My deadline had come. I had to leave the country. The three months of my tourist visa was about to expire and I had to leave in order to reenter and renew it. Where should I go? Over the past year, my trips back home or to Jordan or Italy with the Dukes had always fallen at the perfect time. This time, we had to actually plan something. Through Eti, a friend from church, Darren found a travel deal to Turkey and signed me up. I was going to Istanbul!

"Will it be enough time?" Eti asked.

"Not long enough," answered Darren in Hebrew with a smile and wink my way. "We need a vacation!" :)

Although two full days isn't enough time to see all the highlights in Turkey, it was enough time to see the highlights of Istanbul. The Blue Mosque, the Aya Sophia, Topekapi Palace, and the river way along the Bosporus and the Golden Horn were all breathtaking. The only disappointment was not having a travel buddy to share the experience with. I was excited about the alone time, but I guess I'm not quite the loner that I thought I was. Unfortunately, my being alone seemed to be my open invitation that I wanted company. Thankfully, it was more annoying than threatening. I don't know which was better - Istanbul during the day or illuminated by the night lights.