Getting close!

The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

        
          The reality of the trip is beginning to set in, finally! Melis and Uncle Neal and my "Grandma" Frances are coming up to our house on the 28th (Friday!), and will spend a week with us, then down to theirs, and from there, we're off! Cleaning, etc, is going on, and it's marvelously exciting to get ready for people! The anticipation is so thick it can be tasted while we work, and the whole house is lit with an unmistakable glow of happy expectancy.          

          Packing (I'm ashamed to say) has not even been started, but I did manage to sort through my closet a little bit, and am getting back to practicing my Turkish.  I can say hello, goodbye, how are you, "I'm fine, thank you", excuse me, thank you, good morning/ evening/ afternoon, etc... and have started on the days of the week, a small army of animal names, and some common phrases (for example, "how do I get to...?" - although I probably won't be needing that one much!).  At any rate, I'm expecting things to speed up when Melis gets here!  (I can't wait!)  

         By the way, if you've noticed the link bar to your left, there's a link to "Free Rice".  I personally enjoy this site immensely because, 1) It supports and sends food to people who need it, 2) You can change subjects! (check out the subjects tab at the top of their webpage), 3) It's overtly educational, and I feel much smarter after spending a little time on it!  This last may be an illusion, but it's a nice illusion just the same!  

         Hannah (my little sister) is unfortunately bedridden at the moment with the ever-common crippling disease known as a fever, and is of practically no use to anyone except as entertainment (she lays on the couch and makes random noises that might have at one time been meant as comments, but are totally muffled beneath her blankey).  

         Well, nice as it is to post more muses, I must take my leave, bid you farewell, and say with Shakespeare's Celia (As You Like It), "Now go we in content/ To liberty, and not to banishment." - and also, we go to clean!  Take care...
            ~Bekah   ;-) 

"All Serious Daring Starts From Within" ~ Eudora Welty

Eudora Welty

To dare: verb: to have the courage required for; to confront boldly.

As Americans, we have tended to gain the reputation of being bold and at times obnoxiously so (unfortunately).  From all of our masked cowboy heroes to Rosie the Riveter, Americans have been fiercely independant and rushed to the rescue! (Cue theme music!) And although this is not necessarily bad, we must be careful to distinguish between rushing thoughtlessly into things, boldly declaring our independance and bravery, and taking a courageous stand wisely.
My fear is that, in all of this rushing, we forget that the true place courage starts is not in wildly running against the tide, but in the quiet conviction of our souls.  It is not courage to hot-headedly snatch up a lost cause simply because it is a lost cause and parade around under its banner like a little girl lost in her grandmother's clothes; that kind of thoughtless frenzy never accomplishes what we think or hope it will.  Rather, courage comes when what is GOOD and TRUE and BEAUTIFUL is challenged, and, from the quiet depths of our soul and thoughtful consideration, we stand up to fight for what we KNOW is true, and bravely defend it, no matter what. 

This kind of daring is what starts from within: the kind that works its way up from your gut and down from your head to meet in your heart.  It is my hope that, while we are in Turkey, my cousin and I will find and hold this kind of daring - this courage that radiates confidence and the desire to learn, to KNOW. 

As we begin to pack and start to plan, it is a bit daunting, knowing we'll be gone for so long, and feeling a bit aprehensive about being in a new culture (myself at least).  But I'm sure we'll have an amazing summer, and we're both terribly excited! 

On a funnier note, my cousin and I are both going through finals, and after a particularly rough one full of written essays, she says to me, "Well, it builds upper body strength?"  ;-) 

Anyway, until next time, Hoscakalin (goodbye)! (Ho-shu-ka-lun - first lesson in Turkish!)