Packing to go home...

As every good thing, my vacation is almost over. I am packing my luggage to fly home on Tuesday.

It has been a wonderful time but I do miss my home now. I am also worried about my mom. My uncle and sister were telling me she was not her usual self, having difficulty to move around, not wanting to go out, not wanting to eat much and being in a generally sickly mood. She was OK till she had to have her appendix taken out and go for all the other tests. She passed everything with flying colors but now she is not feeling well? That is very strange.

I just bought my train ticket for the 13th of January from Istanbul to Ankara. Just spoke to mom as well. I will be making an appointment online to take her to a doctor on the week of 13th.

There are many important decisions awaiting me this year. We'll see...

Happy Holidays!

I hope, those who celebrate Christmas and Hannukah had a good time. I went to my BFF's niece for Christmas Eve. We all had Christmas Pajamas on and it was fun.

My BFF's nephew has two dogs and one of them is a bit difficult and overprotective when the nephew is around. Well he came to me with a friendly tail wagging and I bent down to pet him but he bit my hand! It was not too bad but it hurt like hell the first hour or so. My little wound is healng rather well. The whole family was horrified but I made sure to tell them it was my fault knowing that the dog had a temper. I also did not let them know how much it actually hurt and put a brave face on. Lol! They told me now I am officially inaugurated to the family since that fellow bit almost everyone in the family and one even had to get stitches.

Christmas Day wat at my BFF's and we had a very god time.

We have some plans for tomorrow and the next day. We also have a New Year Party on Tuesday. During the weekend, we will be in Killington for one night. Then I will be returning home on Tuesday. Due to the time difference, I will be arriving on the 8th of January.

My adventure is almost over. I had an excellent time with my friends and on the road. I am so thankful for every experience I had while here. I will cherish every moment of it.

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

Traced my footsteps

Yesterday, I have decided to visit my old neighborhoods and the places I liked to go. It has been very nice to just drive around to try to figure out what has changed, what has stayed the same. Although the weather was not great, I still had a good time.

I am upset that many stores I used to shop at are closing. I liked JC Penney and Dress Barn and was always able to find reasonable stuff in my size. So, yesterday I decided to go to Dress Barn and found out that all stores will be closing very soon. I spent a good deal of time but did not find anything that I liked except for a nice soft sweater. The quality used to be a lot better. I really wanted to buy jeans but, could not find any that I liked.

Talking about pants, can someone please tell me what is the point of jeggings and skinny pants in sizes 18 and up? Anything I grabbed turned to be either of those and I am a size 20 with long legs and a big butt. Why on earth would I need pants that will stick everything out that I want to keep to myself?

One of these days I will go to JC Penney and see what they have available.

As I do some consulting work for textile companies, I know how little their costs are. So, paying USD 29.99-49.99 for what can be called a basic T-Shirt makes me cringe. The per unit cost is usually not more than USD 5 even for things that have beads and trims. I ma trying to spend as little on clothing as possible. It is such a waste. I would rather spend my money on travel.

Last Sunday, my BFF and I went down to NYC to see the Vessel. It was not very cold that day so, we had a good time taking many pictures. I will share them in another post.

Today I am not feeling 100%.  I feel like I am coming down with a cold which is bad because I need to leave for my road trip this Saturday. So, I just took something to help with how I feel and I am thinking chcken soup. I am also taking Vitamin C.

Spoke to my family yesterday. Mom is moving to my sister's apartment which is a very large and comfortable 4 bedroom unit. She and my uncle will be better of there. Mom was tired of her own place. When I get back to Turkey, we will put her place up for sale and try to buy a new place for my sister and BIL. We are not in a rush since they are living in Izmir due to work for the time being and I do not see them going back to Ankara any time soon.

Pictures from Upstate NY

I am having a real good time doing some shopping and sightseeing these days. We may be headed to the Woodbury Commons Outlet this afternoon with my BFF and her daughter.

Today I did my laundry and folded and put them away. It is getting seriously chilly and my hosts have this pretty cool pellet burning appliance installed in place of the fireplace.

Last night we were watching TV snuggled up in throw blankets while the pellets were burning when we realized we were getting the first snow of the season! It did not stay on the ground for very long but, it was pretty coming down.

Here are some pictures I have taken:

Bear Mountain 

Last weekend we went to Bear Mountain and had lunch over there. We also walked around the lake and enjoyed the beautiful Fall day.

Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain Hike around the Lake

Love the trees turning red

On the way home

Moved Upstate

I am no longer in NYC. I have moved to upstate NY on Friday. After dinner we went out with one of her neighbors. We just had one drink each and listened to som elive music at a local pub.

We also had a nice day with my BFF on Saturday just hanging out and doing a little bit of shopping. On Sunday, her family, her sister and BIL with whom I have stayed and I all went to Bear Mountain and had lunch there. We also walked around the lake and made the best of the beautiful day. It is getting cold every single day now and the wind on Friday took away most of the remaining leaves. It still looks very pretty out here.

This morning I drove my BFF's daughter to a job interview with one of their cars and now waiting for my BFF to come back from work to take me to the airport for me to pick up my rental car.

In this area, I cannot do much without a car.

I cooked a few things yesterday and today. I like to lift of some of the weight off my friend's shoulders while I am here.

Will soon be posting some pictures from the weekend. Hope everone is enjoying the Fall as much as I do.

Downton Abbey Movie and more NYC

Yesterday my hosts and I went to see the Downton Abbey Movie. It was cute and I got to see my favorite actress, Dame Maggie Smith.

We had wonderful lobster rolls by the water before we went in to the theater and it was a nice, relaxing day.

Today, I went to Chinatown and Little Italy. I walked and walked and walked. I had a light lunch of  soup and grilled chicken salad at Il Corallo Trattoria. It was a busy place but the service was wonderful. I liked it so much that I think I will go back once more.

After walking some more and checking out stores and the general neighborhood, my legs and feet screamed at me so I went to Ferrara where I always have cannoli. Theirs is the best cannoli ever. However, their service is always slow. This time was not different. If it weren't for the taste, I would not go there.

Then I walked over to 6th Avenue and got on the subway to come back home. As I type this, I am waiting for my BFF to have dinner together. She will stay with us at her sister's over the weekend. I think they have planned a winery visit on Long Island tomorrow. Should be fun.

I love being back in the City walking around and taking in the city.

I should be taking more pictures and sharing over here.

NYC!

After a long but comfortable flight, I made it into NY.

My day started at 6 a.m. Istanbul time. I got up, took a shower, carried my bags up to the Security Gate because in our apartment complex, the road in front of my building is only for emergencies and a vehicle cannot normally come to the front unless I ask the security guards to open the big gate.

The driver arrived right on time with a big luxury van and I thought there would be other passengers because I had booked a regular size car. But no, it was for me only. There was only some light traffic and we made it to the airport in thirty minutes.

Checking my suitcases and going through Customs took less than twenty minutes. Such Luck!

The Turkish Airlines flight made it into Frankfurt Airport in 2 hours and 45 minutes. The weather was nice and the flight was good.

Since I had about 5 hours to kill before my flight, I walked around quiet a bit and stretched my legs. I only had a small carry-on with wheels and the exercise helped me a lot.

I had lunch at the airport which turned out be pretty dried roast chicken. But, I sent that to my stomach with a small bottle of red wine and it wasn't so bad. Lol!

My flight on Lufthansa was on a Jumbo Jet and my Premium Economy seat was excellent. The leg room and the comfort of the seat were superb. Despite the fact that we left Frankfurt a good 40 minutes late, we made it to JFK 30 minutes earlier but, because of that we had to wait on tarmac so that the Gate would become available.

Going through the crowded Customs was a breeze because, they routed me to the machines where you self-check through Customs only to meet an officer for a brief moment to get the passport stamped.

I had to wait a little while to collect my luggage and 10 minutes after I got out of the airport, my friend pulled in to get me. She is the sister of my BFF and I am staying with her and her husband's nice home in Forest Hills till next Friday.

Yesterday I went downtown to stroll around and meet my BFF to sit among the live audience in the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The waiting in line part is a killer but the monologues were very funny, the band excellent and the guests were interesting. It is taped with a live audience and broadcasted later at night. The guest was Mia Farrow's son Ronan Farrow who is an investigative journalist. His book Catch and Kill came out and it is on Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer.

Then we had a quick bite and my friend returned upstate. I hopped on the subway to go back to Forest Hills. Was a great first day.

Today I am home as I type this. My hostess and I are going to see the Downton Abbey movie.

Hope everyone is having a good time.

Ugh!

My apartment is a mess. The gifts, the clothing items, the meds and other necessities are all scattered around. I have no idea how and when this happened but, I am the culprit.

Today, I have decided to take care of the meds and pack my carry-on. I had borrowed my mom's carry-on rolling suitcase and was planning to take that. I only packed it halfway, thinking that I could put my laptop on top and be done with it. Something made me weigh it and opps! It was 7something kgs. What? A pair of pants, a blouse, a cardigan, meds and a change of underwear plus pajamas. How could that be?

Then I emptied the thing and weighed it by itself. It was 4,5 kgs! The allowance is only 8. So, it turned out to be a stupid idea to take that.

I hopped on a bus to go to Metro Gross Market and looked at the suitcases over there. Their prices were outrageous although all the bags were super light. I took a cab to Carrefour and looked at the carry-ons over there. The selection was huge with a variety of prices. I had this luggage scale and a measuring tape with me and I started looking at all the bags and compared prices. I spent more than half an hour choosing a carry-on. The lightest bag was less than 2 kgs and before I walked out with it, I sat down to grab a bite.

My inner voice told ne to check the luggage requirements one last time and of course what I selected was not good on the airline I am flying with. Some airlines tell you to add up three dimensions and anything below 115 cm. is good. But the airline I am flying with specifically requires a maximum of 55x40x23. So, I walked back and spent another good 20 minutes. By the time I checked out, there were no cabs available. I waited for a WHOLE HOUR to get a cab and could not get one. So, I stuffed my things in the rolling bag and walked outside the store to a busy intersection. Luckily, I found a cab. The driver told me at that hour it was almost impossible to find a cab.

I normally never need cabs and certainly I had no idea about their rush hour and driver exchange hours.

I am so exhausted. Took a long hot shower and will kick back and relax.

Busy day...

I woke up late today but I had many errands to run and since I left my car at mom's, I had to walk.

First I went to the the local health care center to get a prescription for all my regular meds plus an antibiotic.  I did not think the doctor would prescribe the wide spectrum antibiotic but, as I told her I would be away for quiet a while, she agreed. I hope not to have to use it.

Then I went downstairs to the pharmacy to hand them my prescription. Didn't wait for them and said I would pick the package later in the day and walked to the bank to pick up my renewed credit card. The lady at the bank was a former employee of my BIL and she was super nice.

I then went to get my prescription sunglasses. I had them put in new lenses into the frame I already had so, that did not cost a lot.

I hopped on a bus to go to Carrefour to check out suitcases because the duffel bag I am planning to take is now off acceptable limits. Bummer! I have a twenty dollar cheap bag I bought from Chinatown years ago. May be I will use that along with my good suitcase. So, before I bought another one, I decided to pack and see first. I purchased a few grocery items to consume what I have on hand. By the time I was finished, I was exhausted and had a heavy bag to carry so, I hailed a cab.

I went back to the pharmacy, picked up 3 months worth of meds.

I also picked up the delivered packages while I was away.

Now it is time to wash everything, plan what to pack in which bag and etc. I feel so ready for this trip. I am crossing all fingers and toes so that, nothing comes my way to jeopardize my plans.

Back home and getting ready!

I just came back home and am trying to rest a bit. I am not doing anything today except for fixing dinner.

Tomorrow I need to pick up some deliveries I missed, my prescription sunglasses, my new credit card (Yay! I knew my sis would be able to help with that) and do some laundry.

I will start piling up the stuff I need to pack on the bed in my spare bedroom.

I will most likely be home on Thursday all day. On Friday, I will be meeting a friend and completing my shopping. Will pick up some Turkish Delight, pistachio nuts and dried figs. These are popular among my friends.

I have so much to pack. I am allowed two suitcases, a carry-on, and a purse. I want to be done packing on Sunday. My flight is early Tuesday. I have arranged for a pick-ıp service from my home and allowed myself ample time at the airport. I hate to be in a rush when I am traveling.

I have 5 hours to kill at Frankfurt Airport. Good opportunity to stretch my legs and chill a little bit before the longer leg of my flight.

Off I go to see the luggage weight and measurement requirements just in case something might have changed lately.

Started tracking my travel budget already!

I have been carefully planning my big vacation for weeks now. I have set aside a notebook and a notepad. The notebook is for keeping track of the places I want to visit, notes about my day and etc. The notepad is for lists and budget tracking.

Last night I made the first important purchase and entered that on my notepad. I ordered this package  from Mint Mobile. I could use my Turkish mobile phone but the roaming charges would kill me. I have actually calculated what it would cost me to use my phone and it turned out to be USD 533! Yikes!  60 bucks works for me. I use Whatsappp to call home and the 8 GB of Internet is plenty both for that and all my other needs.

I have searched for mobile phone solutions for quiet a while and this seems to be the best fit at the best price. I am bringing my old phone which is unlocked and compatible with the T-Mobile NW. I have checked the coverage and it looks very good on my route.

Since I am going to be spending quiet a bit of time in NYC, I have checked out The New York Pass and calculated whether it would be worthwhile to get it. Made a list of places that I want to visit and checked entry fees. I have decided against it. I can do better without one.

Getting the 7-day Unlimited Pass of MTA in NYC is a fantastic deal for my visit. You can use the pass on the buses and on the subway. It is also refillable after the 7 days are up. At USD 33 for 7 days, I think it is an awesome deal. Besides, I know my way around the City and as long as the weather cooperates, I will be just fine.

The contractor came today for additional work and things seem to be fine. He must paint around the window frame from the outside and the site manager will supply the required paint. He has nothing to do inside till I decide to get my room painted which is months away. Once he finished the paint job, I will pay him. I haven't paid a dime until now and I think, the payment has been motivating.

I am only praying that the fix will work.

After lunch, mom and I are going to the mall to order me prescription sunglasses. I will use one of the frames that I already have and the glasses will not be progressive. That will save me a good chunk of money.