More than a few times I heard someone around me say “I can’t wait to leave Istanbul for somewhere else – anywhere else”. I figured that eventually I would reach this point as well, but it never happened. I suspect that it was a combination of not being there all that long (1 month total) and having expectations that it was going to be much tougher travelling than it was. I was pleasantly surprised. The only thing that made me long for a change of scenery was the weather, which had started to morph into Canada-like wind and rain and cold. Other than that, I was totally digging Turkey. I loved the food, the sites, and the people. My only real complaint was with some of the Turkish men that I met…my apologies, but some of you need to chill out. Too much intensity and aggressiveness, and not for me. Maybe for some (you know who you are, Jet Set Ladies…)

And of course, everything costs more because you are in EUROPE. I’m not sure why myself and a lot of other people consistently arrive here thinking it’s going to be cheaper than it turns out to be. You can get whatever you want…but you’re going to pay for it.

I put together a quick video with a summary of my fave moments and some funny moments (and potentially embarrassing ones – sorry Rob and Brian)…enjoy!