A Few of My Favourite Things

August 01, 2012

July flew by. So fast, in fact, that I didn’t have time to write a new post. June left me with a broken washing machine. Due to the... unusual construction of this machine, I ended up pulling my sheets out through these holes.

Using these handy tools.

Leaving my broken washer behind, I went to Istanbul where I had the opportunity to go to a conference for other workers who are in their first three years of living overseas. It was so encouraging to see my old friends and make new ones.

I even had the chance to swim in the Miramar Sea and I woke up to this every morning.

The best part of that week, though, was the worship time. A group from the Sates came to lead praise and worship at the start of each day, and I could have sung all day. Since my decision to attend national church it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to enjoy corporate worship in English. The singing alone made for a special and wonderful week.

And then I got to witness this:

Overseas, when you go to the pharmacy, you can get pretty much whatever you want without a prescription. My friend, Kendal, needed to catch up on immunizations and the local pharmacy just handed her the shot over the counter and told her to keep it cold until she could administer it. Blessedly, one of our other friends is a nurse who was very sweetly willing to give the shot so Kendal didn’t have to do it herself.

I also had the distinct pleasure of buying pancakes at a McDonald’s. I haven’t bought breakfast in a restaurant for a year and half, so I was pretty pumped.

The plan was, after I got back from Turkey, I would see my parents the next day when they arrived for a three-week visit. However, as my plans often do, this one went awry when the night before their flight, my parents discovered Dad’s passport had expired. Mom came as planned and Dad was able to join us a week later after a lot of prayer and interactions with FedEx.

With both of my parents in tow, we headed to Austria where I got to wear a jacket! My city has been extraordinarily hot lately, and with no AC, a chance to spend a week in chilly Austria was just what I needed.

In Salzburg, at one of the "Sound of Music" spots

Austria is probably my favourite place I’ve ever been to. The big beautiful buildings, smooth sidewalks, and delicious cakes gave me a whole other level of culture shock walking around.

Shronbrunn Palace with Dad

Inside the National Library. Or, where I plan to live one day.

Innsbruck: my favourite place!

Estherhazytorte: SO wonderful

Inside the Opera House. I think this was my favourite tour. Or, the tour that I was in tears for because I was freakishly excited to be there.

Inside the opera house.

I told my mom that I’m not sure if Austria is extraordinarily beautiful, or if I just think it is compared to my current city of Soviet-wonder.

After my week of visiting libraries and opera houses, climbing mountains, and singing every song from “The Sound of Music,” I returned home and spent the rest of the time treating my parents to some good old Eastern European sights. Even better than opera houses, we have copious amounts of Roman ruins that you can play on. Who doesn’t want to sit on a two thousand year old wall?

The best preserved Roman amphitheatre outside of Rome

Due to increased security at the airport, I had to say goodbye to my parents outside the doors and wave to them as they waited in line. It was hard to watch them go, but their visit was encouraging and everything I needed this summer.

And, after they left, I finally got my washing machine fixed!

Now I’m settling back into summer life without visitors. In order to keep my holiday lively, I had my students over for an ice cream night. I set up a photo booth and these are some of the wonders that were produced.