Images from Istanbul!

When we go on field trips we have to be super prepared with everything: sunglasses, headsets and receivers, scarves, backpacks, water, notebooks, good walking shoes, smiles, watches, t-shirts, cargo pants and everything else imaginable...basically sometimes we just look like extreme tourists. And we love every second of it! This was at the Basilica Cistern in Turkey. Super cool!

Hello Turkey!!!

First time trying Turkish Delight!!!

This was when we ate lunch on the ocean. LITERALLY on the ocean!

Welcome to the Blue Mosque. Imagine this in REAL life. 

We all got to be super close friends after spending an endless amount of time on bus rides in Turkey! Here we told secrets, learned Turkish dance moves, slept, had our fortunes told and SO much more!

Just the view from my balcony at the hotel in Turkey. I wasn't kidding when I said it was legit!

Liz just leading the troops at Pergamon. 

No worries. I now know my future!

At Ephesus! Just in case you didn't know, Paul lived here for a while and wrote some of the books in the Bible here. Super great!

Ephesus again! Just modeling with the statue. Don't worry, we haven't changed :)

The amphitheater at Pergamon. It is absolutely enormous!

Looking up from the amphitheater. The top is FAR away. 

Another hotel view of the Aegan Sea. It just got better and better each night!

Do you SEE those watermelons??? This has a special dedication to Briggs, but really I just think those are the coolest ever. That's why it's up even though it's blurry and creepy :)

On the shore at Nicaea. The Nicene Creed was written here. Our discussion reminded me of how grateful I am for the Restoration of the gospel!

Sara's just adorable. Need I say more?

Hagia Sophia and it's amazingness! You can look up more pictures online. It's insane. 

This is how pictures work with our group.
Sara (to Liz): "Oh, we should both take a picture with our tour guide before we leave!"
Liz: "Great idea! Ugur, can we take a picture with you?"
Everyone else: "ME TOO!!!!"
I have never seen a group gather faster in my life than when someone wants to take a picture. It's remarkable! We didn't even say anything to anyone else, but within about 30 seconds it exploded from 3 to 42. We even attracted someone NOT in our group!

Turkey has this crazy chewy ice cream, so we clearly had to try some! Definitely worth it. 

Quite possibly THE best shopping trip of my life. I can't even explain how successful we were or how fulfilled we felt afterwards! 

Just Liz being a cute little model outside of our restaurant in Turkey  right before we left!

Fish Filipino-Style. Needless to say, I was overjoyed! Some others weren't quite so thrilled...

This is Ugur, our Turkish Tour Guide. He gave us a restraining order from each other. He taught us Turkish dance moves. He took us all over Turkey. And he loves Sara's laugh. 

Getting ready for our first day of adventures in Turkey!

Istanbul has one European side and one Asian side. We are on the European side and across the water is Asia! Definitely made it to both continents... Bucket list? Check!

PS, did we tell you we went to Troy? Yep. Legit Trojan horse right there. Straight up artifact. 

What does it say?! (Hint: Liz and Kayla on the ends aren't part of the word!)

Those pillars were ENORMOUS!