İlkbahar (Spring)

--A Summary of the Past Few Weeks--

Bursa trip: Was so great! We got there Friday evening, met our host families (Turkish people are really great hosts; every exchange student always gets such a welcoming family when we go away for the weekend), slept, got up and took a city tour Saturday (Bursa has a lot of history), and then, the highlight of the trip for everybody, went to Uludağ! The skiing was so fantastic! We were all so sad when dusk came and they closed the lift, we all could've continued for a few more hours I think. The weather was perfect for both touring the city and skiing-- not too hot, not to cold. Monday we had a brunch with the Rotarians and returned to İzmir.

Denizli trip: Also amazing! We left Saturday morning, arrived in Denizli 3.5 hours later, took a tour of a rug factory (handmade rugs; it's quite impressive to watch the women who weave them) and then went to a village for a bit, and had dinner. The next day we drove the 25km. or so to Pamukkale where we saw the "cotton falls" and ancient city. We saw a 3,000 year old ampitheater and swam in this really neat pool-- the water was crystal clear, warm, and bubbly (like club soda, really!) and oh, it had ancient ruins submerged in it. After swimming we hiked down the white terraces. The weather was again perfect for this trip-- I even got a little sunburned!
This trip was also good because my friend Savannah, who lives in Bursa, got to spend the night at my house Friday and Sunday night. I also recently found out we will be on the same flight from İstanbul to Chicago returning home (we plan to dry each other's tears, and eat our first American meals together, haha.) Really though, it will be nice to have someone to pass the time with on the 11 hour flight back to the USA.

Easter: As you may have guessed, is not widely celebrated in Turkey. On Saturday I dyed eggs with my host sisters, and on Sunday we went to a family brunch where the mothers hid the eggs for us "kids" to find. My host mom said, "Okay Lydia, you can explain the tradition, why people color the eggs and hide them."
"Well actually... I have no idea." I decided it was better to not even bring the Easter bunny into this. Honestly, how do you explain such a thing? So I had a good Easter, probably better than a lot I've had in American, considering I haven't dyed eggs in about 5 years!

School: İs becoming more and more impossible as the weather gets nicer. I officially don't need a coat in the daytime.

Karadeniz: I am quite excited for the last "big" Rotary trip to the Black Sea, May 5th--9th. We are flying to Trabzon on the Northeastern-ish coast. I think it wii be a great trip.

Other: Time is just passing really fast. So fast. I go to school, hang out with my host sisters and host family, see the other exchange students, try to be outside whenever I can-- things are really good here. But there is something about, again, the weather here, that makes me think of home a lot. Yesterday sitting outside at the brunch I closed my eyes and with the sun on my face and the quietness in the "countryside" it felt just like home, home in Wisconsin. I am so used to being away now. I don't miss it. But I do miss it. Going home is going to be really bizarre. I look forward to it and I dread it; it's like the reverse of what I felt when I came here.
Well, I'm not overly concerned with it yet. I've still got months left here.
I will try to write soon and put up a photo or too!
Until then, take care!
Lydia