Remember that vacation I took? I need another.

I'm beyond proud of myself for posting another post so soon.  I'm a crazy posting machine.

Right before Christmas I received a package from Turkey - I totally forgot that I'd ordered a vase while I was there!  So many happy memories.  Ah, the days of not checking my blackberry, being completely confused 100% of the time because no one speaks English and being a million miles from my reality.  My trip was amazing - I went with three girls I've met in NYC and if we weren't the closest of friends before we went, we certainly are now!

In typical Jenn fashion, I procrastinated packing, left finishing up work until the last minute and left leaving to the airport for the last possible second. No worries though, I made it through the door of the plane as they were making the last boarding call and I quickly collapsed into my seat in order to sleep soundly for the next nine hours into Istanbul. Thank you Daddy, for your incredible ability to fall asleep on any airplane that you've passed onto me! We arrived in Istanbul to the cold and rain but I felt refreshed.

Istanbul is incredible. To me, New York is a city of dreams; Paris a city of lights; London a city of history; and Istanbul a city of contrasts. Old and new exist side by side gracefully, with no unsightliness of discord. You can be standing in the Old City, at the seat of the Ottoman's power in their fortress and gaze out on the Bosphorus, marveling at the power behind the huge oil tanker making its way towards the Black Sea. I saw a picture of Hagia Sofia in a textbook when I was in like, the sixth grade. Ever since then, I've wanted to see it in person. I'm fascinated by the history behind the place and the enormity of the space. Being inside was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me - how often does that happen?!!! 

We saw the Blue Mosque, the Yeni Mosque, the Bosphorus, the Asia side of Turkey, the Europe side of Turkey, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Market, the whirling dervishes, a church made out of wrought iron, and enjoyed a real turkish bath experience and Ottoman palaces.  One morning we dined al fresco along the banks of the Bosphorus and since it wasn't quite a tourist spot and the menu wasn't in English so much, I ended up eating french fries with mayonnaise for breakfast.  There are worse things I could have ended up eating, I suppose.

We only spent three days in Istanbul. We traveled to Cappadocia after Istanbul and I LOVED it. We had our own tour guide for two days who showed us all over the countryside. We saw cave churches, toured underground cities, hiked through the countryside, and stayed at a cave hotel. The food in Turkey wasn't my favorite - tons of meat, including lamb - a meat I don't particularly love - but my favorite meals were in the Cappadocia region. 

My favorite thing we did in Cappadocia was going on a hot air balloon ride. It was so beautiful and quiet from the air - I couldn't believe how far we could see from up there! We counted at least 25 other hot air balloons that morning.

Our last stop in Turkey was to the Aegean Coast and the ancient city of Ephesus. Paul preached in Ephesus, in the large theatre on the hill. We walked the streets of that ancient city, checking out stones piled upon stones and my favorite, the library of Celsus.  I really heart old rocks.

I love vacations and exploring new places.  Some friends and I are planning a vacation for this October but we haven't been able to decide on a place to go.  Any thoughts?