling some people that new what was going on with my grandpa. Of course the 4 exchangers I told were so supportive. It is more than I could have ever hoped for. One even offered to try and come down to Antalya until I left because she felt I shouldn't be alone. The amount of support and care was and still is amazing.
Monday after school I went out with some friends four a couple of hours. And an hour after I got home I called my mom and she finalized the ticket for me to leave the next morning at 3 a.m. I told my family I was leaving and they said their goodbyes before they went to bed. And, at 3 a.m. the next morning, I was on my way to America. The flights were better than I expected and I never got to bored. It still hadn't set in that I was actually going home until I was about to land in Chicago. It was all I could do to not burst into tears. I was literally staring out the window trying to calm my breathing so I wouldn't stop crying. I don't know what brought on the mini panic attack, I think it was the stress of everything that had happened, plus the lack of sufficient sleep, as I had been up for 36 hours straight.
The culture shock started setting in as I was finding my way around the Chicago airport. I was waiting to get on the tram to go to my gate, when an airport helper asked me what all the pins on my jacket were for. I told him I was an exchange student. He asked where and I said Turkey. He then said, "Bet you regret that one eh?"....I was speechless. I pasted on a smile and made my way onto the tram. When I arrived at the different terminal I had to go through security. I walked up and started to go through the metal detector when security stopped me and told me to take off my shoes. I was about to ask why when I realized, "HAH. Not in Turkey anymore."
As we were all standing in line to get on the plane, the ticket checker kept calling out zones. I COULD NOT figure out what they were talking about. I looked at my ticket 10 different times and could not find a zone on it. So I decided to just stand in line. When it was my turn I told the guy that I wasn't sure when to go because my ticket didn't have a zone number on it. Luckily he didn't care and let me go through.
The flight was wonderful. Before I even sat down, one of my seat mates looked at my jacket and asked me if I was a foreign exchange student. We talked almost the whole trip.

*WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT*
-She said that her daughter had been a Rotary exchange student a while back and had gone to Sweden. She told me about when they visited her daughter and all the different experiences her daughter had. One prominent story was that one of her daughters families had a meat grinder and would be out in their shed at 3 a.m. grinding meat. We both found that a bit odd. Then she told me that her daughter went to China for a year and learned 3 different dialects of the Chinese language. I was amazed. We then talked about Turkey and my experiences. She then asked me why I was coming back and I told her about my grandfather. She told me that she was on her way home from seeing her mother who had Esophogial cancer. I got to hear the story of how her dad was diagnosed with the cancer and died a few weeks later. Her mom was diagnosed a week after her dad was and had gotten an operation where her Esophagus was taken out and her stomach pulled up into her chest. She told me that her mom said if she had known how painful the surgery was and how long recovery was going to take (she was on a feeding tube for years) that she would have just died with her husband.
It was a sad story for both of us but we were able to bond in a weird strangers brought together by a blazer sort of way. The power of having a blazer covered with pins never ceases to amaze me.-

When I arrived in Phoenix, the reunion between me, my cousin, and my mom was a joyful one. It was really good seeing their faces again. As we were driving home I stared out the window in awe. The roads were so big. And the signs were so organized. I was amazed. We got home and my grandpa had stayed awake just to see me. My mom told me in the car to be prepared, then my dad called me and told me the same thing. When I saw my grandfather, I saw an old man who weighs about 145 pounds fighting for his life. The amount of deterioration in 6 months was and still is, astounding to me. This man is the strongest person I have ever met. He just keeps fighting and fighting. Never says no to another treatment.
It has been interesting, helping him stand up when he wants to go to the bathroom, bedroom, or outside to smoke his marijuana. (Don't worry, it's legal.)
He eats baby amounts of food, sometimes even less. His skin is papery thin, whats left of his hair is rough, and his legs are probably as big as my arms. It put a smile on my face when he took a liking to the Turkish candy I brought back with me.

I have met most of his doctors and both of his physical therapists. They truly are doing everything they can to make him comfortable for the last months of his life. I couldn't be more thankful.
Being "home" has been weird. My American friends didn't even know I was coming home or was home until I texted them. I haven't really been craving anything, Turkish or American food. Every time we go to a grocery store I am amazed by the varieties of food offered. There are so many different brands of the same kind of food. It is still baffling to me.
Anyway, the days are being passed playing cards and spending time with family. It is hotter in Phoenix than Antalya most of the time. We are also doing an early birthday party for me with some senior citizen friends(: there will be Turkish food, American food, and a triple chocolate cake.

That's all for now,
Until next time,
Your Exchange Student.

Host Families

It is amazing how eclectic families are. I know every family is different, but getting to be a part of 3 different ones in the span of a year is incredible. You may fall in love with the family and never want to leave, or you and the family may be so different that immediate removal is necessary. An exchange student never knows, but that is part of this amazing experience.

1st HOST FAMILY*
My first host family was/is wonderful. I absolutely love them. My first weekend in Turkey they took me rafting, bought me Ben & Jerrys and made me feel right at home. After the jet lag wore off and I stopped my late night eating binges/movie watching/being depressed days, I started realizing how alone I really was. My host brother was home all the time of course because school hadn't started yet, but my host parents were scarcely seen. Partially my fault, and partially theirs. Granted, I was a hermit for the first 2 weeks, but because I still had no idea what I was doing, there weren't many options.
My host mom works ALL the time. She leaves in the morning at about 9 and gets home about 10. During the six months I was there my host dad did most of the taking care of the exchange student. But even he had to work. I never really figured my host brother out. He LOVES computer games but what 13 year old boys don't? Of course there was anger at how reclusive he was and how rude he seemed to his parents but now as an outsider looking in on the family (and understanding the language) I see that he really isn't that rude. That he actually is a pretty cool kid. I'm just sad it took me so long to realize it.
Anyway, my home atmosphere was kind of like living in a hotel. I would leave when I wanted, come back when I wanted, eat when and where I wanted. I loved the freedom but after awhile I started longing for a family atmosphere that didn't start after my bed time. I never really adapted to my family's going to bed at 12 or 1 a.m. then waking up at 7 for school/work lifestyle. It just didn't take. So, I would come home from school about 5 o'clock, sit in my room if I wasn't out with friends, eat dinner with whoever was home, then go to bed. I usually made it until 10 o'clock. Then my host mom would get home and everyone would sit around the T.V. drinking tea.
I have a whole load of emotions (good and bad) towards this family, but I don't want to give the impression that they weren't incredibly helpful for me.
Two of my younger cousins, Yaprak and Nurten, were and still are 2 of the most amazing people I have ever met. Even though they are only 14, they took care of me in the first months of my exchange and on occasion still take care of me. We have created a bond of friendship/sisterhood that will be hard to break.
After my big trip around Turkey I switched families.

2nd HOST FAMILY*
Even though I was only with my second family for a week, they instantly became my favorite family. I had two younger host siblings, one was 14 and the other 8. I spoke and learned more Turkish in that one week than I had for the last 2 months. I camped out on a mattress on the floor of the 14 year olds room. And my 8 year old sister camped out in her sister's room with us for the week. (: It was a week of fun and late nights. We made new Facebook pages, new friends,and I even got a few new stickers on my laptop. (=
My host mom called me her daughter numerous times and when introducing me to other people, she would say, "These are my daughters, Ece, Melisa, and Abbie." And when her husband was taking me to my new house he said, "Abbie you are like third daughter to us. Everytime. Whenever you want to visit just come over. You are welcome at our house anytime, everytime." Needless to say, they were incredible and helped me a lot.

3rd HOST FAMILY*
My third host family is an eclectic group of people. My host mom is German, my host dad Turkish. My host sister lives in Spain and my host brother is at boarding school in Germany. My host dad is the nicest person. My host mom on the other hand... I haven't really figured her out. She is a wonderful person but I haven't decided if she is genuinely happy i'm there or if she is just acting happy. I'm hoping it is the first one, but either way it's a challenge. And I love challenges. I was with them for one night before I left for a brief trip back home to America (more about that in the next post).

So far So good.

Turkey Tour

Long time since my Christmas post. You have my apologies.
A lot has happened since then! So many good things that have made my trip more amazing.
The biggest thing was a tour of Turkey with 19 of my fellow exchangers.
This tour has been the best part of my exchange. I got to spend 12 days with a big part of my family. And the best part? We were all squished together on a mini tour bus :)

We all met in Ankara and left in the morning. When we saw our mini bus, many of us were thinking that a joke was being played on us. It was no joke. On the first day, a couple of us were instantly linked together but on the second day, we were sprawled everywhere. We became used to each other almost instantly which was a great thing.
Another cool thing was that our tour guide was the same one we had for our Christmas tour to Kappadokia! It was wonderful in the beginning to have such a familiar face.

We went to many many different amazing and exquisite cities. Among them were Eskisehir, Izmir, Istanbul, Efes, Antalya, Konya, and a lot of others. Of course there was snow and cold weather in every town except Izmir and Antalya so I ended up buying snow clothes along the way. Nothing compared to the snow clothes used in my hometown of Driggs, but Turkish snow clothes. Each night we stayed at a hotel, often going to sleep at around 2 or 3 in the morning, then waking up at 6:30 the next morning. Needless to say, we did a lot of sleeping on the bus.

Our tour guide was completely wonderful in the amount of patience she had for us. At least for the first 4 or 5 days. After that she started not caring about niceties and felt free to tell us how she really felt about us being late. By the 2nd week a couple of us would take bets on what word she would use to begin the conversation. The words, "My friends," were her absolute favorite. We weren't being rude or making fun of her, but 19 exhausted teenagers can come across as...well, not the most enthusiastic bunch.

We saw the most amazing things on our trip. There were ALOT of ancient cities. Usually people exaggerate when using the word a lot, or people listening think they mean only 5 or 6. We saw about 12 ancient cities. They were beautiful and amazing though. One of my favorite cities was Istanbul. One of my oldest dreams came true when I walked into the entrance hall of Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia is the most amazing thing I have ever laid eyes on. One of my best exchange friends and I walked in together because seeing Hagia Sophia had been one of our dreams since we were young. It was a beautiful moment. I can't explain the magnificence of seeing something as old and exquisite as Hagia Sophia, I can only say that it is truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever and will ever see.

After Istanbul we headed to warmer lands. Izmir was next on our list and it was like a whole other world. Sunshine, grass, palm trees, wonderful amazing breeze. It was amazing. The first time the whole trip that I didn't have to wear winter clothes. Needless to say, I could tell I was almost home. After Izmir we headed to my hometown of Antalya. I was so proud to have my closest friends be able to see my city. The weather wasn't the best, but it was much better than the other places we had been. I truly am an island beach kind of girl.

When we arrived back in Ankara, we were happy, exhausted, sad, and once again, cold. But it was no time to rest yet. The next morning we had to get up bright & early (for an exchange student anyway) to meet next years outbound Turkish exchange students. We spent all day in meetings and spending our last day together. We all gave presentations about our home countries. In Turkish. Or mostly in Turkish. We kept taking to much time so some of us gave our presentations half in English and half in Turkish. Or as we call it, Turklish. (=

At the end of the meetings we got to mix and mingle, telling the out bounds about our countries and answering any questions they had. I had the pleasure of meeting an outbound from my city of Antalya. I had no idea who she was. And even better, she goes to my school! Her first choice is (of course) America! :D we've been able to talk and will be hanging out this summer quite a bit.

Our goodbyes were sad, but we know that we will see each other again. The next time for a meeting in....(drum roll please)....ANTALYA!

A Kappadokian Christmas

Christmas was absolutely amazing this year. The Rotary organization put together a tour for us exchange students that was absolutely amazing.
I went to Ankara on December 22nd and was able to go to an early New Year's Eve party. I met many Rotarians and had a wonderful time. On the 23rd I met up with my exhchange family(:
When we were all on the bus traveling to Kappadokia I felt at home for the first time in weeks. These kids are truly amazing.
On our tour we got to see many different and mind blowing things. We had lunch at a Turkish restuarant where they served us Turkish Kebab and rice. We went to a museum that was a city built into rock. The architecture was amazing. There was an old church we saw that was absolutely stunning. What is even more amazing is that even though the museum was about to close for the day, they let us in anyways. Being a Rotary exchange student brings about many experiences others miss out on everyday.
While traveling we stopped at many different roadside shops where they sold traditional Turkish clothing and trinkets. At one of these stops, a friend and I were so engrossed in what we were doing that we didn't notice the bus leaving until it was already moving. Luckily the people in the back seat saw us waving goodbye and they stopped. (:
Another place we saw was a castle. It was a fairly long and steep walk up to the top, I can't even imagine being an army and trying to attack it. The view from the top of the castle (carved from the rock wall/cliff) was absolutely stunning. And there was also snow at the top. I was hoping to go a whole year without touching snow...but....we win some we lose some.
My friends and I celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. We all had a nice dinner at the hotel we were occupying (literally. occupying. not just staying.) then we went to a traditional Turkish entertainment night. The entertainers went through the different steps of a proposal, bachelor/bachelorette party, and the wedding itself. There was also a belly dancer that was phenomal (so all the boys thought.) xD
The owners then played some songs and let our group of exchange students take the floor. We all got partners and started doing the Salsa, the Tango, regualar Ballroom dancing stuff. It was really a lot of fun.
while packing all of our stuff into our bus on Christmas Day, the Brasilians (who had never touched/seen snow) started an epic snowball fight. The waiting staff of the hotel even joined in our little battle. After 30 minutes of constant snowballs we all got on the bus. Soaking wet and happy as could be.
It has been less than a week and I already miss my exchange family. But luckily I only have 21 more days until I get to see them again. And this time its for 17 days instead of only 3. (:

heya!

So much has happened since my last blog post, I dont even know where to start.
Let me first say, that I apologise for any spelling/grammar errors. My English has gotten quite bad but it seems to come in fits and starts.
Well. I have been pretty busy the last couple of weeks. I keep telling myself that I am going to skip school just because I can, but I love it to much. Skipping school doesnt seem like a rebelious act to me because I love it so much. My classmates and teachers are absolutely amazing. My conversation teacher has been making us write 1 essay a week much to the disgruntled remarks of my classmates. I absolutely love it. I am able to write an essay, but am asked by classmates to help them with their essays. I love being able to teach them things about my language.
I have also been studying my SAT alot. I am going to Ankara tomorrow to take the SAT AGAIN. I am actually quite excited to take it because its American in a way, and I kind of miss America.
I found out 2 weeks ago that there is an AFS exchange student here in Antalya. He's Belgian and his name is Robbe. He is a super nice kid, but has to return back to Belgium in a week or two. We were only able to hang out once because of our busy schedules but it is nice knowing that I am not the only exchanger in Antalya. For now at least.
Exams have started again in my school. My classmates are studying more than normal but we have fun anyways. They are slowly loosening up and realizing studying isnt the only thing in life. My Irish-Turkish friend Yasemin took me to see the new Twilight movie. I didnt know that there was going to be 2 parts to the last movie until the end of the movie when the credits started rolling. But, as you all know, that isnt surprising.
Even though there are many good things, the bad follow as well. I am feeling conflicted about moving host families. I want to stay with my current family longer because I absolutely love my host mom and host dad. My host mom is amazing. And even though my host dad has a bad habit of sneaking food on my plate when im not looking, he's pretty awesome too. The bad thing is my host brother. Every night my 13 year old host brother picks a fight with both of my host parents. He calls them names and treats them like they are his servants. A lot of times I am woken up at midnight from my host brother shouting. We aren't very close. At first he wanted to be an only child and resented the fact that he had to share his parents when his sister was gone, and now he complains to his cousins (my best friends) that he feels like an only child because we never talk or really interact. Im not really sure how to deal with it, but I am moving host families soon enough so it won't be a problem much longer.
The only other bad thing that happened was when 2 girls in my school decided to read my journal. I have been writing in cursive, because they can all semi-read English. Turns out they can semi-understand cursive to. The only thing they read was about how unhappy I was one day, but that was a really bad day. I absolutely love Turkey. Through all the ups and downs.
The weather is getting colder and winter has arrived in the form of t-shirt and jeans weather for me, and multiple layers of clothes and coats for everyone else in Antalya. My host dad always points to my feet indicating that I need to put socks on or I will get sick. It's quite entertaining(:
My Turkish improves every day but I am very frustrated with my slow progress. After I get back to Antalya from taking the SAT I am going to get a Turkish tudor.
I am also gearing up for the Rotary Christmas trip to Kappadokya. Im really excited to see my other exchangers(: it has been far to long.

To the Soldiers

This post was going to be happy and amazing things that make me want to cry, but my heart and my country are now filled with a sadness and hatred. Today there was a terrorist attack by the PKK on the East part of Turkey. 24 soldiers lost their lives.
Soldiers, you will be forever remembered.

Ankaraaaaa

Well folks, I just arrived back from my inbound orientation in Ankara. When I stepped out of the airport I realized that it was so cold I could see my breath. Home sweet home. (: The weather in Ankara is so cold and so wonderful! I was usually the only one wearing shorts. It felt so nice to be able to wear long pants though, i've been deprived of wearing long pants for almost 2 months.
Anyways, the inbound exchangers of D2430 are absolutely amazing. Even though we only got to see each other for 3 days, and most of us had never met before, I left feeling loved and cared about. I enjoyed adding 23 new people to my family.
Our countries consist of Brazil, Canada, Mexico, America, Germany, Columbia, and Japan. Everyone one of the exchangers is a beautiful and amazing person. I can't express how happy I am but also sad because I don't get to see them until christmas D: I miss them so much already and it hasn't even been 24 hours. Even though we don't all talk and hang out in the same groups, just everyone's presence is enough to make someone feel homesick for a home they never had. <3
While in Ankara we were in meetings 90% of the time. Rotarians went over the 4 d's which we exchangers all know by heart. No Drinking, No Driving, No Drugs, No Dating. And they talked about the chain of command, and how careful we need to be in every situation. Correctly assessing situations will be one of the biggest things most exchangers bring home. Not always noticeable, but it is definitely there.
On the second day we had Turkish lessons almost non stop. It was very helpful but some of it was very comfusing. I loved it. All of it.
We also got to see Ataturk's masoleum. In case you are wondering, Ataturk was the president of Turkey who founded turkey's independence. Muy importante. Also very cool.
I got tears in my eyes as I left my group, sad that we only had 3 days together. We arrived out of our comfort zone and left with knowing that wherever our group is, is home.

Absolute fantasticness=rain

Random fact for this post: I have not yet met one Turk who shuffles cards like we do in America. They just lay the cards on the table and mix them.

I made a vow to myself (and partially on Facebook, although it's put lightly) to start mainly speaking in Turkish. I know quite a few words and sentences but I have a nasty habit of getting away with shaking my head most of the time. I need to get rid of that habit and this is the week I am going to start! :D
There hasn't been very many exciting things going on. Apart from the fact that I am living in a friggen harika foreign country! School is great, my teachers are great, and my classmates are crazy. I found out last week that I have had the wonderful pleasure of being placed in the "trouble making" class of the 11 grade. Needless to say...it suits me just fine. ;) We are always blasting Turkish/American pop songs out the windows for students passing by, we have a water kettle in our room, we laugh pretty much constantly, and are told to be quiet pretty much constantly. Its wonderful.
School actually got canceled today because it rained so much yesterday! My yard is still a lake, and the some of the roads have 2 meters of water on them. It is amazing! RAINY DAYS AND MONDAYS!!
I'm getting to bake some Turkish foods....well, I mostly watch because I tend to overdue some things apparently. Like getting to much egg mix on a tortilla. Or, 5 tortillas. NOT THE POINT. The food is super duper uber good here! I am so excited to be able to make some different things when I get home.
By the way....can you get fruit poisining? Orrrr yogurt poisoning? I eat so much fruit and yogurt that I feel I am going to get sick any day. It's way to good to be true. My host dad brought bananas back from the market on Sunday, and by the rapturous expression on my face while eating a banana in the middle of our kitchen, i'm pretty sure my host mom thinks i'm bonkers. That or she's just gonna start buying a truckload of bananas each week ;D
I told my host mom that I make banana bread and cinnamon rolls back home, i'm pretty sure the look on her face was that of interest, but I was pretty tired so it might have been one of pure fear of being poisoned by these weird foods. Hard to tell.
ANYWAYSSSS.
I have my inbound orientation camp this weekend in Ankara! I am so excited to meet all the people in my district. Just from talking on Facebook and Skype I can tell we are going to be a close knit group. I'll be gone for 3 days and am super excited that I finally get to travel to Ankara! Istanbul is next on my list!!

By the way, my Facebook randomly changes from English to Turkish and vice versa....is that weird? O.o

Lack of internet

Sorry I have been out of contact! I was staying at a host relatives house for a while and their internet wasn't easily accessible so I just went without! Turkey is still absolutely amazing! Any doubts I have about choosing this country vanish as soon as I step out my front door. I could see every part of Antalya 10 times and be just as happy to see it the 11th time. This country is truly amazing.
I am almost finished with my second week of school here. I am happy to say that school is better than I could have ever hoped! My classmates are great! We get along very well and were pretty good friends on the first day. There are 10 girls and 2 boys in my class and I have about 17 different subjects. It is very nice because the teachers rotate classrooms instead of the students. We have 9 classes on Monday and Tuesday then 8 classes Wednesday through Friday. My teachers are very supportive and interested in my life even if they don't speak English! They all make me feel welcome and have told me that if I ever need to talk I can come to them. My classmates introduce me to new people every day and people are starting to recognize me as "the American",
I am picking up the language very quickly according to the native Turks. All of my teachers thought I was Turkish. Then they started talking to me. So far I have been asked about who Martin Luther is and why we dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and have been able to share even more of USA's history. I am helping my cousins, classmates, and teachers with their English and love it! Being able to help others learn my native language is very fun, and we always end up having interesting conversations.
I'm not sure if you're interested or not but here is the list of my classes:
Philosophy
Math
German
Spanish
English
English Grammar
Turkish Grammar
English Literature
Turkish Literature
Geography
History
Conversation
Biology
Chemistry
P.E.
Art
Religion

turkish kina(:

I got to see the coolest thing last night at my Rotary meeting! It turns out there was a Turkish bachelorette party, or a kina, in the ballroom next to our conference room! For the main ceremony the bride sits down in a chair in the middle of the women attending and a veil is put over her face. (her traditional turkish wedding dress was beautiful by the way). Then her mom and aunt (pretty sure thats who it was) go around her chair waving candles on a platter back and forth over her head. The platter is the same color as her veil (a beautiful red). The two women then put a sort of paste on each of the bride's palms. The paste is covered with tissues and then red pockets matching the veil are put over her hands. This is to keep the paste on until it dries. The climax song is used specifically for this ceremony and is absolutely beautiful. The main point of this ceremony is to make the bride cry because she is leaving her family. Weird, but cool in its own way. And the rest of the kina is just dancing all day and all night and eating!

One of my friends' moms went in and found the paste. I now have an orange circle on my hand :D so do 2 of my friends. It was an amazing night!

If I had any preconceived notions about Turkey, it was that it would be completely different from the U.S. Believe me, it is COMPLETELY different, but after being here for almost 3 weeks, i've started seeing some very American things. For instance, the films over here are in English with Turkish subtitles. The only films not in English are other foreign films which are played in their native tongue with Turkish subtitles. It is odd but Turkish in its own way I suppose. The Turkish cinemas have 10 minute intermissions during the movies. :D it gives for a nice reprieve.
Some things i've noticed are:
1: First of all, don't kid yourself into thinking that something is a certain way until you see it done or said multiple times by multiple people. Soooo if someone says something different about the things I am going to share with you, they might be right and I might be right. Most likely they are right if they are Turkish. Anywayssss.
2: Bread and tomatos are eaten at EVERY meal. Whether they are fresh tomatos put on bread, or squashed tomatos in soup that you mop up with bread. These two food items can be relied on at every meal. (: And they are quite tasty.
3: When visiting family, the hosts give the guests shoes for inside or outside, depending on where the tea/meal is being served.
4: There are two separate greetings. for the younger adults it is a kiss on each cheek. For the older adults (the grandmotherly and grandfatherly old), you kiss their hand, bring their hand to your forehead, and then kiss on both cheeks. These are both to be accompanied by merhaba which means "hello."
5: Ladies and gentlemen smoking has become a food group. Mostly for women though.
6: Never fear. Food is near.
7: When children visit family with their family on the Turkish holiday Ramadan, the children are given money by the hosts.
8: The younger women usually serve by themselves only when older relatives live in the house. With visiting family such as brothers and sisters everyone sort of helps out.
9: At first i figured the men would be served first while the women waited, then when the men were done the women got to eat. Yeah. Not true. After a couple of days I saw from my host dad that men are very helpful as far as heating up dinner, toasting buttloads of bread, and making tea. pretty much only those three things. I'm quite sure they are allergic to dishes. (:
10: You haven't seen or step foot in a nice, huge, comfortable living room until you have been in a Turkish living room. Turkish living rooms are by FAR the nicest rooms in houses. The rugs are luscious and huge. the couches are very numerous too. (: and of course big screen T.V.s larger than my bedroom ornately decorate the living rooms. Never has a living room been so refined yet so comfy.
11: Turkish people's fingernails are impeccable. I never really noticed American fingernails but Turkish fingernails are ridiculously clean. Especially the mens. weird, I know.
12: Not a lot of Turkish people keep pets. Most of the pets they do keep are dogs. They feed strays though :D for me, feeding strays is probably one of the best parts of Turkey. The compassion they have for animals is absolutely wonderful! My host dad throws out breakfast leftovers for the birds in the morning. He goes out and whistles to them while spreading the grub. It is absolutely hilarious.
13: White is a very popular color over here. My mom thinks it's because of the weather, and it very well could be. I think it's more of a fashion statement though. Men in white jeans, women in white dresses, and both in white shoes. I thought it was odd, then I realized that I had just painted my fingernails white.
14: Black people are very scarce here. And the use of the word "nigger" is used. Turks don't realize how offensive it is because they aren't around African-Americans. My host brother visited Chicago, IL two summers ago and said that was where he saw his first African-American. I've been here almost three weeks and have seen three African-Americans. Two of them were on T.V. playing in a soccer game though so it doesnt really count.
15: When visiting family or at my Rotary meetings, the people squinch their eyes at me. It's like a gesture of welcome, also letting me know that they are pleased with my presence. This gesture immediately puts me at ease.(:

This jumbo load of information is all for now. I certainly hope I didn't bore you! Oh, one more thing. Coca-Cola is universal. And I still don't like it.

I'm getting better at this blog thing.

I am starting on my third week in this beautiful country and I love it more everyday. Just the other day my host family and I went to dinner at a little restuarant on the Sea. It was so picturesque! I didn't take pictures of it, but sometimes memories should be kept to yourself(: I have made a few friends that are going to the same school as I. Two of them are host cousins that live not far from me.
School starts on Monday and I am very excited! A lot of the exchange kids here in Turkey seem to be a little apprehensive about school because of the uniforms and strict rules but I am very excited! Nobody seems to be able to tell me all the rules or stipulations of Antalya Koleji (my school) and if I can't find them on the net I will get to learn from experience! :D

delayed blog post...

I have arrived in the beautiful turkiye. Actually I arrived a week ago, but I couldn't remember my blog name. haha. Tukey is amazing! When I was flying in I was able to see the Mediterranean Sea and the beautiful city of Antalya. Upon my landing I was greeted by my host mom, another one of my host moms, my host brother, and one of his friends. (: they were all holding wonderful signs that were welcoming me to this beautiful country. It was very hot when I arrived but after about 3 days I acclimated and got used to the heat. It hardly bothers me any more. The night I got in, Cem (host brother) and Bahutan (friend) took me for a small tour of the mall near my house. We ate Manti, which is pasta with yogurt. Turns out they use yogurt in everything! I've even had a yogurt soup! :D
So far I have been to two different beaches, both of which were absolutely stunning, the water was amazingly blue, and I went white water rafting! The water in the river was also amazingly blue and clear! I have had so much fun so far, and am learning the language well. It isn't considered quick by American standards, but by Turkish standards it is better than they could have hoped for. My host mom has been very patient with me and is pointing out different things and helping me learn the turkish words for them. Although I am excited to be here and as amazing as the food is here, I cannot help but have cravings for my local food back in Driggs, Idaho....and my starbursts are running out! (:

Contact from....my soon to be other world(:

I was just contacted by one of my future host brothers. I'm also kind of freaking out because i'm really excited but thats to be expected! He is 16 and currently on exchange in the beautiful Brazil. He will probably be home when during my exchange. I have a 23 year old sister who lives in Istanbul, she is a chemical engineer. This is all I know so far but it is enough to get me more than excited for my adventure to come!