Wow, are we really going to make it to Day 365? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. So far traveling has been intense at times, but mostly a big, relaxing break from the roller coaster of goodbyes, reunions, preparations, and more goodbyes since the JET Program ended back in July. London was a total blast with Kevin’s friends from study abroad, and our brief stint in Amsterdam was beautiful. more»

After the crazy traffic, overwhelming history and giant size of Istanbul, we were ready for a change of pace. We found it in Selcuk, a city of about 24,000 near the Aegean sea and close to some amazing classical ruins. more»

I had the They Might Be Giants song stuck in my head the whole time we were in Istanbul. We spent six days there in the end, and I think that was enough. The city has such a rich history it is almost overwhelming at times, trying to explore everything and see it all. I think we did a pretty good job of it, as we saw all the major sights plus did some serious exploration on foot. more»

We weren’t in Amsterdam long enough to come up with a more creatively named title for the post. Just the name will do. We were there for one full day, sandwiched between travel days. more»

Just behind the Blue Mosque in the Sultanahmet is an incredible place called The Dervish Cafe. It’s an outdoor cafe with an amazing view of the surroundings that serves all kinds of tea, some food, and is a great place to enjoy a nargileh (water pipe). They have all different kinds of flavored tobacco, from apple and strawberry to cappucino. more»

The Blue Mosque is one of the iconic sights in Istanbul. It is in the Sultanahmet, the old Byzantine quarter of the city. It lies across a small park from the much older Hagia Sofia, creating a very impressive sightseeing area. more»

A few quick excuses. We’re new at this, not really sure how everything will work out. So keep that in mind. That’s why this is “Episode 1/2,” things should keep getting better. Also if anyone knows anywhere to find copyright-free music, please let me know.

Visiting London this trip was never about sightseeing, but I figured we’d still manage to do some while we were there. However my friends had come up with some plans before we arrived, and every chance we got to see the big sights something else came up and we didn’t make it. So all in all it was a fantastic visit. more»

Well we have officially begun our trip now! We arrived in London at about 11:30am local time yesterday, and were able to find our friend’s flat with no troubles. Despite some pretty rough jet-lag we managed to explore London for a bit on the way to the pub. England played Macedonia last night in a Euro 2008 qualifying match, so watching it with all our friends was lots of fun. (England won 1-0, Peter Crouch scored) more»