Wander

Some of my favorite travel quotes... 

I beg young people to travel. If you don't have a passport, get one. Take a summer, get a backpack and go to Delhi, go to Saigon, go to Bangkok, go to Kenya. Have your mind blown, eat interesting food, dig some interesting people, have an adventure, be careful. Come back and you're going to see your country differently, you're going to see your president differently, no matter who it is. Music, culture, food, water. Your showers will become shorter. You're going to see that global climate change is ver real. And that for some people, their day consists of walking 12 miles for four buckets of water. And so there are lessons that you can't get out of a book that are waiting for you at the other end of that flight. A lot of people - Americans and Europeans - come back and go. "ohh" and the light bulb goes on. 

- Henry Rollins

Go see something new! 

xoxo

A Dear Friend Fighting Brain Cancer

Many of you know and have met some of my friends from home and know how close we all are. In high school, we called ourselves a 'family' and it's still true to this day, no matter how far or the time difference. Unfortunately, this past summer we learned that one of our friends, Heather was diagnosed with brain cancer. 

This email was sent to me by my friend Ali Boone. Her words described one of our best friend, Heather's battle with brain cancer.  

Dear Friends and Family,

On Sunday June 16^th, a very good friend of mine, Heather Pater, visited the hospital after experiencing what she thought was merely a fainting episode. Once doctors had discovered that what had actually occurred was a seizure, they decided run some tests and do a CT scan. Results from the CT scan revealed that she had a tumor a quarter the size of her brain in her frontal lobe. Due to the magnitude of its size, the tumor was estimated to have been growing over the course of seven years.

Several days after the operation to remove the tumor, she was informed that she was being diagnosed with Stage 3 and 4 brain cancer. Parts of the tumor are still in her frontal lobe, but doctors are remain hopeful. She began her aggressive six-week radiation and chemotherapy treatment this past week. 

I am emailing you all to reach out for your support as Heather and her family go through this difficult time. As I’m sure you know, the cost of medical bills on top of supporting a family of five can be extremely difficult. Heather has been chosen as a recipient of a fundraiser for a non-profit organization, For the Love of Donna, which began in 2005 in commemoration to Donna Muthersbaugh, a woman who died far too young battling Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Her wish was that her family continue to raise cancer awareness and help families struggling financially. 

Although you may not know Heather, she is the most kind, dependable, and sincere friend. Her positive outlook, sense of humor, incredible courage and willpower throughout this whole experience has continued to remain a constant inspiration to all friends and family around her.

Her and her family would greatly appreciate your kindness and generosity by clicking to the link below and donating to her foundation. Any amount no matter how small counts! And of course if you are not able to donate, your thoughts and prayers are more than appreciated. 

-Ali Boone

Foundation site: 

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/heather-pater-foundation/72451

Another friend, Chelsea, has gone above and beyond and created wristbands to raise money for Heather. If you are  interested in purchasing a wristband and donating to a worthy cause for an extremely special individual please contact Chelsea! They are a $4 donation ($3 plus necessary postage) and she is more than willing to mail directly to your personal address. Easy transfer through PayPal, and the profit will go directly to the Heather Pater Foundation. 

Chelsea Romano's email:

romanoc62@gmail.com

Please help support Heather fight like a girl! We love you Heath!!

Enchanted by Turkey

Posting Early

I thought I would share our time in Turkey once it was over but I am just to eager to share some photos of our experience so far! Turkey was the most 'unplanned' part of our month trip. We traveled the coast of Turkey by many small Dolmuses (buses with 4-6 rows of 2 seats, sometimes air conditioning) and then flew from Antalya to our current location Cappadocia. 

Our first stop was Kas, pronounced cash. We stayed at Hotel Hideaway. They served a great breakfast on their rooftop lounge bar area and had a yummy vegetarian buffet for dinner. It would be super easy to be a vegetarian in Greece and Turkey! We were in Kas for two nights and enjoyed the small fishing port town.

Next stop was Olympos. Olympos was an ancient city and is covered by mountains of green terrain and a swarm of backpackers sleeping in tree houses. We stayed in a cute bungalow for $30 a night, which included AC, a hot shower, a buffet breakfast and dinner! It had a very relaxed vibe and nice after a lot of traveling. 

Our bungalow.

 The lounge area with hammocks.

 A walk through the ancient city.

 Mosaic floors. 

 Crossing the 'bridge'. 

 Enjoying an Efes (Turkish Beer) after playing Ryan in ping pong (1-2 Ryan) 

We are currently in Cappadocia, which is quite difficult to describe. It is really a natural wonder and we have never seen anything quite like it. It is honeycombed with cave houses and underground cities. It is known for hot air balloon rides. This morning we woke up at 5:30 to watch and listen to the balloons surround our cave hotel. We are here for 3 more nights! 

Okay so I am kind of obsessed, but it is beautiful! Over 35 balloons in the sky!

Dünyadaki tüm aşk. 

All the love in the world, 

Leigh