Five Favorites

I feel like sometimes I get stuck in this rut where all I want to think about is how different/worse Turkey is than home.  It's usually sparked by something and then I just get going and can't stop.  I found this linkup (a linkup is where a blog writer poses a question and then other blog writers answer the question on their blog.) through a blog I read and figured it's the perfect way to help me think a little more positively about this whole experience.

For this linkup, the author just asked for people's Five Faves.  It could be anything.  The blog I read that did this wrote about her five favorite books, but I figured this was the perfect opportunity for me to think about what my five favorite things are about this whole experience. So, here we go!

1. Time with Mike. I spend a lot of time with Mike.  A lot.  Sometimes, he's the only person I interact with face to face.  While it is a little much sometimes, it's something that I try really hard not to take for granted.  I know that in two years, we'll be back in the United States and Mike will be attached to another boat.  This will mean deployments, nights on duty and lots and lots of underways, all of which mean lots and lots of time away.  To have two years where he gets to come home every night and we get to eat dinner together is something that I am grateful for every day.

2. Travel. Do I need to say more?  We're so lucky and have seen things that I didn't even know exist.  We're only at the beginning of our adventure, but the number of sights and cities that I've seen in four months is more than people see in a lifetime.  It's incredible.

3. Midye Dolma. These stuffed mussels are to die for.  I was a little skeptical about eating mussels bought from a cart on the side of the street, but it's now one of my favorite things.  They're delicious and so cheap that they make a great late night snack.

4. Fresh food.  We do go to the commissary for the majority of our grocery shopping, but there is a market by our house on Sundays that we go to for all of our produce.  We also buy our chicken from the butcher there and I have no doubt that the chicken was walking around in his backyard hours before we bought it.  I'm by no means an organic food type person, but I do like knowing that these foods are fresh, clean and were grown on someone's farm.  Plus, it's nice being able to give your money to someone who actually needs it and not just a big grocery chain.

5. Teaching  It's not exactly what I would want to be doing, but I do enjoy teaching.  I like having the human interaction (see #1) and my students are all around my age, so sometimes it just feels like we're hanging out.  They all smart and like to talk about Turkey, so it's a good way to learn about the country and culture.  Plus, I feel like this experience will be so beneficial when I go back to the United States and teach.

So there you have it! Five of my favorite things about Turkey!

Just chillin' at the top of a coliseum.  #nbd