Tomorrow begins another year. As I shared in my previous post, oftentimes things don’t always go as planned. For 2025 I have selected the word “Value” thanks to a suggestion from my Turkish teacher. As I published the previous post I thought to myself, “hmmm, I guess it is time to think about a new word.” A day or two later my teacher offered up “Value” and I haven’t been able to think of any…
At the end of last year you may recall the reveal of my word for 2024–this was to be the Year of Voice. My intentions were to focus on two aspects of voice: (a) speaking more Turkish and (b) using my authorial voice (doing more writing). My summer plans included staying in a more remote location to do personal writing as well as forcing myself to be amongst villager Turks who speak less English causing…
I have lived in Göztepe, a neighborhood in İzmir, since I first arrived to Türkiye more than six years ago. But I didn’t start attending the local soccer club’s matches until last fall. It has expanded the love and appreciation I have for living where I do. Growing up in the U.S. I was a fan of American football for most of my life. Both of my parents attended Michigan State University and are lifetime…