And so it begins.  My flight over to Istanbul was my first international experience.  I was just about the only American on the flight, and I got to try some new food!  Dinner was a Turkish meat dish with rice, and a GREAT chocolate cake.  Breakfast was a little more interesting.  There was some black spread on bread with cheese, and scrambled eggs with things in it( I recognized a pepper, and spiced tomato).  I bravely devoured both (ok I TRIED both- haha).  Imagine, this is only airline food-lmao!!

I am flying over the Carpathian Mountains, and OMG they are amazing!!!!!  Huge, green, spots of villages all around- it is breath-taking.  The clouds sit on the tips like whipped cream on the top of a magnificent drink(a cinnamon dolce latte of course-haha).

On the flight from Istanbul to Kazakhstan, I met an older woman in traditional muslim garb.  Neither one of us spoke the others language, and yet we smiled and used hand gestures, getting the basic things across over the next few ours.  As the flight went on, my companion, wrote feverishly, page after page of letters.  When we went to part, she squeezed my hand speaking endearingly in her native tongue, and kissed me on both cheeks wee hugged, and she then gave me one of her letters.  I am attempting to translate the letter, and look forward to reading her words.