1. Background

THIS TRIP 

• Destination: Central Turkey & Istanbul
• Type of Trip: Group Tour
• Tour Name: Ancient Crossroads
• Tour Leaders: Ferrell & Elizabeth 
• Number of People on the Tour: 33 
• Tour Length: Let's say it together ... "It's only 11 working days."
  We'll actually be gone half a month. Sh! Don't tell the bosses!

A BIT ABOUT ME

• Something new: I bought Rosetta Stone: Italian. I've completed the first full unit.
• Activities attempted on every trip: 1. Draw, 2. Shop at a grocery store.
• Biggest surprise: Finding cold Coca-Cola in the middle of the Zimbabwe bushveld. I bought two. The first one I chug-a-lugged. The second I savored. 
• What's up with the Any Where You Want To Go Trip? So far, two nieces have gone. In between high school and college we go on a trip of their choosing. My Older Niece selected Italy (Rome, Sperlonga, Florence, Ferrara, Udine, Venice). My Younger Niece chose Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, Seville). I added Portugal (Lagos, Lisbon) to the mix and she gamely went along.
• Most memorable food created: Croquembouche, but it took a village.
• Famous relations:
• Alyssa Johnson (sister) is the 2014 president of the Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG)
• Laura Sullivan (cousin) won a Grammy this year for Best New Age Album. She's a pianist and composer. You should check out her music! *shameless plug* 
• Sarah Fragaso (cousin) is famous in Paleo circles. She's the owner of a gym, has her own website, has authored several cookbooks, and in 2014 is adding tour leader to her resume. Mark Purdy (cousin) is her co-conspirator in the kitchen. Check them out! *another shameless plug*
• My cousin Kelly assures me that we're related to William, Kate and Harry through the Spencers / Cunninghams. Our ancestor left the British Isles in a bit of a hurry. Actually he was on the lam, but I'm sure they'd welcome us back with open arms. 
• Farthest traveled: 8,859 miles to Binga, Zimbabwe
• Memorable nights: Shooting stars above Big Bear Lake, California, Shooting stars above the baseball diamond at a campsite near St. Jo, It looked like someone had flung handfuls of sparkling powered sugar across the sky near Musina, South Africa.
• Memorable sunsets: Positano, Italy; Key West, Florida
• Memorable sunrises: Grand Canyon, Arizona; Petra, Jordan
• Quotable quote a la Stacy: Life is too short to eat dessert last.
• Preferred place to go off grid: Oia, a city on the Greek island of Santorini.
• Next trip? Rent an island.