Tick...tock...

Delicious tapa--a bottle of Lambrusco blush wine and 6 tapas for 10 €!

     My time here in Murcia is really starting to wrap up! I'm leaving for Malta on Saturday morning at 3:30AM and should be getting back to Murcia sometime Tuesday afternoon. In all, I have exactly one week left, but less than four days in Murcia.
     I've initiated the period of "lasts"; last frozen yogurt at Smooy, last cafe con leche at Cafe Ficciones, last grocery trip to Mercadonna. It's also the period of goodbyes to some of the amazing people I've met here. Fortunately, it hasn't been upsetting, but rather exciting. I'm thrilled to watch Bones with my Mom, wrap my arms around Ricky, and have a sleepover with my best friends. I can't wait to walk barefoot in the grass, swim in a lake, and eat a hearty Southern meal at Bojangles.

Last tiramisu and cafe con leche at Cafe Kuss

     I know I'm really going to miss this place; not just Murcia but the European lifestyle. I know I'll miss going out for coffee, exploring the streets of Murcia, and buying fresh produce at the Thursday market. I'm reflecting on the multitude of trips and experiences I've had, but I also feel like I'm remaining realistic. Studying abroad hasn't been a time of complete and constant bliss, entertainment and excitement. I've dealt with homesickness, culture shock, and a cold academic system. I've had language hiccups and gotten fed up with piropos (catcalls).

     Saying goodbye to Natalia & Jenn

     Chatting with my new friend Katherine last night, I thought about what I would've my told past-self before I studied abroad. If I could've given myself a piece of advice before I left, I would say,

 "Relax. You don't have to constantly go out and take complete advantage of every waking second of your time here. Sit down, have a coffee and chill a while." 

     I've been under the impression that every single moment of life needs to be full of action. While that philosophy is good for short stints, it's also important to remember to breathe. Realizing this, I've had a lot of time to introspect and reflect on myself, my past and my future. To an extent, I've been able to evaluate the last five months, think about how I want to use my future, and decide what I want to be doing right now, in the moment.

     Allowing yourself to rest while traveling (and in all aspects of life), gives you the energy to spend when you are taking advantage of every moment. When I got incredibly sick in Turkey, I wished that I had given myself more time to sleep instead of trying to see everything I possibly could. It's important to stay balanced, and it's helpful to remember that rest and down-time are necessary. The reason I mention this is because I had been feeling guilty for spending some time in my apartment, cooling off from the heat, relaxing, etc. After talking to other international students who experienced the same sort of feeling, I've come to terms with it. I shouldn't regret the times I felt I needed to rest my body and my mind. Studying abroad can essentially mean living out-of-your-comfort-zone 24/7, for an entire semester. Often, the only times you really feel at ease are in your apartment, drinking tea with your buddies. I'm realizing that the soul needs and deserves to recuperate from the constant stress of interacting with a culture that is completely different from your own.
     Now that I've earned my license to chill, I'm ready to start summertime! I've already compiled a list of

Things to Savor in the States: 

1. a honkin' slice of I <3 NY Pizza
2. the grass
3. some good 'ol fashion hiking
4. s'mores (inc. microwaved)
5. hugs!
6. having nothing to do
7. stories from Remy
8. hang-out time with Josh & Em
9. walking around Downtown Frederick & Carrol Creek
10. July 4th!
11. drinking & sleepovers with Dev & Erica (and hopefully Anna & Erika)
12. holding hands
13. linking arms
14. walking downtown Middletown
15. Devin and Erica's basements
16. swimming in a lake
17. bike rides
18. cleaning out my room/closet; getting rid of stuff
19. NCSU campus
20. Hillsborough Street
21. Bones with Mom
22. sharp, aged, Cabot cheddar cheese
23. kissing Ricky
24. wearing my fabulous gypsy pants
25. Bojangles
26. my house
27. running errands/driving around
28. driving!!

 Last Thursday market, so I bought some gypsy pants!

¡Vamos a Turquía!

I really don't even know where to start with this post...

I just got back from Turkey, from a life-changing trip with so many ups and downs that the roller coaster analogy really does seem to fit. 
I'm sure my travel-mate, Kayla, and I both left the trip with the feeling that there really are few obstacles that we wouldn't be able to handle. 

Kayrah and me in front of the Blue Mosque.
The lighting is crappy, but alas, I don't own Photoshop

entering the Blue Mosque!

The ropes that the lights hang from

Roses outside the Blue Mosque. You can see the men cleaning their feet near the pillars.

Beautiful lights hanging from the ceiling

Our trip was full of amazing cultural exchanges, peeving cat-calls, refreshing swims, sleepless nights, intense hikes, spelunking in ancient caves, hot loose tea, traditional Turkish breakfasts, stomach-churning illness, breath-taking views, twelve-hour bus rides, naps on airport floors, merhabas and teşekkür ederims, gift-buying trips, and lira-spending. Seriously, the list seems infinite. It's crazy how much living can happen in just seven days!

If you were wondering how to say "I'm from the USA" in Turkish...

 Our first day in Istanbul was pretty calm, so I'll get into more intensity in my following posts. For now, I'll just post some pretty pictures and think about how to articulate my thoughts for the next ones!

I enjoyed watching the stray kibbles

Thar she blows!

 When they say Grand Bazaar, they really mean Gigantic Bazaar. I thought the market in Murcia was big...this place was huge.

 I think it was supposed to be organized by wares, but all of the signs were in Turkish. Most popular items were scarves, lamps, coffee and tea-related goods, chess and other game boards, shoes, clothes, etc.

Turkish pastries in a bakery window. Can you see the McDonalds reflected across the street?

Outside the Grand Bazaar; I love the old building that it was in!

Some miscellaneous thoughts about Turkey:

• I was surprised by how green it was! I kind of expected it to be like a Middle Eastern desert. Istanbul is on the European side, after all.
• Turks in [city centre] Istanbul were generally annoying, so I'm incredibly glad that I ventured outside of Istanbul to meet amazing Turks in their purest form. Everywhere else we visited, the people were genuinely friendly and hospitable. So many people went out of their way to help us out; some of the friendliest strangers I've ever met! 
• On that note, Istanbul was really touristy. To anyone who hasn't traveled too much, this could be okay and maybe even beneficial. To me, highly-touristed areas can be turn-offs if made obvious. I had the same problem in Barcelona (but not Madrid!). It is possible to be highly-touristed without giving off that vibe. However, we really only spent 3 days in Istanbul, so I'm sure there are some amazing non-touristy places that we didn't catch.
• Asking me where I'm from before I even acknowledge you...that's kinda weird and gets old pretty fast. It seemed like the majority of the population consisted of salesmen, or at least people with that mentality. We got used to ignoring the people that shouted at us to get our attention. 
• I saw lots of little children peddling wares alongside the streets. It made me so sad to see this, but there's really nothing I could think of to do. Buying from them would only perpetuate the system... it made me want to find their parents and yell at them! I tried to ask one little boy where his parents were, but he didn't speak English...
• I noticed VERY few beggars in Istanbul. I think everyone just peddles something, so there's really no excuse for begging. 
• In general, Turkey was pretty cheap! I loved being able to cut the price in half to convert it into dollars. 100 Turkish Lira is about $55. Now, back to the euro...

Look at this cheeky guy.