After a long day of flying and a couple days of sleep, I am finally ready to blog. I am going through all of my receipts and ticket stubs from the sites we visited and trying to organize everything. At the beginning of last week, I thought I would be happy to be home when the trip ended, and yet, I wish I was still wandering through the streets of Kusadasi or even swimming in the freezing waters of the Aegean Sea. Most of all, I miss the people I spent so much of my time with and shared so many wonderful memories. During the trip, I enjoyed Turkey more than I thought I would. I had read about Turkey before I left, but the experience exceeded my expectations.

My favorite place we stayed at in Turkey was Kusadasi. I loved its location by the sea and how the city was thriving with life. The people were very friendly and eager to interact with us. Greece was also incredibly beautiful. Patmos was a serene little town that I had the pleasure of exploring with Christina. My favorite part of Greece was climbing the Volcano in Santorini, and spending the rest of the day in Oia. Michelle, Christy, good Matthew, Sarah, Stephen, and I ate at a quaint, little restaurant facing the water. The food and wine were unbelievably delicious, and I tried my first octopus, which was my favorite dish of the trip.

The cruise was also a great experience. I learned the art of how to live in a closet with three other women, and those two days ended up being enough to last me for the rest of my life. Although no one was very impressed by the food, the view of the Greek isles and the drink package added to our time aboard the Louis Olympia.

Still, after I look back and think about the amazing mosques we visited and the ruins of civilizations that have survived for thousands of years, I have taken back more with me than a few great memories. I feel as though I have learned more about myself while traveling abroad, and I am definitely ready to continue traveling. Nevertheless, my favorite parts of the trip were the experiences I had with the people I met within our tour group, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to spend time with so many wonderful people. Thank you all for the amazing experience, and I hope to see you again soon!