Thank you, Turkey (that’s how I remembered how to pronounce it:  te + Shakira + (Bull) Durham)

I’m sad to see you leave, but I love to watch you go… err, somethin. Despite the suicide bombing and imminent threats of more terror, I wanted to stay longer. That’s love right there. I really, really Love Istanbul.

A few other things on Turkey:

1. How to eat baklava:  When sharing baklava with our waiters one night, we learned from a former baklava chef that the proper way to eat baklava is upside-down, one bite. I guess when you put it in your mouth upside-down, the syrup that has collected on the bottom drips down on the whole piece, and so you can taste all of the flavors at once. I feel like a pro. I wish I could make a living being a professional baklava eater😃. Anyone hiring? Anyone?😕
2. When you look different, most people think it’s okay to comment about how you look. I’ve never dealt with this before, but on the trip it’s been a constant thing. Example: At Gap store in Istanbul, guy who works there asks me, “Are you from Germany? Or if not, Russia?” Me: “No, U.S.” Him: “Oh, okay, I thought maybe Germany because you have nice, small face.” WTF. First of all, No. Secondly, I’m not asking you to describe what my face looks like. Then he continues the awesome conversation: “How old are you? 25 or 26? I think 25 or 26.” WTF x 2. I mean, really? Are we really going to do this? No. I’m fuckin’ old, dude. Real old, okay? So don’t make me tell you how old because then you’re going to say, “Wowwwww, you don’t look THAT old.” And then what do I say? “Thaaaaaaaanks” (fake smile), (biggest eyeroll EVAR). DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN ASKED HOW OLD I AM BY STRANGERS ON THIS TRIP…………………………………………………… ……………..…….. I had someone close to me who looks different and would always get total strangers commenting to him, and he didn’t always like it. I kinda understood him feeling like that, but part of me was thinking, ‘What’s the big deal?’ Now I know how it feels. It’s this weird amalgam of feelings: uncomfortable + violated + flattered. My ego likes the attention, honestly, and talking to anyone who knows english makes me happy. But it’s so awkward. Overall, if I could choose to take it or leave it, I would leave it and not feel like I’m being stared at for being different all of the time. Life lesson, I guess. Something about not staring at weird looking people. Rant complete.
3. Pics of more Isti stuff:

taksim square at night

istanbul from plane

honesty! yay!

cicek pasaji – istiklal street

flower passage = cicek pasaji

best durum istanbul (tony bourdain thinks so too?)

$3

lamb durum

crossfit taksim😍

totoro started playing with stuff in my bag when he got bored

gone turkish: lentils w/garlic yogurt…

lentils cooking😆

final baklava

bestttt

the Golden Horn

view from my room

view of golden horn from room @ night

I could survive on this.

cute street

walls of constantinople? not sure. going out of istanbul, over kennedy avenue, on the way to the airport

some wall?

this is dedicated t… you know who you are

random pic of baklava love

Next up: Old stuff (or is it new stuff?) in Skopje