catching up - istanbul

so once again i've totally fallen off the blogging bandwagon BUT i'd like to think that i've had a good reason... in the last three week's i've taken all my finals, finished my thesis, successfully defended my thesis (yay), gone to hilton head for a week of drinking and unwinding, and last but not least GRADUATED. wahoo! it's been a whirlwind but totally worth it and i'm getting really excited for the next chapter.

now, however, wanderlust is going to take a brief diversion from my personal musings and become more of a travel blog for friends and family to keep up with my adventures. for the next two weeks my lovely mother and i will be visiting istanbul, tel aviv, jerusalem, amman, petra, and dubai! so check back here for updates on our travels!

this morning we arrived in istanbul after spending a couple days in the big apple after graduation. the 10 hour flight was long but not unmanageable and i even managed to get a couple hours  of sleep. we set off touring almost immediately with our guide huilia to explore the old city. our little hotel is situated right in the heart of the old city and as we sit next to each other in our twin beds, mom and i feel a little bit like we're at summer camp - the ambiance is helped by the fact that every time we plug something into the wall the power shuts off - delightful!

anywho, we stopped in a couple of incredible mosques, fought our way through the grand bazaar, and snacked in the spice market. there is so much more to write but i am too tired to think straight and the constant loss of power is really putting a damper on my blogging mood. for now i will leave you with a selection of instagrams from the day in istanbul with much better pics to follow soon!