Istanbul was Constantinople now it's Istanbul not Constantinople…

Turkish delight on a moonlit night? Such a strange but catchy tune…

Still can't believe that this time tomorrow I will be in Istanbul, Turkey (which by the way, in case you didn't know, is an hour ahead of Italy… whole new country, whole new continent (we're flying into the Asia side), and whole new time zone). I have my bag mostly all packed except for the things I need tomorrow and I think I am ready to go! Very excited and a little nervous for this trip but everybody else's excitement (including my mother's) makes the nerves less and less. As I drift into sleep tonight I'm sure I will be thinking about all the new things I am going to see and the new world I am going to enter (a whole new worlddddd… Aladdin?). I can't wait to buy a beautiful head scarf from the market and maybe some spices to cook with (not too hot though!). Maybe also a leather bag/purse for all my "stuff" but probably no turkish rugs (unless I find a magic carpet and the cave of wonders but I think that's in Arabia). Many of us are very excited for an adventure at the Turkish baths and I think I am most excited to see Hagia Sophia as well as the spice market.

Istanbul seems to be the place of new beginnings… as the song says "Istanbul was Constantinople now it's Istanbul not Constantinople…"I am hoping that this trip serves as a refresher for our whole group. We are starting to get at that halfway point and it seems to have started to take a toll on the group as a whole as well as individuals and relationships. There will be a lot to do and see in Istanbul that is new and exciting and while each of us will have our own experiences with each thing the fact that we will all be, as a group, traveling and experiencing together is important. Hopefully this trip can act as a cushion or threshold between the first half of our time abroad and the second, where everyone can release the negative and be reinvigorated with excitement and positivity for this experience and opportunity. We are also fortunate enough to come back from the trip right as our Spring break is beginning. This combination of time off as a large group and then as smaller groups or individuals should be just what the doctor ordered before we all reconvene in Rome to jump into the rest of the semester with both feet.

On that note it is time to say buonanotte perché sono molto stanca e domani ho una giornata molto intensa. (translation: goodnight because I am very tired and have a very busy day tomorrow)


Arrivederci e buonanotte. Ci vediamo in una settimana.