Phillip and Rebecca Mefford

Our place in the City of Roses. Over five years ago on a wandering journey through Turkey we passed through Isparta and really liked it. The mountains, the size of the city, the University. Over four years ago Phillip applied for a job at the University. Over three years ago we settled in, and hope to stay for a good while longer. As we gradually geared up toward moving to Isparta we thought about what kind of lodging we wanted. A good, honest landlord was a must. We prayed for friendly neighbors, the kind that Turkey traditionally has. We honestly didn’t think of being in a place with a good school district, but as it turns out we are. There are parks, there is fresh air. It is not super close to Phillip’s work, but you can’t have everything. And then there are the accommodations. We toyed with the idea of living in a free standing home with a small yard, but apartments are much more common and have a better community feel. We dreamt of a master bedroom with an attached m

As they say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Phillip could be known as a “foodie: a person with a particular interest in food.” He cooks food. He eats food. He seeks out strange, exciting, interesting foods just to say that he has tried them. He gets recommendations for the most traditional foods and the best locals foods. Food is an integral part of our travel experiences. Food is not just a life sustaining habit, it is a hobby. And oh, what food we get to eat in Turkey. Bursa’s epic Iskender Kebap (Alexander the Great’s meat dish); the classic Turkish spicy meat kabob called the  Adana Kebap;  Central Anatolian mant ı (Turkish ravioli); Southwestern Anatolian fried, breaded meat dumplings called  içli köfte;  Black Sea flatbread known as Pide;  Bosphorus Straight shoreside kumpir (Turkish-style baked potatoes); Antalya’s oranges; Kahraman Mara ş ’s famous ice-cream; Gazi Antep’s everything edible; not to mention baklava…The list goes on.

Lincoln is very good at balancing. One of our closest friends is into climbing, hiking, and general out-doorsie stuff. Not only that, she is from Antalya. So when she told us about a little camping site with tents for rent we decided it would be a splendid idea to join her one weekend for our first family camping trip. The campgrounds were equipped with a community kitchenette and a flushable toilet, so it wasn’t as “roughing it” as it could have been, but we did sleep in a tent and look at bugs and play with rocks and walk over a small river across a wood-plank—so all in all, it could definitely be classified as camping. Despite feeling slightly conspicuous amongst the European semi-hippie vagrants and unconventionally sports-minded Turks, with our three rambunctious English speaking children, we had a great time and will probably go again, in the fall or spring when it’s not roasting hot. If anything, what we have learned from our Turkish friends is that NOT