for everyone else

Quick update...

We've been on the Black sea for a few days, staying in the rooftop apartment of some friends. These friends get up every morning for a 6am devotional, but luckily we go back up to our apartment and crash immediately afterwards. It's been pretty amazing. Our friends here have shown us the most incredible hospitality. You can't out-love a Turk.

We leave tomorrow for a quick plane flight to Istanbul. We'll be there together until Thursday-- when the group parts ways. Megan and I will remain in Istanbul for a few days, and then join a Greek family she knows in Athens for several days. I'm really excited about Istanbul-- but it's so strange to think we're already there-- this part of our journey is almost at an end.

My friends will leave, and I will return to Ankara. I enjoyed Ankara, but it will be different this time. I begin my writing internship on the 1st of July. I hope they like my style, I hope I live up to expectations. I am living in the dorms again-- which means many new adventures are to come.

Some of you knew I was quite ill for a while. My roommates in Ankara smoked in our room and never opened the windows. I coughed so much that I couldn't sleep-- and neither could they. I didn't want to insult them or damage our relationship, so Jenn took one for the team and let them think she was afraid to sleep by herself-- so I got a few smoke free nights. I am much better now. After a bottle of some sort of Turkish syrup from the pharmacy (which I obtained through charades), and a few nights on the Black Sea propped up in bed, and some dreadful concoction that Scott gets from his chiropractor, I am almost completely back to normal. (See Mom-- no bird flu...) Yay!