Turkish Delights

Memories are built from moments: some magical, some tedious, some humorous and some frustrating. Our four years living in Istanbul, Turkey between August 2000 and June 2004 was the most memorable time of my life. We arrived in Turkey as wide-eyed tourists and left as Turkish ambassadors. Our daily experiences living in a city of 15 million Muslims comprised a never-ending litany of adventures and encounters. We learned to speak some functional Turkish and were able to travel within the city and throughout the country without fear or trepidation. The places we saw, the people we met, and the memories we have, are unforgettable. During our stay I tried to capture some of the daily or unusual events that impacted our lives. Almost every essay is a tribute in some way to the wonderful country and its people. I purposely did not change any of the information that is currently out of date, but left it as I wrote it in order to reflect my specific memory at that time.