"So, how was Turkey?!"

Amazing . . . awesome . . . incredible . . . unforgettable -- all those singular adjectives that people use to describe a good experience, but don't say much about the experience except that the person enjoyed it. I keep finding myself answering that questions with just the words. And I hate that I do it because the experience was so much more than that. Sure, I have my anecdotal stories to tell, but in the end the best way for someone to understand a Turk's generosity is to go to Turkey himself. So, I guess my advice to any/every college student is go abroad. Go anywhere. Go somewhere that inspires you; work on a project that captivates you; experience something other than the norm.

Some people will never completely understand why I went to Turkey to make architectural drafts (or in other words, draw blocks). But that's alright because the experience wasn't for them, it was for me. Do something that excites you and it will make all the difference.

As promised, here are some more photos:

This is the Pirate's Cove that I've mentioned. The locals actually climb up the rock face and jump off into the water...




<-- right about here. And as the saying goes, when in "Turkey," so I did it. Durhan's son showed me the way up. My legs actually started shaking half-way up, but it was completely worth it. For some perspective on the height, there are people sitting on that rock in the lower left-hand side.



This is a picture of the temple mound (in the background) and one of our block fields. As I've mentioned before, the temple is in ruins. This is a ten-year project to rebuild the temple. We're currently in the early stages of the project. To reconstruct, we first need to deconstruct.






(photo courtesy of Julia McKinely)
This is the inside of Hagia Sophia. The central dome is in the upper right-hand corner of the photo. You can start to see how, with the right light, the dome may appear to hover over this old Byzantine church.














(photo courtesy of Julia McKinely)
Lily and I working on a draft.











(photo courtesy of Julia McKinely)
One of the many nice spreads Rami's wife brought us in the field. Rami is in the center with his daughters on the left.









(photo courtesy of Julia McKinely)
Group Photo