So many things have been going on recently that I just had to get away or freaking lose it. So I basically made two friends go with me on an impromptu trip. To Istanbul. Did you know that Istanbul is a 15 hour trip from Atlanta, GA? It was a long and weary trip, but it was worth it once we got there.

In my mind.

Truthfully, I was mad at something that I don’t even remember now. I was frustrated with my life and my daily drudgery. Nothing specific, just work, kids, home, etc. And a casual comment on Facebook turned into a social experiment with non-consenting participants. Here is what I’ve found:

-My friends think I have more money than I do.
-My friends think I can just pick up and leave the country on a whim.
-My friends think I’m more awesome than I am.
-Everyone wants to believe because everyone wants to live vicariously.

I have a lot of travelers in my life and a lot of friends that I would call “international”. Which kind of made my fake vacation even better. They all made me feel like I was really going. Everyone was excited. Everyone recalled their trips to Istanbul and wished me well. It was a great feeling and a wonderful escape for someone who had little to no other outlet.

It also made me feel a little bit sad and pathetic, but I got over that. I had fun, and hopefully, no one will be too mad that I didn’t go. There was no maliciousness, no goal to dupe people. When I finally told one of my friends, she said it was “typical” of my mind and behavior, not to mention my humor.

Here are a few sights from my trip:

Turkish coffee

The yarn I would have bought at Kurkcu Han.

Some guy selling something on the streets of Istanbul.

I detailed our adventures in Istanbul in the pictures I posted on Facebook. There were no old women in blankets or shawls holding babies, unlike Jay Oakerson’s trips around the world:

For the record, my vacation did me a lot of good. I feel much better now. More pictures and comments can be found here.