“It’s a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and… there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”-JRR Tolkien
The crossing is calm today. The sun is low in the sky, sinking into the Sea of Marmara as we float across the water to Istanbul. A seagull chases the wind, darting towards a solitary island on the starboard side. In the distance, buildings line the shore. The fading sun bleaches them white, reflections off windows splash the water iridescent. A young blonde Turkish boy focuses intently on a drawing as he sits atop the railing across from me, glancing secretly at the little brunette girl playing at the table behind him. A breath of ocean air, a whiff of cooking spices. A man with really bad body odor sitting somewhere to my left. My senses are awakened. I feel alive.
It’s me, my backpack, and the open road again. Things are as they should be. All is right in the world. ;)
In all honesty, though, it was bittersweet leaving Yalova. I had an absolutely incredible time there. I loved my job, I loved my students. I loved my apartment, and I had the best coworkers in the world.
Saying goodbye to good people sucks. Period. And it’s sad to leave, but it’s the best decision for me and I’m finally okay with that.
And now it’s back to life in a bag. ;)
![So I was at the gym the other day, running on the treadmill and flipping channels to find that one English program to zone out to while getting my cardio, when I came across the most amazing thing I have ever seen in the history of things. It was a soccer game. A very, very intense soccer game, with a referee and a large crowd. […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/img_0961-36x36.jpg "Head Soccer. Or, soccer with heads. Another reason why Korea is awesome."){kind=small}
![I write this post out of absolute necessity. I’ve already elaborated a bit on my fear of Korean food here, but these two recent discoveries require some further attention. Number One: Pizza. When we went to Pizza School the other night, we had two options: Barbecue Pork Ribs Pizza or Pasta Pizza. Craving carbs, and not feeling particularly like picking bones out of our pizza’s […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/img_7962-36x36.jpg "Spaghetti on my Pizza & Intestines in my Soup: Korean Food Fails"){kind=small}
![It’s a liberating thought. Tantalizing even. You’ve got a house and a mortgage and a car and maybe a kid or a dog and a job. You have a whole life somewhere. But the thought of selling everything, packing a suitcase and moving far away.. maybe it crosses your mind sometimes. To leave all you know behind. To start anew. To experience life on the […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/71167493547__FB0EE4D2-E8D3-4ED5-8E7B-5135BD58E752-36x36.jpg "On Selling Everything and Moving Away"){kind=small}
![So I’m in the Northern part of Argentina, with a bag holding my sunscreen, some Argentine pesos, my binoculars and a pear. And I’m on a bus to Brazil, apparently, though I don’t know if they will let me in. Theoretically, this bus will take me to the Brazilian side of the Iguazu falls. Theoretically. And I say theoretically because at this rate I am […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IMG_3526.jpeg-scaled.jpg "From Argentina to Brazil, hopefully."){kind=small}
![Buenos Aires. Eye-rays, is what I tell my English speaking brain. Not Air-Ees, Eye-Rays. There is something about this place that I can’t put my finger on. We’ve been here a month, and still the city seems to shift, to change. It changes by the time of the day, by the day of the week, almost as the staircases in Hogwarts upend and revise direction, […]](https://www.thevagablond.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_0322-scaled.jpg "On the ground in Buenos Aires"){kind=small}
So where to next??
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To the south, and hopefully to some warmth! :)
Life in a bag isn’t half bad though…you could be stuck in a cubicle all day! Safe travels!
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Agreed! Haha. Thanks for the comment! :)
How long have you been in turkey?
Only a couple of months… but I’ll come back, for sure. I love this place.
This place is really nice..Hope you had a great time with your love ones..I hope next time your going to another place you can share again more photo..Thanks for sharing..
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It’s lovely for sure. Thanks for the comment :)
This place is really nice..Hope you had a great time with your love ones..I hope next time your going to another place you can share again more photo..Thanks for sharing.. Thanks for the comment! So where to next??
Where to next… that’s always the question, isn’t it? :) I’m back in Canada for a little bit now, so we’ll see where things take me. Thank you for your comment! Happy adventuring :)
You are so pretty girl. I love all the photos. The photos are so stunning. You have a beautiful experience in Yalova.
Thanks lady :) Cheers!