Confession

I have a secret.  It's not a big secret (well, maybe to some) but it's a secret none the less.  I have been keeping this secret from most of you for quite some time.  Some of you already know my secret, but now it's  time to come clean to the rest of you.  So, here we go:  I have never been to Puerto Rico (dramatic music, gasp). *hangs head in shame*

Shocked?  Most people are when I reveal my secret.  Many simply assume that I have been to San Juan, the oldest city on U.S. territory and known for its beautiful beaches - especially since I am a beach lover.  But nope, I can't say that I have.

When I make this confession, the first response is "Really?  That surprises me."  and the second, of course, is "Why not?"  and this is where it gets tricky.  The truth of the matter is that San Juan always seems so expensive to me.  From the airfare to the beachfront hotels, it all seems overpriced and other destinations always seem to be a better value.  So the other destinations, which also involve acquiring a new passport stamp, always win out.

For instance, if I do a quick airfare check, using May 30th - June 3rd as my dates of travel, here is what I get:

• Chicago to San Juan - $404.87 (with a 10 hour layover in Miami on the return)
• Chicago to Cancun - $422.61
• Chicago to Montego Bay - $516.09
• Chicago to St. Maarten - $583.90
• Chicago to Curacao - $578.90
• Chicago to Barbados - $591.40

If I were looking to book something for that time period,  even though 4 days isn't nearly enough for any of these destinations, which do you think I would select?  

Well, other factors would come into play like what is the purpose of my trip:  explore or relax, am I looking to experience something new, exactly how long are the flights and layovers especially since this is basically a long weekend trip (that San Juan flight has a 10 hour layover in Miami on the return and the Barbados makes 2 stops - YIKES), what is the cost of an average hotel stay, food, etc.  

Based on airfare alone - Cancun would win if I were simply going to relax and Montego Bay would be my choice if I were looking to explore and experience something new.  Why, because for the extra cost of the plane ticket. I can either visit my favorite destination (yes, AGAIN.  I'm an addict remember?) or explore a destination that is higher on the "must see" list than Puerto Rico.

Don't get me wrong, Puerto Rico is on my list.  I want to visit its historical sites, hike in El Yunque National Rainforest, swim in Mosquito Bay, and take a day trip to Culebra or one of the other islands off the coast of Puerto Rico (there are roughly 100 of them); but PR just never seems to win the process of elimination even though there are times that I am actually rooting for Puerto Rico to win.  Crazy, right?

SIGH...there it is.  My deep rooted secret.

This confession brings me no joy.  I know that this favorite Caribbean destination for hundreds of thousands should have made it to my "been there" list by now.  I am ashamed and I promise to rectify this situation ASAP.  Ok, maybe ASAP is a little too soon, but I will get done in 2013.

I wonder if I can piggy-back it on a trip to another destination?!

HMMMMMMMMM.........

What I Learned in Istanbul

When a member of my travel group posted that he had just purchased airfare from New York to Istanbul for under $500, I was intrigued. “Istanbul?” I thought, “hmmmmm, yes I’ve heard of it. Not really on my radar but it sounds interesting” as I opened a web browser and began my research. What I found peeked my interest: largest city in Turkey with close to 10 million people, Blue Mosque, only city that straddles Europe and Asia, good shopping, history dating back to – WOW, a long time ago! Of course, I thought, airfare from Chicago to Istanbul will be double the amount he just paid; but I checked anyway. WHAT, $524 RT? Non-stop? Now I was really intrigued. What’s the weather like? How long is that flight?! Do I really want to go to Istanbul? Of course I do. Who wouldn't?

I requested my time off and purchased my flight. Because of the time difference, I would have 4 full days in Istanbul. I began looking at the top tourist attractions: Blue Mosque and shopping in the Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. I figured I would have enough time. Here is how it played out:

I arrived on Thursday evening but by the time I purchased my Visa, made my way through customs, realized my baggage did not make the flight and arrived at my hotel, it was close to 8pm. I was exhausted so I decided to stay in for the evening and relax.

Friday (Full Day 1): Because I did not have any clean clothes, I didn't venture out too far. Walking around in the clothing I had traveled in for over 12 hours the day prior was not appealing. I ate a leisurely breakfast in the hotel and chatted with the concierge about some area shopping. The concierge recommended Taksim Square, which is a tourist area full of shops, hotels and restaurants. Off I went to the Metro.

Taksim Square was full of activity as tourists and locals alike filled the streets. The sights and sounds were exhilarating and it was here that I realized this was going to be an amazing experience. I began to stroll İstiklal Avenue, admiring the architecture of the buildings and taking note of the various accents and languages.

I purchased a few items of clothing, just in case my luggage still had not arrived.  It had been raining most of the day and I was drenched, so I headed back to my hotel for a nap and to prepare for the evening ahead.

 Saturday (Full Day 2): Armed with clean clothes, I exited the hotel early determined to make it to the Sultanahmet District, which is historic Old Istanbul and where most of the major sights are located. Because the weather was a bit on the chilly side, I decided that the hop-on/hop-off bus would be the best way to ensure I saw all of the top sites. Besides with the tour, I got a bonus that I did not plan: a trip to the Asian side of Istanbul!

Due to heavy traffic getting to and from the Asian side of Istanbul, more time than I anticipated was spent. But I got an opportunity to see a few sites that were not located in the main tourist area and an opportunity to see some residential areas of the city. The trade off? By the time I arrived in Sultanahmet, it was already after 3pm, which was a lot later than planned and I was losing sunlight.  I headed straight to the Blue Mosque, but learned that it was closed to visitors for prayer. I stood in the courtyard in complete awe at the beauty of a structure that was built in the 1600s as the call to prayer played over the loud speaker. I was paralyzed as I listened to the Muezzin (the person who recites the adhan in the mosque) over the loud speakers. To be in this place, at this time, was not planned; but was planned perfectly. I headed back to the hotel.

That evening, I met up with members from my travel group at a popular Hip-Hop club in the Taksim area where we sang and danced until early morning.

Sunday (Full Day 3): A few members from my travel group were renting an apartment in the Taksim area. The owner of that apartment invited them to brunch on one of the Prince Islands, which are nine islands located in the Sea of Mamara off the coast of Istanbul. I decided to join them!

We boarded the ferry for the journey to Heybeliada, which is the 2^nd largest of all the islands and home to an 11th century Greek Orthodox monastery.  The hike to the top of the Hill of Hope is strenuous, so half way up I opted to catch a horse and carriage, which is an awesome way to arrive at the currently closed Halki seminary. We spent time exploring the grounds of the monastery and the seminary before enjoying a traditional Turkish lunch at one of the island’s many cafes.

Back in my hotel after a long day of walking, I was too tired to do anything but soak in my tub and get some sleep.

Monday (Full Day 4): My last full day and there were still a couple of “must-dos” on my list, so I headed out early. First stop – back to the Blue Mosque, but this time my goal was to see the interior, which turned out to be just as amazing as I imagined.

Next “must-do” – the Spice Market and the Grand Bazaar. This place overwhelmed me with sights, sounds and the smells….OH – the smells inside the Bazaar were intoxicating. From exotic spices to handmade rugs and blankets, to jewelry, to clothing and handbags. Anything you are looking for, you can certainly find at one of the over 3,000 shops in the Bazaar.

Next up, Topkapı Palace and Hagia Sophia. Both of these architectural wonders have served various purposes since being built, but today both serve as museums. Since I spent way too much time walking through the Bazaar, it was getting late; so I opted to not pay to go inside but to spend some time at Hagia Sophia. I walked out the gate and headed to my next stop only to find, wait for it, that Hagia Sophia was CLOSED to visitors on Monday’s. UUUGGGGHHHHHH……

Because I wasn’t ready to call it a day and head back to my hotel, I took a turn down a street I had not previously explored and ran across an unexpected surprise: Yerebatan Sarnici, or the Basilica Cistern. This cistern lies beneath the city and was once used to provide water to Topkapi Palace. The highlight of the cistern – two Medusa column bases located in the northwest corner!

It was now dark, so I headed “home” to begin my packing.

That evening, I reflected on my trip. I did not accomplish everything on my must-do list and I was a little disappointed. I had violated one of my own rules of travel, “do your research”. Had I planned better, I would have known about the hours of Hagia Sophia. But, on the other hand I had a few unexpected surprises. The bus ride to the Asian side was memorable and so was the trip to Heybeliada.

Overall, I really enjoyed Istanbul and I have put it on my repeat list. I learned a lot about the history of Istanbul and the Turkish people. But the most important thing I learned: 4 days is not enough.

To view all of my Istanbul pictures, click here.

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

For Christmas, I gave a friend of mine a book for his son. Not just any book, but my absolute favorite children's book: Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss.

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

I have loved this book since I begin reading it to my own children when they were toddlers. Even now, as an adult, I often read this book to myself as a reminder that I can do anything, go anywhere and see anything I put my mind to.

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You see, for many years I talked myself out of living my travel dreams. Making excuses such as I can’t afford it or that traveling to faraway places alone is not safe.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're dark.

A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

I would say that I can't leave my kids and I can't take them with me. Or that being away from them for a week is simply irresponsible and unacceptable. So I settled into the life of "normalcy" that consisted of work, come home, be Mom, repeat; but secretly yearning for far away places and trying to figure out how to fill the void that is created when you put your hopes on the back burner.

You can get so confused

that you'll start in to race

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace

and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,

headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place...

One day, after a routine doctor's visit, I found myself in the intensive care unit of my local hospital. The doctors were saying things like "stroke" and "bleeding on the brain". They were asking me questions such as "what has you so stressed out?"

NO!

That's not for you!

I spent a week in that hospital bed. It was there that I decided that I would no longer simply be who society expected me to be. That I would no longer live my life by the standards of others. I decided that life is to be lived and I deserved to live it on my own terms, in my own way. I made some life changing decisions that put me in a better position to do the things that made me happy. Things that filled the void and released the stress. I stopped making excuses.

With banner flip-flapping,

once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

So now when I get discouraged and the naysayers begin to naysay, I simply remember Dr. Seuss and I can almost hear him say:

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

For the full text of Oh, the Places You'll Go! click here.