Don't take candy from strangers sweetie…or do?

Happy holidays!
     This past week was a winter wonderland here in Kayseri. It snowed almost every day, and had an absolutely Christmas feel to it. So, in this season of candy and yummy treats, I decided I would share a narrative on a little difference between the two countries I have called home.

     The other day Tommy and I were taking the tram home after tennis practice when a woman and her young son sat down across from us. There was an elderly woman next to her, and another one next to me. As soon as the boy sat down, both women pulled out bags of chocolate from their purses and gave the boy a few pieces. At first the little boy, being young and shy, didn't take the candy, however, his mother nudged him, urging him to take the candy and to say thank you. He went on to drop both pieces on the ground, but that's not the point. The point? In the United States we are taught from a young age to fear strangers, to not trust them, and to NEVER take candy from them (a lesson reinforced on TV shows and commercials all the time). But here in Turkey the mom encouraged her son to take the candy, and judging by the fact that both women carried bags of chocolate with them in their purses, it's not an uncommon thing to do. The week before, Tommy and I had been on the same tram after tennis. We were speaking english to each other, and an elderly woman noticed. Once we got off at our station, she came up to us with a bag of apples and offered one to each of us. Both of us were immediately a little suspicious due to our American born and bred wariness of strangers, but she meant no harm, and the apples were delicious. She had simply noticed that we were two english speaking teenagers on a tram in Kayseri of all places, and she wanted to do something nice for us. I think this is something for us Americans to take note of. Yes, there are bad people in the world, but the large amount of us on this earth are not bad. We are simply living our lives, and enjoy doing nice things for others. This giving nature is a much larger part of Turkish culture, and I am learning a great deal from it. I hope to keep it a part of my life even after this year is finished! Iyi günler, good day!

Xoxo, Izzy

Me making snow angels!

Sukran Günü (Thanksgiving)

Happy Thanksgiving! Mutlu Sukran Günü! 

Well… a few days ago, but it's the thought that counts! I have a few things to be thankful for this year, so here is a list!

1) My parents back home. I am who I am today because of ya'll, and that is not exaggerating. After being out in the world on my own for the first time, I realize what an amazing job ya'll have done. I love you guys so much, and will ALWAYS be thankful for you. Every day, of every year.

2) The YES Program for allowing me to come to this country on a full scholarship. I could not have done this without Senators Kennedy and Lugar, and after just two months it has already taught me so much.

3) My friends back home who did not once tell me to stay home. Ya'll offered nothing but support and love through every step of this crazy adventure, and I cannot tell you how much that means to me. 

"Of course I want you to come home, but not for another eight months." - Lizzy

4) My global community in Turkey and every other country I have friends in who have added their support to this year. I am as happy as I am today only because of ya'll.

5) The people who have welcomed me into their lives here in Turkey with open arms and hearts. Who have accepted who I am and the mistakes I make, and recognize that I am still learning and adjusting to this culture. You make this year what it is! Thank you.

Although Thanksgiving isn't celebrated in Turkey, I was surprised by how many people here knew about it, although in Turkish it is called Sukran Günü. On Thanksgiving day I received messages from my friends and family in the States, and I cannot tell you how many times people told me "Hey! Make sure to eat some TURKEY in TURKEY!" So, for all of you out there who have said that, or are planning on saying it, let me fill you in on a little secret. In Turkish, the name for the country Turkey is Türkiye, and it doesn't mean turkey (the bird). The word for turkey (the bird) is hindi, and the word for India is Hindistan. So while we laugh about eating turkey in Turkey, the Turkish people are laughing about eating hindi in Hindistan. Funny, right?! 

The other YES kids in Kayseri and I had been planning to make our host families a big Thanksgiving dinner for over a month before Thanksgiving. We had planned out what each person would make, which house it would be hosted at, and who would be cooking where. On Saturday morning (two days after Thanksgiving, because the actual day was a school night), I hopped on a bus after breakfast and headed over to Zoë's house to cook my soup and my cookies while she made her dishes. After everything was finished, we had SOOOOOOOO much more food than we needed. Again, I will provide a list because it is easier.

1) Four chickens prepared by Zoë's host mom.

2) Içli köfte, a Turkish dish prepared by Tommy's host mom.

3) Mashed potatoes

4) Corn

5) Carrots in brown sugar sauce

6) Mac and cheese

7) Vegetable stuffing

8) Hungarian mushroom soup

9) Corn

10) Thumbprint cookies 

11) Apple cider

Our host families loved the dinner, and stayed up talking until midnight, something that hadn't happened to any of us so far. Although they knew about Thanksgiving, they had never experienced it themselves. Having all the food on the table at the same time in a self serve style is not something commonly done here, and not with the amount of food that we made. Spending this classic American holiday with my American friends made it a little easier to be away from home, and sharing it with our host families was a great opportunity to teach them a little bit about our lives. One of the best Thanksgivings ever! Thank you everyone who made it what it was <3

Xoxo, Izzy

Tommy, Christian, and I after dinner drinking out apple cider

Zoë's apple pie and apple cider

Içli köfte

The final result!

My crumbling and over butter (but still good) cookies

Not a vacation

Merhaba!

I can remember the moment I decided to be an exchange student. I remember the exact place on the road my mom and I were driving on when she told me, "sweetie, you should go to France as an exchange student your junior year of high school." I didn't end up going to France, but here I am, an exchange student, and it's nothing like I expected. The naive thirteen year old self that I was, I imagined a glamorous year full of new friends, a wonderful family I connected with immediately, complete freedom, maybe a boyfriend, and who knows what else. That's how I saw it up until the PDO last June. And then YES Abroad blew those expectations into a million pieces, but it still didn't fully hit me until I got to Turkey and felt the full, hard, painful blow of homesickness, the feeling of not belonging in a new family and school, the hard adjustments to a family very different from my own, the boredom of coming home after school every single day, and the self changes I must make to put myself out there, take the chances given to me to live my life fully, and take the chances given to me to accept the friendships offered. It's not a vacation, and nine months seems like an excruciatingly long time to be in this position. But what I must do is to learn those things. To adjust to my new family, to tell them what I want and don't want, but also to accept the rules that can't change. To tell them when I'm upset, to reach out beyond my comfort zone at school, and to not be afraid or shy to take the opportunities put in front of me. If I don't do those things this year will go by with my half living in this country, and half living in my head imagining what I could be doing.

With this year begun, I have gained an incredible amount of respect for other exchange students. It is an incredibly hard year, and only a strong person can do it fully. 

This is a short post, with no pictures, but I felt it was something that needed to be shared. I need to stop living my life in what I could be doing, what I should say, how I should act, and just do it. This year has really opened up my eyes to that, and I hope I don't waste this opportunity. 

Iyi geceler!

October Highlights

     Merhaba! This past month has been crazy. Not busy necessarily, at least no more than normal, but adjusting to a new culture takes energy and time. A lot of it! So I decided to explain a little of everything I did, and show a few pictures that briefly summarize what I have done. 

     Halfway through this month, my family was suddenly changed which, although hard at times during the following week, I didn't let that hinder my ability to enjoy this beautiful country, and I kept reminding myself that it was an opportunity for me to experience two more families (my temporary family and my new permanent family) than I originally would have. October, aside from being my first full month in Turkey, was also a month with two major events. The first was Bayram. Bayram is the annual Muslim festival celebrating Abraham's devotion to Allah, and his love for his son. When Abraham refused to kill his son, Allah sent down a sheep in replacement, and till this day the Muslim people sacrifice a sheep once a year instead of sacrificing their sons. Aside from being a religious festival, it is also a time of food (baklava and meat mostly) and family (the entire day for three days is dedicated to visiting family members around the city). The first day starts out with the Bayram feast at about eight o'clock in the morning with some family, after which the older members of the family give the children money, and the children kiss every elder person's cheeks. Some families give more money than others, but my first family was pretty traditional, and the children got a good amount of money. Many people asked me if we had a festival similar to this in the U.S.A., and the only one I could think of was Thanksgiving. It is the same feeling of getting together with your family and just enjoying each other and food. The other YES Abroad students in Kayseri and I decided then to make a Thanksgiving dinner for our families in November to show them the American Bayram. The second event was the 90^th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. This is the Republic that Atatürk founded, so as of now it is one of the most the most days to many people. As one of my friends in school said, “for some people, Religion is what matters most, but to others, Atatürk is what matters most”. She could not have put it better. He is the most important person in the country, and holds and almost godlike status to most people. This day was October (ekim) 29, last tuesday. There were parades throughout the country, and we had school off. These incredibly culturally important holidays were a really nice way to start off my year, and reminder of the fact that I am in Turkey, and how amazing this country is. 

Three weeks after our arrival in our host cities, the YES Abroad and NSLI-Y students had our extended stay camp in Cappadocia. It could not have been better timed, as just days before my host family had been changed. I was also reminded of strategies of dealing with homesickness and host family problems that I had forgotten, and it encouraged me to reach out and be myself more. On the second to last day of the camp, we got a day long tour of Cappadocia, which may the most amazing place I have ever been. My favorite part? The multi-level underground city that was built between 600 and 1100 A.D. There are multiple underground cities in the area that were used in times of danger and that could sustain the city's population for a few months. They were equipped with entrances from every house, holes going above ground to lower food down through, and stone wheels that could be rolled in front of all the tunnel entrances within the city in case the enemy found the initial way in. My mind was blown. All this before the Americas had been discovered. After the tour of Cappadocia we drove to Ankara for a meeting at the American embassy the next morning, after which we visited the largest mosque in the city. I had not been in a mosque yet, and although I am not religious, I was moved by how beautiful, sacred, and quiet it is in the mosque. It was also my second experience of wearing a head scarf, and my first experience of wearing a long skirt to cover my legs. People said I looked practically Turkish!

My three host families have been major highlights of my month here so far. Up until the moment I changed families, my first family was becoming more and more real to me, and I learned a lot about Turkish life from them. They were incredibly different from my natural parents in every way. The gender roles were very pronounced, and religion was a great deal more important. I learned to adjust to these new family values, and learned the importance of serving guests correctly and treating elders with the respect that was required. My second family, my temporary family in Urgüp, had a daughter my age and really helped me to transition between families easily with their open hearts and love. They reminded me of the kindness and welcoming personalities of Turkish people. I plan on keeping in touch with them throughout the year, and possibly spending a few weekends there. My third family has welcomed me fully into their home, taught me how to make tea, showed me that although they are more conservative, Turkish parents can show each other love (my first host parents didn't), and helped me adjust more fully into the culture and language. My host dad has said multiple times “Before, I had one daughter, but now I have two daughters,” and has even told my natural parents “maybe in ten years she can go to the U.S., but I am not letting her go back in June.” I'm settling down into the next eight months in Turkey, and who I am today (a little over a month into my experience) would not be the same if I hadn't had these three host families.

In conclusion, I think the biggest highlight of this month have been the moments where I realize how old and complex Turkey is, and how lucky I am to be able to have nine months here for free. They have been the moments where I laugh with my family or friends, or make good memories with my Turkish community. Those moments make the difficult and homesick times and feelings unimportant and worth it. It makes everything easier.

Zoë and I 

Me in front of old Armenian Church in Kapadokya

Some of the YES Abroad and NSLI-Y kids

Sam, me, Zoë, Alden in the very back, and Christian in the multi-storied 800 plus year old underground city. No big deal! Didn't blow my mind or anything!

Sam and I looking at the view

The Kocatepe Mosque, the largest in Ankara

Inside the mosque

A moment that made everything worth it. Sitting in the movie theatre with my siblings and just messing around. Laughter heals everything!

We all miss cats a lot.

How is Turkish life?

How's Turkish life? 
This is the number one question I've gotten from people back in the states, so let me try to explain to you exactly what Turkish life is with a list (it's really just the easiest way to do it)!


1. Turkish life is bread. A whole lot of bread. Americans can't even start to comprehend the amount of bread we eat here. Bread with tea, bread with fish, bread with potatoes, bread with salad, bread with pasta, and on and on and on. Bread is the bowl, the plate, the fork, the spoon. It holds everything together, while adding flavor and body. Like the tortilla in New Mexico for those who are familiar with it. No Turkish meal is complete without bread. 


2. Turkish life is çay (tea). Again, Americans cannot imagine how much tea we drink here. You become immune to the caffeine eventually, because there isn't really anything else you can do if you want to get any sleep.


3. Turkish life is coffee. But not weak, watery coffee. Turkish life is rich, sweet, thick, strong coffee that hits you like a wall of energy. It is the awkward feeling of drinking too far into the cup and getting coffee grinds in your mouth (my parents laughed at me when I did this the night I got here). 


4. Turkish life is the Ezan (Call to Prayer) calling the people to get up and do something for God. The sound, even if you aren't religious, resonating in your soul and calling your mind's attention every time.


5. Turkish life (Kayseri life for this one) is the big apartment buildings next to the small side streets and crushed together stalls. It is the brand new schools in the neighborhoods of run down houses. It is the west meeting the developing world. 


6. Turkish life is the beautiful homes on the sides of Mount Erciyes. The little tiny streets bordered by garden villas crawling with vines. It is the apple trees blooming with fruit and the berry bushes offering their riches to all.  Driving here today with my family made me feel like I was in Italy. It looks like a classic Italian movie come to life.


7. Turkish life is covering my hair when we went to the cemetery to visit my family's lost loved ones. Listening to my grandfather reading the Arabic words to honor the dead. 


8. Turkish life is learning what is expected as a teenage girl in the household. Learning how to make coffee and learning how to serve it properly (the men are served first). It is also accepting this role in the household, because you are here to learn about the culture, not change it. 


9. Turkish life is having people pinch your cheeks and kiss your cheeks endlessly, and loving every minute of it. It is also visiting friends or family on a whim at 10:00 at night and eating more food, and yes, drinking more çay.


10. Turkish life is the unspoken knowledge that when it's cold outside, even if it's sunny, you don't wear sunglasses.


11. Turkish life is taking your shoes off before you enter anyone's house.


12. Turkish life is getting a week off for Bayram (more about that next week) and going shopping with your mom to get new clothes for the festival.


13. But above all Turkish life is life. You don't want to wake up in the morning, you almost fall asleep in school, you listen to American music (really popular here), you listen to Turkish music (also really popular here!), you laugh, you cry, you hang out with friends, you have lazy days, you have exciting days, you have a family, and you live. Yes, it's Turkey. Yes, if I was on vacation everyday would be new and spectacular. But I'm not a tourist. Turkey is my life now, and life will go on no matter where you are. 


     I hope this paints a good picture of what Turkey is so far to me! I love it. I love the things that are the same, and I love the things that are different. I love the things that make me feel at home (like pulling into a Shell gas station), and I love the things that are completely new (like wearing a head scarf). 
     Life is good! So with that, I bid you farewell until next time. 
Iyi geceler and iyi Bayramlar!
Xoxo, Izzy

Bir hafta (one week)!

Merhaba!
     It's official. I have been here in Kayseri, Turkey for one week. It's been a crazy week of adjusting to Turkish life (hayat Türkçe). I have met so many family members and friends, messed up while speaking an unbelievable number of times, discovered the craziness of Turkish drivers (I was almost run over!!), stopped to listen to the Call to Prayer (Ezan) everytime I could, and realized that Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı Türkçe) might just be the best thing in the world. I have kissed everyone's cheeks, had my cheeks pinched, and blinked (an endearing action that Turks do) at everyone. I have learned that if you don't want more tea, don't finish the first cup, because (çünkü) if you do you will get more, and I have drunk so many cups of Turkish coffee (kahve Türkçe) that I don't think caffeine will ever affect me again. I have had my ups and downs, but overall I couldn't be happier with the place I am in right now. I could explain every little thing that I have done, but that can wait. Instead I am going to focus on one thing: school (okul).
     Before departing for Türkiye we talked to a lot of YES Abroad Turkey alums about school. What they told me painted a very clear picture in my mind of what I should expect. Most of that picture was completely shattered once I got there. Not in a bad way, just shattered.
     The first thing they told us was to expect everyone to want to talk to us, everyone to want to be our friend. One of the YES Abroad girls last year attended my school, so I think they are used to Americans now, because Tommy and I weren't a novelty at all. They stare at us and we hear whispers of our name while walking down the hall, but we are not bombarded with questions or Facebook friend requests, and we don't have a million different people asking us to eat lunch with them. It is like we are new students, but nothing extremely special. That's not to say they are mean. Everyone has been extremely welcoming. In Turkey we stay in the same classroom with the same people all day, so it's very easy to connect with those people. The downfall of this, however, is that you don't have the opportunity to meet people in different classes like exchange students do in the U.S. Oh well! When talking to the Alums, they told us multiple times that personal space is not a thing here. You can't fully grasp that idea until you have someone peering up into your face shouting at you in Turkish and pinching your cheeks. This happened on my second day of school when I was introduced to one of my classmate's friends. It was a little alarming at first, but I just accepted the fact that this might happen all year, so I should learn to take in stride.
     There are three alarming things about school. The first, and the least alarming, is that fact that we are allowed off campus for lunch. We can seriously walk to the mall or any of the surrounding restaurants to eat before class starts again. That has been awesome so far, and I have eaten really yummy Turkish food. The second, and a little more alarming, is the fact that uniforms are in a state of transition. Last year halfway through the year uniforms were abolished, but, due to parents protesting it, they were brought back this year. My school, however, doesn't really care what you do, so half the kids wear the correct uniform, half the kids where another uniform, and about an eighth of the kids don't wear any uniform at all. Personally, I am going to wear the uniform. Not because I care about following the rules, but because most of my shirts, though pretty conservative for U.S. standards, are too revealing for school. Being able to throw on a uniform will save my life (and my relationship with my host mom). And the last surprising thing about school, was that girls are allowed to wear head scarves. Since Atatürk, head scarves have been banned in schools and government offices, but due to the changing government and the more religious tract it has taken, that law isn't as enforced anymore. I have come to Turkey at a really interesting time. A time where things are changing. Whether for good or for bad, I am not the one to say. I am simply a third party watching it unfold.
     So, I will leave ya'll with a little story about an embarrassing moment of mine, because really, what's an exchange year without absolutely mortifying moments? Many of them. We have P.E. every wednesday. It was my second day of school. I had looked through my clothes to try and find a suitable outfit, but all of my normal sweat pants were dirty (my one pair :P ). The only exercise pants left were my skin tight, brightly colored, flowered yoga pants. Yes. You read that right. That would be slightly embarrassing in the U.S.,  so talk about embarrassing in TURKEY!! And as if people weren't already staring at me enough for being green eyed and light haired, you can imagine the kind of looks I got wearing those. So anywho, at first it was going ok, no one said anything. And then one of the girls in my class came up to me and whispers "umm,  the teacher says don't wear those next time". There was something about the fact that he had told her and not me that made it that much more embarrassing. I was sure glad to put my jeans on after that. My mom did my laundry today, so that won't be happening again. Ever. Anywhere. Ever. You just have gotta laugh when these things happen!
     Well, that's it for now. I am going to the Police Station with the other YES kids tomorrow morning to get our residence permits, so I should get some sleep. Here's a quote from me pertaining to spending a year abroad!
     "When you are having a bad day just put on your happy face, and you will soon find that the mask has become reality."
Xoxo,
    Izzy

Makarna, Türkçe, Kayseri oh my!!!

Merhaba arkadaşlarım! (Hello my friends)

     I have officially been in Türkiye for one week (bir hafta), but (ama) I only got to Kayseri yesterday (dün). It has been a crazy time getting here and there was no better feeling than walking out of the airport (havalimanı), and finally meeting my family (ailem).  I love them (onları seviyorum) already, and my host siblings, Selin and Ahmet, could not be sweeter (tatlı). The plane ride had been short, but nerve racking. All four of us were scared, and when we got off the plane we had a group hug before heading into our adventure. Today was a chill day spent at home with my mom (annem). I start school (okul) tomorrow (yarın). I want (istiyorum) to explore Kayseri soon, but I don't know (bilmiyorum) when I will. Maybe Zoë and I can figure out the bus system together one day (bir gün). 

     The past week has been crazy, but relaxing and incredibly fun. Due to MORE delays, it took about thirty-two hours to actually get from New York to Isanbul with absolutely no sleep on my part. However, we had an eight hour layover in Amsterdam, and our chaperone took us into the city for a couple hours. So now we have Dutch stamps in our passports (pasaportlar)!!! And some good pictures to go with it :) We landed in Istanbul at 12:30 A.M., and then waited for two German girls until 2:15. We dropped the tuition AFS kids off at their hotel in Istanbul and then took a very fast, bumpy bus ride to our hotel in Polonezköy, Istanbul. By the time we got settled into our rooms and in bed it was 5:30 A.M., and we were allowed only six hours of sleep before we started our Türkçe (Turkish) lessons. Six hours a day of Türkçe lessons!!!! For seven days!! I know (biliyorum) so much more than I did a week ago, but there is SOOO much more that I can learn. My family (ailem) speaks a little english, but not a lot, so I will learn Turkish, without having absolutely no way to communicate. Big relief!! I owe my little amount of Türkçe to Ipek, ögretmenim (our teacher). She was fantastic. Beyond fantastic. I was awed at the amount of patience she had with our abysmal Türkçe, and her ability to teach us the language IN TURKÇE!! That's all she spoke to us! Çok güzel (very awesome). 

     The hotel (otel) itself was fantastic. It had a beautiful pool that we swam in once,  and due to the fact that it is a new hotel, we were pretty much the only people there. We became friends with (ile) the waiters, the cooks, and the manager, and played ping pong (masa tenisi) and fusbol (langert) with them. They got to know us too. They knew to place two (iki) extra chairs at the table so the eight YES students could sit together, and they knew to put out coke and ice for Alden. They were also incredibly patient with our embarrassing Türkçe skills. We messed up so often!!! The hotel, although a hotel, gave us pretty good food, and introduced us to the Türkçe concept of food. DAHA (MORE)!!!! Especially towards the end of our stay when they were more comfortable with us, they would joke with us by piling our plates (tabaklar) with more and more meat and laugh as they walked away, knowing we couldn't finish it. Ahhhh, good times. The first day at the hotel we experienced a classic exchange student miscommunication. Zoë and I woke up (we were roommates) and went down to have lunch. The AFS staff told the waiters that she was vegetarian, but apparently that's not really a thing here, because they were extremely confused. Instead of the main course, they brought her a plate of pasta (makarna). A plate FILLED with pasta!! Completely filled. To the edges! But that's not it :D There was some confusion with my plate as well, so as I was cracking up about Zoë's plate, the waiter placed the exact same plate of food in front of me. All we could do was laugh. Because (çünkü) that's what we do as exchange students when there is nothing else to do. We laugh at ourselves!!! The rest of the week was filled with fun and many more laughable mistakes (although none so big as the makarna incident)! 

    We thought we were a close group at the PDO, but last week surpassed anything we had expected. The hotel had an astroturf lawn with umbrellas (şemsiye) and huge multicolored pillows that was perfect for lounging about on. On the last night we took all of the pillows and piled them into a huge nest/bed. We almost fell asleep there, but forced ourselves back to our rooms. Bu hayat (this is life)!

     So one week after we landed in Türkiye, I boarded another plane with (ile) Zoë, Tommy, and Christian, and a short fifty-eight minutes (elli dokuz dakika) later, we were in our new home. Scared out of our minds, but unbelievably excited. Last night I met my grandparents, one of my aunts, and one of my cousins. To my grandparents I performed the respectful gesture of kissing their hand and then putting it to my forehead. I couldn't understand anything they were saying, but I kept hearing tatlı (sweet), so I guess I was ok! I met one of my mom's (annem) friends (arkadaş) this morning (sabah), and her sister. Another aunt! Lots of people (insan)! My apartment is on a big street, and we are on the top floor. I can see a mosque out of window, and a little bit of Mount Erciyes! I will get used to this someday, but that's not today :)

     The highlight of my day was dancing with my mom, brother and sister to Gangnam Style sonra (after) dinner, and all the times my mom and I understood what the other was saying. It's these little things that you take for granted back home that matter so much here when you are so out of your comfort zone. Çok güzel <3

     I write this blog while listening to the absolutely beautiful call to prayer (ezan) from the multiple mosques (cami) near my apartment. It seems to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Like it is sounding from the heavens themselves. It will be a long time until I stop admiring this sound (even when it wakes me up early in the morning like it did today!).

     Ok (tamam), I must go to bed now so I can be ready for school tomorrow (okul). First day. Ohmygosh!! Görüşürüz! (goodbye)

Xoxo, Izzy

Türkiye group in our pillow nest!

Soooooo pumped for a seven hour flight!

Amsterdam!

Langert ile Amelia, Sam, ve Türkçe adam

Ahmet, Selin, ve ben

9/11

     Ok, so I know that I'm a day late. But better late than never right? Yesterday, as most people (at least in the U.S.) know, was the twelfth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I happened to be in New York City yesterday, so I hopped on a subway and headed down to ground zero. Unfortunately, the memorial was closed to all except family and close friends. However, just being there was moving. Looking up into the huge gap between the other skyscrapers put an image into my head of the towers falling in on themselves exactly twelve years ago. I sat in a park nearby for a good hour letting it all soak in.
     I have no memory of that day. None at all. The attacks have always just been there in the background for me. Remembered by most, and grieved by all. I dedicate this post to the 3,000 people that lost their lives that day; the people working in the towers, the passengers on the planes that hit the towers and the Pentagon, the passengers who crashed the plane into the field in Pennsylvania to prevent the White House from being hit, the people working in the Pentagon, the people who were killed by the collapsing towers, and the fire fighters and police officers who lost their lives saving others. We will always remember them. I also dedicate this to the people who didn't lose their lives that day. Especially the fire fighters and police officers. You have our love and thanks. Forever and always in our hearts <3
Xoxo, Izzy

Hey guess what? I'm still here!

Selam!
     Well, about a week after we were notified of our postponed departure date, I am still suspended on the East coast. And it hasn't been an awful waiting period of an experience either! I never realized it before, but I have a number of really close friends and acquaintances in the New York City area. So, after the initial period of extreme disappointment, I readjusted my mindset and my plan to try to include as many of my friends and as many trips to New York as possible. Which I have so far! And with two weeks to go until I leave for Turkey (our new departure is September 20, crossing my fingers this one is final), I have more than enough time to continue my adventures.
     It all started in New Jersey. We spent the second day I was there at the beach (Jersey Shore :P), which was awesome. Being at the beach is so nice for me being from New Mexico, even if it's Jersey instead of the Caribbean. The next day, we went to New York with my friend's (Bronwyn) mom and her mom's boyfriend, and did the touristy stuff; Central Park, F.A.O. Shwartz, Tiffany's, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, etc. We also ate at this FANTASTIC Italian restaurant, Eataly. Restaurant is a very loose word for it, however. You walk into a bustling crowd of people pushing for a spot in the line for the gelateria, bakery, fish market, meat market, cheese market, and more! As you head farther into the building you enter an area full of people standing at counters drinking wine and eating cheese, prosciutto, and bread. We didn't get to experience this part, but for anyone who has the time, I recommend taking part in this, as the flavor of the prosciutto and homemade mozzarella (my personal favorite) are probably to die for. For dinner at Eataly you can choose from the fish restaurant or the pizza/pasta restaurant. We headed for the pasta restaurant, and after waiting for a seat, we were seated. I ordered the squid ink trenete pasta with mussels and tomato sauce, and had absolutely no idea what I should be expecting! It came to me in a seemingly relatively small serving of black pasta. BLACK!! The color came from the squid ink, which aside from the color, gave the pasta a slightly fishy, slightly smokey taste. It was interesting. Not delicious, not disgusting, just interesting. I ate about half of the plate before I was full, and took the rest home (it has sat in the fridge since. Not on purpose, we just haven't gotten around to it). For anyone who likes different, slightly strange dishes, I recommend this. It is unlike anything I have ever tried, and I have tried a number of foods. We headed back to Jersey after dinner, but my time in the city was not over. A few days later I was getting tired of the monotone quality of Jersey. Please don't mistake me, Jersey is a wonderful place, but having been used to the diversity of Santa Fe, being in Jersey surrounded by malls is too much to deal with for more than two days in a row. So after promising to check in every hour and text every time we changed locations, my friend and I were allowed to head into New York City by ourselves. We ended up getting off the PATH train near Soho, and spent the morning wandering the streets and eating at an adorable little cafe called Salud, which seemed like a mix of Soho and Mexico to me! Eventually we walked up towards Washington Square Park, noticed that the welcome center of NYU was across the street, and decided to pop in to ask a few questions. Fifteen minutes later we were on a tour of the school. Well, first it was an information session for an hour, but it was part of the tour. Now, when I had looked up touring NYU, the website said you had to have a reservation, but the people at the front desk were happy to put us in for the one ten minutes later. Could you say good timing?! The part of NYU that stuck with me was the campus (and the $66,000 tuition. Eeeek!). The focus of the school is to be in and part of the city. While most colleges are gated and have a quad, the buildings of NYU are spread out in the area, and the "quad" is Washington Sq. Park. I love that when you walk out of the dorms or any other building, you are immediately surrounded by Manhattan, and if you walk into the park, you are surrounded by fellow students. I also love the international aspect of the school. With three campuses around the world (NYC, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai) and a number of study abroad options (not nearly as much as Barnard or Columbia), including Ghana which is high on my list for study abroad in college, the school is trying to make itself a community of the world, not just the U.S. If you stay in the dorms, you will be placed with people from around the world, of different cultures, back grounds, and ethnicities. The world is my oyster, so a college that is very much focused on that catches my eye pretty quickly. I had crossed NYU off my list when I stopped wanting to be an actress, but it is absolutely back on again. Bronnie and I were in no way done with being in New York, so that night (after many more promises to text every hour) we were again allowed back into the city. The second day was less about exploration, and more about visiting more colleges. So we took the number one red line up to 116th street for a day touring Barnard and Columbia. The first tour, at 10:30, which we barely made it to due to some subway mixups, was Barnard. Barnard is an all women's college founded in 1889, and is a member of the Seven Sisters. It has been associated with Columbia since 1900. Now, I knew the two schools were very close to each other, and my mom had always said they were across the street from each other, but I had not expected the truth of the matter. They are literally ACROSS THE STREET! You walk out of Barnard, cross Broadway, and walk into Columbia. The schools also have a very close relationship and exchange. If you're at either of the schools you can be part of any of the clubs, sports, or classes at the other. Both schools have fantastic study abroad programs, and very good financial aid. Barnard's campus didn't strike me like NYU's or Columbia's did, however. I have no explanation for this, I just didn't absolutely love it on first site. What did strike me was the focus on strong, intelligent women, at a small liberal arts school that centers it's academics on the leadership of women. Those aspects of the school, plus the connection to New York, seem perfect for my college experience. I had a funny, small world moment at Barnard as well. My tour guide, while introducing herself, mentioned that she was from Albuquerque, NM. I immediately told her that I was from Santa Fe, and about an hour later, we figured out that I went to Hummingbird with her brother, who goes to NMSA. If I had come later that day, or another day, I may not have had her as a guide, but I came that day, and was able to discover again, how small the world really is. Bronnie and I then headed over to Columbia, and signed up for a 2:00 o'clock info session and tour (this was another school that said you should have a reservation!). We had an hour until the tour, so we went to Ollie's Noodles across the street, ordered to go, and ate our lunch on the quad of Columbia. Now, let me interject here, that the number of cute guys in New York, and especially at Columbia, is drastically higher than New Mexico. Drastically!!!!! So, anywho, as we sat there people watching (Columbia and Barnard don't have classes on fridays, so everyone was outside), we noticed an unusual amount of feathers floating around our feet. We then noticed everyone around us looking up into the tree next to us. Looking up, we realized that there was a hawk eating another bird, probably a pigeon. It was pulling the feathers out and devouring the meat like nobody's business. I tried not to look up for the rest of lunch... it was not a pleasant sight. We then headed over to the visitor's center for the tour. I will skip most about Columbia (although I have to mention that the dorm setups seem fantastic! You can have a single room if you want, or you can live in a co-ed dorm!) and focus on the campus. WOW. That is one beautiful school. There are big, grand, columned buildings, and glass walled modern buildings combined in one school. There is a chapel, and the whole sports complex is underground. The pool is UNDERGROUND!!!!!!! That was just so weird to me. And cool of course. If you're at Barnard, all your sports will take place at Columbia, so I would be able to take advantage of that at either school. The tour at Columbia concluded our second day in the city, and we headed home after that, exhausted.
     So that was the last time I went to the city up until now. The next day I woke up and my friend in Connecticut and I decided that I should take the train up there for a few days to visit her. I have known her for twelve years, so it was hard to resist. Well, long story short, here I am, sitting on her back porch, looking at the absolutely stunning view of the green, green, green Connecticut forest. This state is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I am heading back to Jersey tomorrow or wednesday, but I'm so glad I was able to see another part of the east coast.
     In two weeks I will be in Turkey. I have already been away from home for a week and a half, so I'm not so homesick now, however, the day I flew to New Jersey, I was painfully homesick. And terrified. Terrified of leaving everything I knew, of leaving my parents, who are such an important part of my life and of who I am. Sometimes I still miss them, but I feel like this three week trip is serving as an important buffer between my life in New Mexico and my life in Turkey. I have also been talking to my host family on Facebook, which has done a lot to ease my fear. They seem like fantastic people, and I cannot wait to meet them. I also received my school information! It is bright orange!!!!!!!! And by that, I mean the school is the shade of flight attendant's uniforms in the 60's. I will be attending the school with Tommy, and according to a girl who went last year, we will wear a uniform for half of the year, and then we won't have to. This is slightly disappointing, because I really enjoyed the thought of wearing a uniform, but oh well! C'est la vie (wrong language I know).
     Although the Americans missed the AFS orientation in Istanbul, there are some other students who had to be postponed as well (two German girls, and a boy from the Dominican Republic at least), who will arrive when we are.
     Well my friends, that is all for now I believe. I say goodbye to you from this beautiful setting, and hope ya'll are having as good of a time as I am wherever you are. Stay tuned for more New York adventures!
Xoxo, Izzy


   

The sunlight through the Connecticut trees <3

Yum.

Bronnie and I on the Jersey shore!

Lake Michigan... thought it was the ocean!

Squid ink pasta at Eataly

Me in Soho with the Freedom Tower in the distance

Turkey postponed

Well guys. Today we were notified of an unwanted development in our departure for Turkey. We were initially supposed to leave next thursday, but due to a recently added requirement to the visa process, we will not leave for about two weeks. But here's the part that makes it a LIIITTTLLLEEEE bit more complicated for me. I am already in New Jersey at my friend's house. With my bags all packed and ready to go. It makes me mad that this has been handled so unprofessionally. Why wasn't YES notified of this change earlier? Oh well. I will keep ya'll updated on what my plan is! Have a good night :D Hosckalin!
Xoxo, Izzy

Host family :D

Well this happened sooner than I thought!!! As one of the Oman girls said, it will happen when you least expect it. So there I was, watching The Avengers, and my mom texts me saying "you have a host family! Check your email!". My heart leapt. A host family!!! I quickly logged onto my AFS/YES account, and clicked on the host family information link. I will be living in Kayseri, which is in the middle of the country of Turkey. My family consists of a mother, a father, an eleven year old sister, and a seven year old brother. Having younger siblings will be SOOOOOO different, and I am so thrilled. The city's population is between 844,000 and 1,000,000. Anywhere in that range is quite a bit larger than my home town of 75,000, so that has of course only added to my excitement. It has been inhabited since approximately 3,000 BC, and is located near Cappadocia, an ancient city. The city rests at the base of Mount Erciyes, a 12,848 foot (3,916 m) extinct volcano, which has a ski resort on it (hello snowboarding!!). I emailed my host mom and dad, and am waiting for their reply. So far Zoe, Tommy, and I know that we are being hosted in Kayseri, but none of the others have been notified. I also met a girl on the AFS Turkey page from Serbia who will be living in Kayseri. Let me just interject here how incredible social media is. Already I have four people who I will know while there. Incredible!
     Getting my host family has made this upcoming year so much more real for me. Before I was going to Turkey to live in an unknown city, with an unknown family. But now I have a solid, breathing family in a city that I can research and tell people about. It has only increased my excitement.

Kayseri shadowed by Mt. Erciyes. My new home!!!

I know this year will be full of challenges (I still don't know if my family speaks english... that should be interesting!), but the fact that a family is willing to welcome me into their home based simply on an application is just the start of a list of the incredible things about this adventure. Until later my friends!
Xoxo, Izzy

My last few weeks

Hello blog viewers!

So, I know that I said I would post again when I had a host family... but I couldn't wait, and we STILL don't have them, so I will go ahead and just post. I have a week and a half left in my home town of Santa Fe, before I fly to New Jersey for five crazy fun days with one of my best friends, and then take of for Turkey. I received my yellow AFS luggage tags today and the sheet of "What to do when you get off the plane" for my orientation in New York. Although... that page isn't really useful for me as I will already be there. But at least I have some contact from AFS! Other than the email telling me that I don't have a visa yet (that freaked me out just a little bit, but I have calmed down!), nada. All in good time though. But the biggest news in the past few weeks is that I GOT A LAPTOP!!! WHOOP WHOOP!! First laptop ever. It's a Macbook Air, and it's beautiful. The effect is slightly wearing off, but I could still just sit and look at it all the time and be happy. Mac has really got it down for beauty. I got a red laptop sleeve with a white Paul Frank Julius head popping out of the side, and my grandma got me a super cute bag that fits my laptop and a million other things, which will be perfect for the plane. I love it all!  Anywho! Other than go on and on about everything I DON'T know about this upcoming year, I will tell you more about what I have been doing, and what I HAVE learned.

     Last monday we had a country specific conference call with YES Abroad Turkey alumni. It was three girls from the 2011-2012 year, and it was pretty helpful. It really sank in how conservative I should dress, which I hadn't really thought of before, because everyone talks about how modern Turkey is. But those people are telling me this after being in Istanbul, which I won't be in. So... not helpful guys! Hey, at least that makes less to pack :D But we also learned that after April 1 we can travel independently throughout the country, which is SOOOOOOOO exciting!! I will have the chance to see anything that I haven't seen (which, knowing Turkey, will be plentiful) or to visit any of the other YESers. Along with this conference call, I had breakfast with a Turkey alum from last year, Hana Swift, a few weeks ago. She said almost the exact same things as on the conference call, so I won't repeat it. Pretty much just cover legs, cleavage, and shoulders! 

     As for what I have been doing. This past week my parents and I went on a camping trip in the San Luis Valley in Colorado. We started out by spending the night with my grandparents in Taos, then to the Great Sand Dunes, then up to Turquoise Lake, then a night at Joyful Journey Hot Springs, and then back to New Mexico for two nights at Heron Lake. Interspersed in there were multiple trips to various hot springs, as we are a hot water loving family. These soaks were especially appreciated after my dad and I climbed Mt. Elbert, a 14,334 foot mountain. It is the tallest in Colorado, and the second tallest in the lower forty-eight states next to Mt. Whitney in California. It was a long, steep, rocky hike up, and it was a cold summit, but TOTALLY worth it. The feeling after a hike is priceless. A mixture of utter exhaustion, with extreme adrenaline because you just did something totally awesome. If Mt. Ararat (tallest mountain in Turkey) wasn't a 16,000 something foot mountain that required a guide, I would be all over it. But who knows... be careful what you wish for. This was the last trip with my parents, so although there were times when all I wanted was my phone or my computer or a movie, I really made sure to enjoy these precious last moments with them. 

     My friends started school last wednesday, (it is certainly a strange feeling not being there with them. As one Charis Ramsing said, its the award transition stage. You are preparing for this amazing adventure, but totally disconnected from your friends. I better get used to that!) so this week will be a lot of watching as many movies as I possibly can, and making sure my bag doesn't go over the forty pound limit (way harder than I thought it would be). I also need to try and cram in all my friends this weekend, including some in Albuquerque, which is an hour away. And doctors appointments!! Quite a few before I leave. So, gule gule my friends. I promise nothing about the next post, for as far as I know I could be in Turkey before I get my family. But you will be hearing more from me soon! Wish me luck in my packing, and ttyl. 

Xoxo, Izzy

My mom and I in front of the Great Sand Dunes.

My dad and I at the top of Mt. Elbert. WE MADE IT!!

Me at the top! Really cold...

My attempt at packing. It's gotten better, but I think my bag is too heavy D:

Selam! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Summer has flown by, and each day is another day closer to Turkey :D I just got back from two weeks as a counselor at camp, and my welcome home present was a load of emails from YES informing me of all the stuff I had to send to New York for my visa, by the 23rd... I got home the 21st! Let's just say yesterday was a VERY busy day. But I just got an email telling me they got it, so whew!! I'm all good. Now, what I didn't write about (what I should have written about) was the PDO! It was fantastic to say the least. The eight of us going to Turkey may be the coolest people I have ever met, but we also represent what the U.S. is, and why it is such a wonderful place. We all come from different states, backgrounds, classes, schools, families, etc., and each of us has something different to show to Turkey about our country. If any of the Turkey group is reading this, I just want to tell you how excited I am to spend the next year with you! Now, back to the PDO. The schedule was packed. Not at all like the IPSE (In Person Selection Event) where we had hours just to sit on the grass and sing songs like awesome hippies. We never stopped going, and the most free time we had was about thirty minutes before curfew to just sit and talk. But it was all for a good reason. We had about fifteen (give or take a few) workshops led by different people, dealing with different situations and problems we could have while abroad. I had mixed feelings throughout the weekend. I had never thought about how hard it would be, and this really opened up my eyes to how lonely my year will be at times. For any future exchange students: don't have any expectations or romantic ideas about what the year will be like, because the PDO will make it very clear that you are wrong. It helped greatly, however, and I feel much more prepared on how to communicate effectively with my friends, family, and community at large. We did have one day outside in the city though! We were supposed to go to the Turkish embassy, but they had never responded to our request, so instead we went to the American Councils office and spoke to two Turkish girls. Between them and Victor (our group leader who went to Turkey with NSLI-Y), an extremely large amount of my questions about how Turkey works and how I should act there were answered. A tip, don't be shy with your questions, because the group leader most likely will not care, and it will prevent many misunderstandings in the coming year. We then went to the State Department to speak to a panel of country specialists. Being completely honest here, this wasn't especially helpful or interesting, but it was exciting being at the State Department! The most exciting part of the day was the Lincoln Memorial. Christian decided to take a picture at pretty much every section of stairs leading down from the memorial, so we have probably fifteen or twenty pictures of just us. I will save ya'll from all of them! But there are a few below. There was an awesome band playing at the memorial, with an rockin lead singer. She looked kind of like the girl in Brave, with super red hair. Gosh, I love red hair!!!!!!!!!! So that was pretty much the PDO. It was great seeing everyone again, and wonderful hearing people's stories about when they got their acceptance emails. I would like to give my best and wish luck to the students in India, Thailand, and Malaysia. They are all there right now, and I hope ALL OF THEM are having an amazing start to their years!! Hugs and kisses from New Mexico!! The most exciting part of this week... WE GOT OUR TICKETS TO TURKEY!!!!!!!! I leave Santa Fe August 29 at 8:00 A.M. and fly to New Jersey to spend a week with my best friend. I will then hop on over to New York on September 4 for the gateway orientation, and will officially leave the U.S. on September 5 at 6:10 P.M. We go through Paris, then on to Istanbul (New York, Paris, Istanbul, what a combo!). Seeing the itinerary just made it that much more real that it is actually happening. In a little over a month. My next post will most likely be when I get my host family, so be ready for a lost of capital letters, and A LOT OF EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!! Because, you know, I don't already have a ton anyways. Hosca kalin!
P.S. I would like to let everybody reading this know that if you are considering applying for the YES Abroad program, or even the YES program (bringing people to the U.S.), I am open to answering questions or giving any help I can. Just comment on my post and I'll do what I can :)

Lincoln Memorial

What a fantastic group of people!

I'm so tall I can touch the Washington Monument!

From right to left- Tommy, Amelia, Zoe, Aden, ME, Christian, Sam, Michael (WE ROCK!!)

Details!

     I have received more information recently! The Turkey-bound YES students will leave our home cities on September 4, we will spend one night in New York City for our AFS gateway orientation, and will officially leave the U.S. on September 5. Five is my lucky number, so hopefully this is a good sign :D The fact that I can now tell people when I leave is exciting (unless of course it is the wrong date). One of the other YES Abroad scholars said on her vlog that she has already gotten homesick, and I know EXACTLY what she means. The idea of not seeing my parents for a year is daunting, but only when I really think about it. Another development was a schedule for the conference calls. For some weird reason, I love these conference calls. They just make it that much more real that I will actually be going to TURKEY. For a year!!!
      I don't know if ya'll have kept up with what is going on in Turkey right now, but it's pretty fascinating. It all began with a protest to the Gezi park in Istanbul being turned into a shopping center, but turned into so much more. Apparently now it is a protest against the Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, who many people consider a dictator. There has also recently been a protest to a couple being admonished for kissing in the subway station. Numerous couples stood up for them and spent a few minutes kissing in the stations. Although I will not be able to involve myself in any protests while there next year, it will be amazing to see what is happening from within the country.
     I had my AFS in-home interview last thursday, and my AFS pre-departure orientation on saturday. There are only three students in our area going abroad. One girl is going to Spain for the summer, and the other girl is going to China with NSLI-Y for the summer. At least we have some people going!! I knew pretty much everything they were telling us, but it was still good to hear it again, and of course I will hear it again in D.C. in 23 days!
So that's all for today! Tesekkur ederim for reading (please forgive me for the complete lack of accents on the Turkish words!)
   xoxoxoxo, Izzy

Merhaba ya'll!

     I am officially done with school now, and all my final grades are in, so I can fully relax now! I received the AFS handbook today (picture below), and they say that my application has been sent to AFS Turkey, which means host families might be looking at me soon!!!!! Ahhhhhhh, scary thought! And I have my in-home AFS interview on Thursday. My AFS group only just found out that they needed to do it. Classic New Mexico!  I also got Rosetta Stone Turkish for free through my school, which I am beyond words grateful for. It is all thanks to my French teacher, and I owe her big time. The language is crazy!!!! Unlike anything I have ever heard before. 

     My family and I have spent the past four days at Canyon de Chelly and the Grand Canyon, which were both amazing. I got a wicked sunburn from spending a day at Lake Abiquiu last week, so I had to make sure to wear a load of sunscreen, but it was ok. It was Jeeda's first time to the Grand Canyon, and our friend bought she and my mom a helicopter ride through the canyon, which sounded INCREDIBLE! During this, my dad and I were doing a twelve mile hike down to Plateau Point (almost down to the bottom, but not quite), which was  also absolutely incredible. The size of that canyon blows my mind every time I go. My butt is still incredibly sore, and a nine hour drive back home today did NOT help that (I could barely walk sometimes when we got out of the car today). I am so glad we had the opportunity to do this before Jeeda left, it really is a site every exchange student should see while they are here. During the hike I made the decision to come back next summer and hike to the bottom, spend two nights at Phantom Ranch, and then hike back up! I want that experience more than ever now that I was so close. 

     The people going to Thailand and India leave in a month. I am so excited for them, and I can't imagine what I would be doing if that was me! Of course, that will be me in two months :D We also have the PDO in Washington D.C. in a month, which I absolutely can't wait for, but more of that after it happens!

     Jeeda leaves in three weeks. This thought is so weird, and thinking about the house without her is... odd, yet normal. I have lived my entire life an only child, so in some ways it will feel completely ordinary, almost as if the year was a dream. But not having my sister always there to talk to, to watch movies with, to laugh with, will leave a hole in my heart as big as the Grand Canyon. But I'm not gonna think about it yet!!! We still have a few weeks. Talk to ya'll later, xoxoxox

Hosca Kalin (goodbye)

Me at Plateau Point! 

I received the AFS guide today!!!!! Whoooo!

My sister and I jumping at the lake. Isn't it such a perfect picture??!!