The Slow Lane

Sometimes as I think about the adventure that we're about to embark upon, I think that "Slow Lane" is just about the last thing that it sounds like. We'll be moving to a new country, learning a foreign language, adjusting to a different culture, switching careers, finding jobs and an apartment, and meeting lots of new people. Sounds hectic!

But what the slow lane is about, at least for me, is trying to really take the time to experience life and to take in what the world has to offer. Too often, my life has gotten into a rut, consisting of simply a rush from one obligation to another, with my mind on either the next thing that I need to be doing, or on what I would rather be doing. Going somewhere unfamiliar is a way to break the cycle and get out of the rut.

But even on vacations, it is all too easy to fall into this trap -- to rush from one sight to the next, worried that I won't be able to see it all. A couple weeks a year of vacation isn't even enough to scratch the surface of what I'd like to see or do in the world.

So where does the slow lane come in? Since we'll have an extra 50 weeks a year to experience the rest of the world, there's no need to rush. We can take it slow and keep our minds on the present moment and really see, hear, taste, smell, and feel the world in a way that would be difficult or impossible as tourists.

This fact really came home to me when I was thinking about our ferry/train trip from Istanbul to Izmir. The trip will take most of a day. At first, this felt like a "wasted" day. But then I realized that we have all the time in the world. So we can sit back on the train, relax, take in the countryside, meet people, and enjoy a meal or two (supposedly the food is quite good on Turkish trains!), without feeling like we're missing anything. To me, that's the slow lane.

Turkey Map 2.0

I have created a custom Google map to show some of the highlights of our trip to Turkey. We're flying into Istanbul and we're staying there a few days to do some sight-seeing. Then we're taking a ferry/train to Izmir, where we'll have a few more days before our CELTA (English teaching certification) class begins. The map shows where we'll be traveling and some of the sights we're planning to see.

Click here for the map.

I'll be updating the map periodically throughout our adventures in Turkey.

I Hate Moving

Well, it is my first foray into blogging. Chris and I both figured this would be the easiest way to keep everyone up-to-date on our plans, where we've been, what we've been doing, and the sights we have seen. We'll also try to keep it mildly entertaining. (If we can't manage that, we'll at least keep it short!)

For anyone who isn't aware, Chris and I will be moving to Izmir, Turkey on June 15 of this year. (Here's a map of where that is: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Izmir,+Turkey&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.634084,64.248047&ie=UTF8&ll=38.426832,27.129707&spn=0.057154,0.125484&z=13&iwloc=A ) We're not sure how long we will be here- if we like it, it might be a few years, if we don't, not as long as that. For the first month, we will be taking a course through Cambridge University to teach us how to teach the English language. Then we will be on our own to find jobs and teach Turks how to speak our language. We chose Turkey for a couple reasons: (1) all of that awesome ancient history stuff that both of us get geeked about and (2) it is actually possible to get work permits in Turkey, unlike most of Europe.

Preparations are coming along, although, as my title states, this is not high on my list of favorite things to be doing. We have a lot of stuff to decide what we're doing with it. I will be posting a list before too long on here of things up for grabs.

Anyways, enough whining about moving. I mostly just wanted to get this set up and get myself familiarized with this blogging business before we get over there. We'll always be open to questions, so ask away!