May brought some travel outside of Istanbul– two countries in one month, my most since pre-pandemic!– as well as visitors and blooming flowers. Spring is always so glorious.
Best Of The Month
I flew all the way to California to attend the wedding of two of my friends, and it was 100% worth it. My sister was my +1, the ceremony was in the beautiful SF Botanical Gardens, and the main part of the wedding was an epic meal at Lazy Bear, a 2-Michelin star restaurant in the Mission. I’m pretty sure Hillary and I were seated at the most fun end of the table; we spent the whole time making new friends and laughing wildly. It was a fabulous, fabulous evening.
That quick trip to California was pretty wonderful in general— just long enough to spend time with my family, but just short enough not to be a stress, and every time we went into the city, the weather was nice. (Truly a San Francisco miracle.) We even went to a baseball game! In the sunshine! In SAN FRANCISCO!!
In the beginning of the month, my mom and I went to Tbilisi, Georgia— my first trip there since way back in 2016, and my third trip ever. Wow I love that city! It’s amazing how much I remember, even after all this time. Truly a special place.
My friends who live in Kyiv left at the end of April, and they made an appearance in Istanbul in early May. It was such a thrill and relief— I’d been so worried about them, and I’d missed them too.
At the end of the month, my friend Danielle threw a boat party for her six month old baby, though really it was a party for her and all of her friends who helped her get through the first half year of baby. It was also just a lovely chance to spend time with some of my dearest Istanbul friends!
Worst Of The Month
Flying out of Istanbul to SF with my mom was a series of small stresses— and as the Turkish speaker and more experienced traveler, I was the one who dealt with most of it. There were no major problem, ultimately, but it was sort of a relief to be on the plane, just because I could relax.
The problem with a short trip to California is that I was hit with a double whammy of jet lag— first, for most of the week I was in California, and then for most of my first week back. Basically two weeks of poor sleep.
And that led to some post-jetlag sickness, where my body basically said STOP and I spent a few days laid out on the couch to recover.
What I’m Loving
Reads: My mom lent me The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer, which is historical fiction about the truly amazing Varian Fry, and American who got hundreds of poets and artists out of France before the Nazis completely cracked down. The book was riveting, and ready about Fry’s real life afterwards was amazing too.
I also read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carre, which starts slow and obtuse but just blossoms— I really loved it. I started the sequel as well (The Honourable Schoolboy), which ought be even better.
Music: I loved the song “Lebeka Leka” by Bekah Amani, a sunshine song for a sunshine season. I also spent a lot of time listening to Kendrick Lamar’s new album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, as well as the Flashdance soundtrack… which are two very different vibes.
Movies/TV: I was listening to the soundtrack because I watched Flashdance for the first time this month, and I LOVED it in all its flashy splashy glory. Except for the main male love interest, he sucked.
Podcasts: They even did an episode about Flashdance on You Must Remember This, which is just killing it this season. Another season having a great run (as usual) is Cautionary Tales, which has always been consistently good.
The Film Files
I’ve been trying to shoot more portraits, and even managed to squeeze in a double exposure roll in California!
Ephemera
Did you see the Kentucky Derby finale? DID YOU SEE IT?!?! I have watched this clip over and over and it never gets old. It’s one minute long, and you should watch it even if you think you don’t care about horse racing.
Upcoming
I plan to spend June in Turkey, but hopefully I will get myself to a beach— preferably in the south. Consider this me, manifesting.
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