It's been a hot minute since I posted in here. Like three years. I really enjoy reading old posts but just don't seem to have the time to keep it up.
However, since the whole world has gone crazy with COVID-19, I really wanted to document what our experience is like. So that I can remember it later with actuals, not I think it was like this...
So, here goes.
We have been in Turkey since March 17th. We returned home on March 15th at like 2:30 am from being in the village for a week working on an aquaponics system. On March 15th we slept in, did laundry, met with some of the other Americans in our city to tell them we'd be leaving on our visa run sooner than thought (original plan was April 4th) and to see how everyone was doing with the coronavirus stuff. America had announced it was closing its borders to flights from Europe the previous week so thousands of people were trying to scramble back to the States. That night we learned that Georgia was closing its borders with Russia, and some other countries had also closed their borders to foreigners that day. We decided to try to leave the next day.
So on March 16th we got up, bought Turkish visas, bought airline tickets, did laundry and tried to pack and send the necessary emails. I took the girls to a friend's house to use their dryer and to play for a bit. Then we went to our other friend's house to drop off our hamster. Then home to pack some more. I honestly was a basket case and spent way more time reading the news than I did packing and cleaning.
We left home at 11 pm and headed for the airport. Lane got sick in the car on the way there and then again in passport control. We arrived into Istanbul at around 6:30 am to a mostly dead airport. We have been staying in one the apartments we've stayed in before, right down the road from where we used to live. The first week was great, although everything closed the day we got here. No stores (other than grocery stores), movie theaters, etc. were open. Even Starbucks was closed. We got groceries at Carrefour and dinner in the mall. The girls played in the park out back, we saw Greg and Diana (met them at a park near us) and their kids, and that's all we did for the first 10ish days.
Last Friday night Turkey announced that anyone under the age of 20 isn't allowed outside. So we have spent the past week inside. The girls have not left the apartment other than to go to the apartment upstairs with us for about an hour to visit another family (who actually lives here but had a house fire so doesn't have a place to live). We have been doing schoolwork and playing lots of Bohnanza, which we have learned since being here. We've played Farkle and Sleeping Queens and Rat-a-Tat-Cat and Zeus on the Loose and every other game we brought. Shannon has done Bible story with them each morning and then "Bible story questions" and hide-and-seek with them every evening. We've had three family movie nights and ordered food (although Shannon has to go wait for it outside because we're not allowed to have them bring it into the building). We've done family exercise time each day, doing a dance party and stretches or squats and push ups.
We have had a lot of fun. But I am exhausted. We didn't bring much to do. The girls didn't bring much. They're not allowed outside. The neighbors have complained that we're too loud. And keeping them quiet and occupied is exhausting. Add in regular stuff (like FaceTime calls nearly every night and emails that need to be written and discipline and cooking and laundry and cleaning) and I'm exhausted.
Tomorrow is Easter. I feel guilty that I don't feel like I can do more, that I haven't done more. It never occurred to me when packing that we'd be here for Easter. It never occurred to me when shopping that Easter was coming. My heart celebrates Easter every day, but I feel guilty that I haven't been able to do more for the holiday of it.
Yesterday at like 10 pm the Turkish government announced that there was a $500 fine for anyone who left their home this weekend. So we are stuck in this apartment and are literally not allowed to leave. Any thoughts I had about changing up the Easter menu or doing something special or making deviled eggs instead of just boiled ones flew out the window last night when I learned we couldn't leave.
I'm trying to be grateful that I went to the store on Wednesday and we do have enough food. That we have a 3-bedroom apartment and comfy beds. We have Netflix and books that a friend lent us. We brought games. We are healthy and fine, and good medical care is a 20-minute walk away should we need it.
But the unknown of "Will we get new visas in May?", "Will the borders be open if we do have visas?", "Will any tourists come this summer?" is weighing on us. We are weary with the unknown. I am weary, wondering if we should try to figure out how to go back to America or if staying here really is the best choice. We are weary. We are tired. We are hopeful.
However, since the whole world has gone crazy with COVID-19, I really wanted to document what our experience is like. So that I can remember it later with actuals, not I think it was like this...
So, here goes.
We have been in Turkey since March 17th. We returned home on March 15th at like 2:30 am from being in the village for a week working on an aquaponics system. On March 15th we slept in, did laundry, met with some of the other Americans in our city to tell them we'd be leaving on our visa run sooner than thought (original plan was April 4th) and to see how everyone was doing with the coronavirus stuff. America had announced it was closing its borders to flights from Europe the previous week so thousands of people were trying to scramble back to the States. That night we learned that Georgia was closing its borders with Russia, and some other countries had also closed their borders to foreigners that day. We decided to try to leave the next day.
So on March 16th we got up, bought Turkish visas, bought airline tickets, did laundry and tried to pack and send the necessary emails. I took the girls to a friend's house to use their dryer and to play for a bit. Then we went to our other friend's house to drop off our hamster. Then home to pack some more. I honestly was a basket case and spent way more time reading the news than I did packing and cleaning.
We left home at 11 pm and headed for the airport. Lane got sick in the car on the way there and then again in passport control. We arrived into Istanbul at around 6:30 am to a mostly dead airport. We have been staying in one the apartments we've stayed in before, right down the road from where we used to live. The first week was great, although everything closed the day we got here. No stores (other than grocery stores), movie theaters, etc. were open. Even Starbucks was closed. We got groceries at Carrefour and dinner in the mall. The girls played in the park out back, we saw Greg and Diana (met them at a park near us) and their kids, and that's all we did for the first 10ish days.
Last Friday night Turkey announced that anyone under the age of 20 isn't allowed outside. So we have spent the past week inside. The girls have not left the apartment other than to go to the apartment upstairs with us for about an hour to visit another family (who actually lives here but had a house fire so doesn't have a place to live). We have been doing schoolwork and playing lots of Bohnanza, which we have learned since being here. We've played Farkle and Sleeping Queens and Rat-a-Tat-Cat and Zeus on the Loose and every other game we brought. Shannon has done Bible story with them each morning and then "Bible story questions" and hide-and-seek with them every evening. We've had three family movie nights and ordered food (although Shannon has to go wait for it outside because we're not allowed to have them bring it into the building). We've done family exercise time each day, doing a dance party and stretches or squats and push ups.
We have had a lot of fun. But I am exhausted. We didn't bring much to do. The girls didn't bring much. They're not allowed outside. The neighbors have complained that we're too loud. And keeping them quiet and occupied is exhausting. Add in regular stuff (like FaceTime calls nearly every night and emails that need to be written and discipline and cooking and laundry and cleaning) and I'm exhausted.
Tomorrow is Easter. I feel guilty that I don't feel like I can do more, that I haven't done more. It never occurred to me when packing that we'd be here for Easter. It never occurred to me when shopping that Easter was coming. My heart celebrates Easter every day, but I feel guilty that I haven't been able to do more for the holiday of it.
Yesterday at like 10 pm the Turkish government announced that there was a $500 fine for anyone who left their home this weekend. So we are stuck in this apartment and are literally not allowed to leave. Any thoughts I had about changing up the Easter menu or doing something special or making deviled eggs instead of just boiled ones flew out the window last night when I learned we couldn't leave.
I'm trying to be grateful that I went to the store on Wednesday and we do have enough food. That we have a 3-bedroom apartment and comfy beds. We have Netflix and books that a friend lent us. We brought games. We are healthy and fine, and good medical care is a 20-minute walk away should we need it.
But the unknown of "Will we get new visas in May?", "Will the borders be open if we do have visas?", "Will any tourists come this summer?" is weighing on us. We are weary with the unknown. I am weary, wondering if we should try to figure out how to go back to America or if staying here really is the best choice. We are weary. We are tired. We are hopeful.
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