A year ago today, I was
cramming as much as I could into hand-me-down suitcases
dreading the goodbyes
tasting the last few bites of America
trying to imagine my new life before
stepping on the plane for the 40 hour journey and
hoping everything would be alright
Now that I’m back in Turkey (and back to work), this summer feels like it was a total blur! It really is amazing how much we crammed into just two months. I’ve been going through the photos and reminiscing and realized I left out a few things because I was too busy visiting with family and stuffing my face. Anyway, before stuff gets crazy busy, I wanted to leave my last ode to Summer 2016, in no particular order. May there be many more like it to come!
Perdido Beach, FL
Kansas City Plaza
KC Battery Tour
Welcome to Kansas
The Nelson-Atkins Museum
The lovely Flint Hills
A very American farewell
I’m so thankful for all of our friends and family who made our summer awesome!
After an amazing two months with our families in the U.S., I’m pleased to say we made it back to Turkey safe and sound.
I really wasn’t sure what it would feel like to leave and come back again, but I can honestly say both went better than expected. I was sad to leave people and food behind, but nothing could have prepared me for how happy I was to see our apartment again! The smell of home and our own bed! No more living out of a suitcase! (at least for a couple weeks ;))
Tomorrow we are back to the grind with some teacher in-service meetings, which means summer is officially over…but I have a feeling it’s the start of a great year!
Post-coffee bedhead and lounging
My grandpa’s lake house in the tiny town of Council Grove, KS is one of my all time favorite spots. We always know we’re in for a fun and relaxing time, full of card games, long chats, and paddling on the water. One of my fondest memories is of the weekend my husband (then-boyfriend) and I spent there in college, riding bikes and kayaking. Even though it was only 30 minutes away from where we lived, it felt like a different world, which was a pretty big deal for two young people with lots of wanderlust and no money.
We spent an amazing few days with my grandpa and his girlfriend…who plan to visit us in Turkey next year! I’m so looking forward to showing them around.
Great nook for reading and coffee
I will never get tired of bonfires and s’mores
The night sky was unbelievable there. I wish we’d had a proper camera lens to capture it. Seriously…you can see the Milky Way in rural Kansas. I guess I took it for granted since I lived my whole life there, but after a year of constant light pollution, I can really appreciate the big prairie skies with fluffy clouds and the endless sea of stars.
Can you spot Mars?
It was so hard to leave this peaceful place. Our summer is dwindling, and while I’m ready to stop being flung from place to place, I’m somehow not ready for it to end!
I suppose there’s always next summer.
This frog has a different outfit every time we visit. Currently, he’s in Mardi Gras attire.
Some places never really leave us. Somehow, even after countless journeys through renowned cities in over a dozen different countries, this tiny town tucked into the Flint Hills still takes my breath away.
Emporia, KS. This place has a permanent spot in my heart. This town shaped so much of who I am. The moment we set foot in our old stomping grounds, I was flooded with a rush of happy memories of old times. Being on the old college campus was especially nostalgic.
We only had one night there, so we wanted to make the most of it. One of the highlights of the trip was discovering that Emporia actually has an Airbnb place and booking a room in an old Victorian house right by the downtown so we could walk to all of our favorite places. If you haven’t tried Airbnb yet, it is a must!! It’s usually much cheaper and more comfortable than a hotel with the added bonus of local hosts who usually welcome you and clue you in on your surroundings. We had a great time chatting and swapping travel stories! Nothing feeds the soul like meeting fellow travelers.
In addition to strolling down memory lane, we also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to eat at some of our old favorite restaurants. Stop #1 was Radius, a super tasty gastropub that opened right before we moved. It’s soooooo good! I’m really going to miss American food in a couple weeks!
Porter-infused creme brulee = best dessert ever!!
After stuffing our faces, we walked around downtown a bit more, sorry that we couldn’t spend more time there. It seems crazy that it’s only been a little over a year since we left Emporia, and yet it seems like a lifetime ago. It feels different and exactly the same all at once.
We went to both of our favorite local coffee shops and picked up beans to take back to Turkiye!
Being back where all of my crazy dreams started to take shape really made me want to conquer those dreams all over again: reading more, writing more, teaching better, and studying languages. Oh, and definitely more traveling!
Forever a Hornet!
It was so great to be back in our former home. I’m looking forward to going back again next summer! My heart is happy and recharged with new ambitions for the year ahead.
We’re currently in Manhattan, KS (a.k.a. The Little Apple) spending some time with my mom, stepdad, brother, and sister. There have been a few hikes through the Flint Hills, LOTS of coffee shop stops, good food, and soaking in the views of my mom’s new house at Tuttle Creek. We even saw a mountain lion!
LAVENDER LATTES. Life-changing stuff.
When did my summer start going by so fast?
I finally bought a Kindle and a couple new books. There has been lots of coffee and reading around these parts. My husband even surprised me with that cute little Dumbledore.
See you in a few days, world!
When I was little, I was fascinated by fossils, minerals, and pretty much anything that had to do with digging up the past. For the longest time, I wanted to be a paleontologist, thanks to The Land Before Time. Even now, I would have no qualms about my life going in that direction.
As much as I love my home state because it made me who I am, it ranks extremely low on my list of travel recommendations. There simply isn’t much to see for an outsider. All the same, if you happen to be stuck in Kansas for one reason or another, there are a few hidden gems for those who need to satisfy their wanderlust here. One such gem is Strataca, a salt mine and museum located 650 feet below Hutchinson, KS.
After descending from the dark elevator, you are greeted with the site of old, rusted machinery, information stations, and lots and lots of glittering salt. Strataca is one of the world’s largest salt deposits and the museum’s unique location not only allows a peek below the Earth’s surface, but also a peek into the life of a miner throughout history.
The museum offers several experiences. The gallery houses and protects several historical documents, movie props, and records. The various train rides allow visitors to see different sections of the mine and learn more about how mining technology has changed over time (which for me was the most fascinating part of the trip). They also offer overnight hiking and camping events and have an event room for dinners and weddings.
Two thumbed gloves, designed to conserve material during WWII.
The miners seemed to pretty much abandon an area when it was finished being mined, without bothering to clean up. This is a whole bunch of perfectly preserved trash from the 1950s.
The train
One of the big highlights of the trip is getting into the salt piles to pick out a few pieces of souvenir salt rocks. We couldn’t take any big ones, but we grabbed a few small ones to decorate our bookshelf at home.
Also, we rocked the hard hats.
My husband, sister, and I just spent a fantastic few days with my grandparents, where we were spoiled with lots and lots of delicious food. Homemade chicken nuggets and gravy, fruits and veggies straight from the garden, you name it. Oh, and bacon and waffles and maple syrup…all stuff I’ve really missed this last year.
I could’ve eaten ten pounds of those potatoes…
The best part? Her famous pie with the best homemade crust, which she taught my sister and I how to make this weekend. We requested peanut butter pie, which is our favorite.
It tasted like heaven with a cup of coffee:
I felt so at home. We had a wonderful time chatting, catching up, and playing lots of games of Scrabble. I can’t wait until our next visit…and to try my hand at making her pie recipe!
We were welcomed back to the Land of Oz in the most cliche way possible: not one hour after crossing the Kansas border for the first time in a year and we were met with an ominous wall of clouds. It looked pretty spectacular, but as we kept moving on the highway, we noticed that the color of the sky didn’t look quite right, and before we knew it, tree limbs and litter were flying across the highway and ferocious winds made keeping the car in line a struggle.
We turned on the radio to see what was going on, and sure enough, a tornado was on the ground not far from where we were driving. The heavy rains started about two seconds after that and the weather man announced that nickel sized hail would be soon to follow. Needless to say, it was time to pull over and find shelter. We somehow made it to a gas station through all of that crazy rain to wait out the storm.
Luckily, the storm dissipated quickly and we were able to get back to my grandparents’ house at a decent hour. I just couldn’t stop staring at that sky. I had forgotten how ridiculously beautiful the sky is in Kansas. These pictures don’t do it justice at all since they were taken out of a car window on the highway.
There really is no place like home.
