Hello From Istanbul! (Sunday, 9/27)

We left Portland on Thursday afternoon and arrived in Istanbul 20 hours later at 5:30 pm local time. A shuttle was waiting for us and whisked us down some crazy streets right to our hostel. The sun was starting to set by the time we got there (7:30 pm) and something clicked so we instantly fell asleep without exploring.
The next day we dealt with bank troubles (card cancellations-- even though we called ahead of time!!) and did some tasks in town, such as buying cool little akbils for getting around the transit system, stopping by our school to pick up text books, and buying soap and shampoo. We also got a a chance to explore the tea gardens near Topkapi and had a long lunch with a great view of the Bosphorous. Again, we fell asleep at 8pm!

Today we've done some more sightseeing-- checking out the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum and walking around the Hippodrome and the back of the Blue Mosque. We've even been trying out some Turkish phrases, with much success... we think. Tonight our goal is to stay up to 10 pm.

Much love to everyone,
Mike (and Eleanor)

Here we go!

So many things to do on our last full day in the country! One of them is to finally publish this blog I've been telling everyone about. I'm hoping it will be a useful tool for Mike and me to stay connected with all of the wonderful people we have collected (and will collect) around the world. Here, we can post our photos and thoughts about everything we experience.

We leave tomorrow for Istanbul, where we will have about 2 weeks to sight see and settle in before we begin our CELTA course on October 6th. CELTA stands for the Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. It's given by Cambridge University, so it's very well recognized around the world. We're taking the course part-time, on Tuesdays and Fridays. We're hoping we can find some part-time teaching work while we take the course, so it will be an easier transition to full-time teaching when we complete our course in December. More on that bridge when it's time to cross it!

I think this is going to be a rewarding adventure for us. Mike and I are both interested in teaching careers, and we both want to spend some time living abroad before we get tied down here. I feel lucky to travel with such a solid partner in both work and play. And to have such fabulous friends and family. Thank you to everyone who has offered travel advice, moving help, reading suggestions, professional opportunities, Turkey contacts, well wishes, and more. We go confidently because we know we are supported by our community. I hope you will check in with us now and then to see how it has all paid off!

Thanks for reading,
Eleanor (and Mike)