Thankful: Day 6

pumpkin spice latte
To most people reading this, having a pumpkin spice latte may not be that unique or special or even out of the ordinary since it is the specialty fall drink of Starbucks.  But to someone living on the other side of the world where Starbucks rarely creates what we know and love as the “seasonal menu,” finding the means to come by a pumpkin spice latte is not easy.  It really is all in who you know, and I am thankful to have two great friends here who have both the means to make this incredible drink and the wilingness to share in their bounty!

thankful:
I am thankful for my American friends here in Central Asia that I can hang out with and who make living life here feel a little bit like home.  We can explore this great city together and enjoy sitting and drinking coffee.  Today was an adventure-filled day - while we were supposed to ferry to some nearby islands, the fog was too dense on the sea so no boats were being sent.  Instead, we headed up the Bosporus and climbed around on an old fortress and went to an incredible park!  I love just about any park, but they are especially incredible here because they are quiet and a place of solitude - you can hear yourself think for once and enjoying hearing birds, a rare sound in a busy city with several million people.  It’s easy to escape and, for a minute, forget that just outside the walls of the park are streets swarming with traffic and people.  I am thankful for friends to explore these places with and for beautiful pieces of land that allow me to bask in the beauty of God’s creation!