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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

A Day Out of the City: Getting There

It's really amazing to think about how we discovered what we call "The Fall Place." Several years ago (Sweet Cheeks was a baby then) we had some dear friends, the Fraziers, drive up from Izmir to see us. We were headed to a totally different place, but took a wrong turn. That's easy to do in a country where roads aren't always marked. We ended up at a beautiful pond with the most breathtaking fall colored trees. The most amazing part is that there are only two weekends a year where you can see this beauty. But we happened to find it on one of those weekends. Even more amazing is the fact that we are mostly surrounded here with evergreens. To see these colors on trees is not common here. It was like an invitation from the Lord to go out each year during the first half of October, enjoy His creation, and be together for some family time. We've done it every year since.

This is a little village at the foot of a mountain on our 1.5 hour drive there. People in this culture tend to "cluster." If someone enters a restaurant with just one family already there, he or she will sit at a table nearby. In my home country, we do the opposite. We give people space. This little village reminds me of that aspect of this culture. The houses are all right together. By law a mosque must be within walking distance of every person.
Don't I live in a beautiful place?

It is just a breath of fresh air for me to get out of the city. I am not really a city girl at heart. I took this couple's picture, with their burden-laden donkey, from behind. I wasn't sure how they'd respond if I took it from the front. As it turns out, I got big toothless grins from both of them when I waved as we drove by.

And perhaps these colors don't seem like much to you, but to us, it's a lot! We live in a desert climate, full of evergreens.

So to see these colors just takes our breath away!

Welcome, Fall!
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1 comment:

Melanie Keffer said...

One of the nicest posts you've ever written. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have never been interested in Turkey until I began seeing it through your eyes.

I remember when my mother and dad were living in England. You would think that was close enough to American to satisfy but I can remember my mother saying how she longed to hear someone, anyone, speak "American English." So, I can understand the blessing seeing fall colors must be. Isn't God wonderful to do things like that for us? God sent an American couple along to talk to my mother and dad, as well. He cares so much about even the smallest things that matter to us.

Love,
M

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