This was an amazing trip with my Latin Class, in 2013. We began in Istanbul at the Grand Bazaar and Aquaducts. Over the course of two weeks, we migrated eastward, visiting the churches to which Apostle Paul wrote his letters, along with several other archeological sites, including the Church of St. Nicholas in Myra, and the famous cliffs in Pamukkele. It was incredibly enriching, and I now read the Bible in a whole new lens, having seen the actual places written about in the scriptures!

When the tour ended, I and my parents and I split off to spend another two weeks with family friends on the coast of Turkey. It was much slower paced than the clip of the tour, allowing us the opportunity to relax and visit the smaller, locals pazaars, learn more of the language, experiment with fresh, local ingredients, and soak up good warm sunlight. I found my new favorite Mediterranean foods - a street sandwich called tost, and Turkish pizza. The latter is very similar to an American pizza, but it's shaped like an oval and embellished with Turkish cheese and meats. I found it was delicious topped with an over-easy egg, too. *chef's kiss.*