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…
Dating someone from another country and culture allows us to see our own country/culture through a different lens. I began to learn this while I lived in Mongolia and was married to Zorig. That was the first time I resided outside of the U.S. (except for military assignments). Everything was new, foreign, and unusual to me. I decided I would accept the life I encountered there as “normal” and do my best to assimilate. That…
As you know I turned 50 last November. Kyla, one of my soul sisters, will turn 50 this month. We first met in Sarajevo, Bosnia, in the summer of 2019. Then we enjoyed two amazing weeks together in Dalyan, Türkiye, in the summer of 2022. For our third face-to-face meet-up we decided to travel to a new destination together, and celebrate turning 50 years old in between her birthday and mine. After much deliberation and…