A combination of several memories

Safiye and I went to Ortaköy to meet up with Mehtap. When we first got there, we went to Destan, where I saw Doğu, my potential roommate from back when I was first looking for an apartment. We sat there for a bit but decided to go. We soon found ourselves by the water.

At the end of my last day in İstanbul, the first time I came to visit, I went to Ortaköy to drink a salep by the water. This was my first time back to that exact spot since then. It was a sweet kind of memory, and it wasn't the only one brought to mind.At the end of my first day in İstanbul, when I moved here 4 months ago, I had an impromptu birthday party (also in Ortaköy), where I reunited with Safiye and Mehtap. I met them in Boston a couple years ago, and I have seen them separately on many occasions in İstanbul, but this was the first time since that birthday party hanging out all together.

On the docket for the next few days or so:

- New phone plan. I will finally be able to use the phone which I brought with me to Turkey, but it means that I have get a new phone plan. However, it will be much cheaper than the one I am using so hurrah!

- Going to touristic places with Mehtap in the first installment of our plan to hang out as much as possible before she moves to Switzerland. I think as an American living here and a Türk who is moving soon, we will make an interesting pair in Kapalıçarsı (our first stop).

- Football. Playing it, watching it, podcasting about it. Strangely, as I follow it more and more closely, I find myself becoming a fan of the Turkish League more than any of the teams.

- Hyde coming to visit me a week from the day after tomorrow. I often find myself daydreaming about all the places I will take him and the things he will experience here. I really can't wait.