Dan Is Better At Not Negotiating Than I Am

This trip has been exhausting, and sometimes we need a down day. If you aren’t convinced that I should be tired, I can explain. I left Detroit at 8 PM after a full day of work, and slept little over the course of a 17 hour trip to Kusadasi, and then was up early the […]

In Which The Rain Drives Us Indoors

Dan’s driving is terrifying our guides, I think. While that seems funny enough on its own, in reality it’s even funnier than it sounds, because he’s generally a really good driver. He is somebody who has raced cars as a hobby, and therefore has a good sense of the road and drives cars to their […]

The Post In Which I Abandon Initials And Embrace Names

Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, and to hear Yavuz speak of the ancient city of Aphrodisias, he is obviously enamored. He clearly loves archaeology, history, and his job, but when describing Aphrodisias, his language changes. He speaks a little more softly and delicately, adopting the language of the poets and the romantics, and […]

That’s Three of Seven, If You’re Counting

Three years ago I came to Turkey and spent four days on the Aegean coast, walking on antique pavers, breathing ageless air, and stirring sleepy particles of ancient Greek and Roman dust. During that time my travel agent arranged for me to spend two days with Y, one of the private guides here. I found […]

Three Flights. Two Connections. One Meeting. And No Complications.

We surfed our way across the unbuffeted sky, riding the crest of a 171 mph tailwind from Detroit to Amsterdam and racing the clock at 703 mph. I tried to sleep on the flight, but mostly found myself shifting and rolling uneasily in my seat until I finally gave up and cracked my window shade […]

Answering A Call

Sometimes I want to go back to a place. No. It’s more than that: Sometimes I need to go back to a place. I feel an undeniable urge to return to a country that touches my heart and my soul, whose people are so welcoming, and whose culture and history resonate with me in a […]