I can hear the north wind blowing. That special wind that says, "Something new, something different, is coming." The wind that say, "It is time for you to move on, to go to a new place, and discover new things." Maybe you can hear it too in your own life, but maybe not.
Austin here with another blog update. And let me tell you that we are soon leaving Izmir. We quit our jobs a few weeks ago, and we spent 12 incredibly exciting and intimate days with my dad, stepmom and half brother, Sean. Traveling Turkey in a whirlwind style, we first saw Cappadocia- the dwelling place of ancient Christians- where we explored caves, underground cities, and wonderful valleys. Then we moved on to Isatnbul for a day trip, a place that neither my dad nor Bea had seen. And finally we finished our time in Trabzon, a picturesque, Switzerland-like ocean paradise with mountains, monestaries, waterfalls, and fresh made yellow butter (which I brought home by the kilo.) Our parting with family brought on many emotions: the longing to stay with poeple that truly understand us, the desire to retutrn to the comforts and comunities of America; but also the realization that we still have a journey to fulfill, a road to follow.
So, in 2 weeks time, Kindra and I will move out of our Izmir apartment, and step off on our greatest feat yet: to hike the Lycian Way, a 500K trail , stretching the southern coastline of Turkey, filled with amazing beaches, steep trails, and a wide open space where we can simply enjoy each other and God in nature without the wild and chaotic distractions of the city. We have never undertook such a trek, and within our excitement also lies uncertainty and a hesitancy of our ability to complete it. The nice thing is we can always use public transportation or hitchhiking for part of the trek since it usually follows a main highway. But our desire is to hike most, if not all, of it. So in this season of transition, we are preparing our home, we are getting last kisses in with our cats, (both of which have grown into phenomenally cute and full sized animals, making it impossible to say goodbye), we are saying goodbye to dear friends that have helped our sails fly open during our time in Izmir, and we are enjoying the last comforts of having a home.
You may ask, what lies beyond this month long hike that we will be attempting? That answer is also uncertain, but our rough plan is tor travel more in Turkey, and then to Georgia, and from there fly to Japan, and continue our hiatus in Asia.
Life has never been so rich or crazy for us, but we do count ourselves so blessed and lucky to experience the life that is always new and dynamic. And we will see where this new chapter and potential discovery of new continents and cultures takes us. So stay tuned for our journey ahead, and pray for us, that we would not miss one iota of a chance to learn and grow into the fullness of people that we are truly made to be.
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| View from our balloon as we begin our flight |
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| Getting them fired up! |
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| Overlooking the beautiful Cappodocia area from the top of an ancient castle |
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| Austin's dad and little brother in Cappodicia, on top of the castle |
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| Amazing old "staircase" in the Ihlara Valley, an area filled with winding, hidden cave dwellings and endless adventurous explorations to find |
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| The view just down the road from our apartment in Trabaon |
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| Hiking up to the Sumela Monestary |
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| View of the Monestary from the trail |
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| Uzungul, a lake in Trabzon |
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| The view from our top floor apartment in Trabzon |
