Phillip and Rebecca Mefford

Syrian humus wrap Turks love Turkish food. Turks are passionate about their food. Turks are proud of their food. So much so that it is hard to find any food other than Turkish food. We love Turkish food. We try to make Turkish food at home sometimes. We enjoy Turkish restaurants. But…we are the world-traveling American types that like a little culinary variety…every once in a while. So when we stumbled upon a small Syrian eatery with falafels, humus, and Damascas’ kunefe, we were delighted. The bad news: our Syrian restaurant didn’t bring in the customers. The good news: they transformed themselves into an Arabian exported goods store—replete with Damascus dates and strange pre-packaged comfort foods-- catering to the many refugees in our city AND they still have their cooking equipment in the back just in case someone asks for a falafel wrap. That sums up foreign food in Isparta.

getting ready for school Hey! Just a little break from the cultural insights…our family is doing great. Rebecca and the kids are enjoying some special time with the Grandparents this week, Phillip still enjoys his job, and we as a family are continually thankful that we get to live in Turkey. It would be a lot harder though, without those special visits to and, more often, from Grandpa and Grandma.

Before moving to Turkey we visited all of Rebecca's favorite spots in Seattle, including the Fremont Troll. Getting your document ducks in a row may be a bit of a hassle, as you prepare to move overseas, but at least there is a tangible “check-it-off the list” nature to it. An equally essential, and yet less palpable necessity for preparing to move overseas is aligning your emotions with your move. Making a big move can elicit a variety of emotions—anticipation, excitement, anxiety, fear, and even grief. And different people in the same family may experience different feelings than others. Confronting these emotions is critical to the success of your transition. Here are a few tips on doing so: ¨ Validate everyone in the family’s emotions. Even if they are different than your own, what another person is feeling is normal. Sometimes just knowing you are not isolated in your emotional response can help. ¨ Understand that your emotions are liable to change-- maybe multi