i’m baaaack!
Ok so I owe you an apology for falling off the face of the blogging earth. Sorry for the brief departure. But I’m back!! And I’m happy to say that I have nothing to blame other than the fact that I actually have a life now!
After we got back from our NY/Germany trip in September, I realized that I needed to learn some more Turkish. The Turkish courses that I took at NYU gave me a good base for communicating when we first moved here, but I realized it was not going to cut it if I ever wanted to have a semi-intelligent conversation with anyone here. So I enrolled at a language school and began taking two different levels of Turkish at the same time, which meant I was in class 5 days a week. Like a full-time job… with homework… and I was not getting paid for it – I was paying them.
I say this all in the past tense because just this week I finished both courses. Yes, I graduated! So I have a comfortable fluency level now, but will take at least one more level after the holidays. I must admit that it feels good to finally be able to get complete, coherent thoughts and ideas across to others. I realize now how much we take advantage of the natural things in life like communicating in your native language.
So that’s been consuming my days and most of my nights, but my social life has also picked up at the same time. To add to our great friends that we already had here in Istanbul, I’ve since made a lot of friends who are in similar expat situations… many of who moved here because of their husband’s job, they are having a tough time with the language, they are adapting to a new life and culture, they are having difficulty finding a job too, etc etc. I’ve also connected with a group of professional foreign women here that are personally and professionally inspiring. And out of all of this there are some that I’ve really really connected with. And when you really gel with someone it’s beyond great. Yay to good friends!
So classes are done for now, my personal life is feeling more settled, my social life is back, Onur’s company is continuing to do well, so what’s next? Home for the holidays! Yep, next week we head to the states for an OH and NY trip. So excited! Really can’t wait! US here we come. 
home sweet home
After all of the traveling we have done, I have never been more happy to set foot back in good ‘ol New York City than yesterday. We arrived around 9p (4a to our bodies) at JFK and as soon as we entered the airport I felt home again. I could read every sign, I could fully understand what people were saying, I had cell phone reception on my phone again, and voicemails from friends asking if were in yet. There was a big permanent smile on my face… I was home again.
And what better way to be welcomed home than to sit down to a big meal of food that you’ve missed? Well that’s what our good friend Irina had prepared for us. She and her husband, who are graciously hosting us in Brooklyn for part of our stay, had a full meal prepared at their apartment (and at 10pm no less!).
Let’s start off with perhaps the most exciting thing awaiting us – homemade macaroni & cheese! Yes, I have to say that this may very well be some of the best mac & cheese I’ve had. Four cheeses, including one surprise cheese that remains a mystery and for a good reason. It was made with love… and lots of butter and cream and cheese. Mmmm, my favorite kind of mac & cheese!
And this post cannot go without mention of the other main surprise of the dinner. Yes, oh yes, chicken wings. You can imagine my excitement when I spotted the bowls of hot sauce and blue cheese. Let’s just say I was beyond excited. They were the good ‘ol nyc chicken wings we missed so much, with a slight crisp on the outside – which I love – and with a little extra kick of spice – which I really love. And she had them paired with a wine that went well with bbq’d foods… so lovely!
Thank you, Irina, for preparing a welcome home meal we won’t forget! And yes, I may have a little bit of the mac & cheese for breakfast.
Salivate here: Brooklyn welcome home dinner
