Turkish National Day

Today is the 99th Anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey and the country got all gussied up for the occasion. Turkey is celebrating and honoring their founder father, Kamal Ataturk, who steered the country out of the disarray caused by the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War 1. He undertook sweeping progressive reforms, which modernized Turkey into a secular, industrializing nation. Due to his military and political accomplishments, Atatürk is regarded as one of the most important political leaders of the 20th century.

Ballooning Over Cappadocia

My travel goals are basically to see everything everywhere, but maybe/probably that is unrealistic??? But when I see those top 50/100 places in the world lists, I go crazy that I haven’t been to them all. Well, ballooning over Capadoccia, Turkey is one of those places. And now I’ve done it! And yes, it was awesome!

The Amazing Turkish Cats

One really special thing about Turkey is the prevalence of cats on the street. They are everywhere and people feed them and cuddle with them, which makes them very friendly. Inspired by my tour guide, throughout the trip I carried a bag of cat food to share with everyone I saw, spreading kindness and love. I miss them so much!

 

Visiting Mosques

When in Turkey, I go to lots of mosques! They are soooooo beautiful and can’t wait to see many many more!