Day One

It started off bedlam. The young, the old and everyone in between scouring for a place to sleep and some sanity. Such was Emily’s parents’ home during our four day stay before departing.

Unexpected events led Emily’s grandparents to become house guests each needing a bedroom at the same time as our stay. Add in our nieces – ages three and nine months who spend every Monday and Wednesday with their grandparents and you have a lot of people with a lot of care taking and attention needs.

Then consider that the grandparents don’t always get along – yelling in the hallways – and both have medical issues…. And it was a stay to remember. We got to pass through it and leave, but unfortunately Emily’s parents continue on. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them.

Despite all this, Susan and Jack showed no end of support and were incredibly hospitable and accommodating to us. Jack lost his office as it became our preparation camp with bags and piles of clothes and supplies everywhere. We worked on our computers, his computer, and phones of all varieties as he lost his last bastion in his home.

And then there was the mad dash of errands and farewells. Brunches, lunches, dinners, parties, coffees – we did them all as we fairly successfully saw most of the important people in our LA lives. And when we weren’t eating with someone we love, it was banks, stores, papers, phone calls, online purchases, laundry and revisiting our packing techniques.

Four whirlwind days of doing everything. Thank you so much to the many friends and family who went out of their way to see us and our apologies to those we didn’t get to before we left. Nothing reminds us of how blessed we are like the amazing and truly top notch people in our lives.

So here we are – on a plane, with an iPad on our way. Seen off with the advice of our parents which included: move your feet every hour to avoid dying of an embolism, get a cart at the airport, register with the US Embassy or Consulate in any sketchy country (as defined by parental concern), and email and call every time we land or change locations.

We are loved.

Somehow, it wasn’t until we hit the jetway that it all became real. Excitement set in and in a moment it went from harried and emotionally mixed to optimistic and embracing.

Three and a half hours to Chicago (where this will post), three hour layover, 14 hours to Istanbul, three hours until our bus, 12 hours to Alanya where we arrive at 8am Turkey Time (as it is officially called) – 32 hours after boarding the first plane.

First item on the agenda when we arrive in Alanya: Turkish baths/massages. Thank God we’re going to a massage country.

So it is on Day One.

Sent from my iPad