So, you're moving to Turkey? Let's go to Disney first! - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
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So, you're moving to Turkey? Let's go to Disney first!
I mentioned this trip in two previous trip reports and here we are just 100 days away!! Here's the skinny: my best friend is ridiculous and amazing and works for the Department of Agriculture in the foreign service. Her husband just sold his tech company for a truckload of money and has been retained as the CEO. They have two kids, 7 and 10. And her next post, after spending the last seven years in DC, will be Ankara, Turkey. They are leaving in July. We'd long talked about a big Disney trip together and, wouldn't you know, it's way cheaper to go to Disney from Virginia than it is to go from Turkey!
So, we're going. There is one big thing to know. Her husband hates amusement parks and rides. She doesn't really like them either. But their oldest daughter somehow ended up at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and it's been nothing but "I LOVE AMUSEMENT PARKS" for that kid since then. She's allowed me to be 100% in charge of everything, I've got their park tickets, booking FPs, meals, groceries, room selection, schedule, everything. I've promised to not go commando on them, not that I would because I don't travel like that either, but I'm going to make extra efforts of pool/relaxing. And her husband will be working quite a bit. This transition to not being owner but remaining as CEO has been busy, and their impending move to Turkey, away from the Board of Directors adds some strain.
Note: He's from Turkey, but has lived in the states (and with her at various foreign outposts) since college in the early 1990s. His software engineers are all based in Turkey while his service technicians and sales are here in the states. It's all very complicated, but basically he and his brother started this small company years and years ago because they saw a flaw in some other software and realized they could develop a fix/patch. They toiled away, had a couple big customers, and like happens in IT, a bigger company finally saw some value (seriously, it took something like 15 years of working with a few guys in Turkey and a few guys here before anyone noticed them) and bought them out of ownership while retaining their whole team. So it's good, but complicated and hard and he has to work while we are there, at least some of the time.
We planned this for the first week of May because I figured with people already on the fence about Disney style experiences, lower crowds would be best. Adam is only in Kindergarten (he loves and hates it; "I never get to talk when I want to talk or ask all the questions I have or learn about machines but I love gym") so I'm not too worried about missing five days of school. Christine, on the other hand, was all worked up about what the schools would think if she took the kids out. I reminded her that she' moving to TURKEY in July; the school's opinion doesn't matter!! What are they going to do about it?! So, once that was settled, everyone is on board for the dates.
Should I put the rest here? I've done airfare, park tickets, grocery order, and a few ADRs, none without the constant backflips of balancing money with desire, current plans with future plans, and some bananas crazytown changes in our lives too.
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Great start! There is a limit on the size of your signature. Can you see the other stuff in your preview? You may want to condense the previous trips section which should open up more space for the other things in your signature. And make sure you haven't turned off your signature in your posts.
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Great start! There is a limit on the size of your signature. Can you see the other stuff in your preview? You may want to condense the previous trips section which should open up more space for the other things in your signature. And make sure you haven't turned off your signature in your posts.
Thanks!! Fixed. With a newer, grainier (you know, to hide my age) picture!
So let's review the attendees at this grand voyage shindig:
US:
Me (duh)
Jake (that's the guy whose name isn't in my user name...mods, I've asked before, but can I keep this account with a new user name, you know instead of kimandmark, we can be kimandjake? I promise I won't get divorced again.)
Adam (the apple of my eye and thorn in my side)
THEM:
Christine: we've been friends since 6th grade, closest though after college, when I lived in DC and she went to grad school in France, getting a masters in Econ (in French, no less) and then got a job with the Dept of Ag. She lived in my crappy tiny apartment living room for three months until she got paid enough to get her own place. Then we lived two blocks apart and it was awesome. We were poor and had each other. She's got the best hair in the world, is super smart, has always had her act together; we went to college about 30 minutes from each other, and while we were both astounding drunks, she ALWAYS did what she was supposed and ended up being International Business Student of the Year while I was sleeping off my debauchery. She claims it was all for show, that she sat in the front row, unshowered, because she knew profs would notice her attendance and voila, awards.
Berkay: He's from Turkey, came to the states for college and pretty much never went back, not for long anyway. We met him because he lived with Christine's brother, and then moved to DC. Brother called and said this, that, other, help Berkay, so we did. They went on a date, he didn't try to kiss her and pretty much dropped her off without much goodbye, and I said he's not that into you; I was wrong. They got married in DC first and then again in Istanbul and I was in both. I went on their honeymoon with them. Really. Because ALL the other friends bailed out. In any case, I highly recommend going to Bodrum, in Turkey, and taking a Blue Cruise around the Aegean, on the old fishing gullets turned vacation cruise yachts. B also does triathlon, not quite at the level I was once at, still, he's faster than me now. Jerk. We'll talk way too much about training and gadgets and bikes and probably go for a run and everyone else will roll their eyes for exercise.
Maya: Their elder daughter, 10, born in Switzerland, compliant and pleasant and helpful and award winning stop motion film maker (it was a school award, but still, following mama's footsteps). She loves spinning rides and rollercoasters.
Melis: Their younger daughter, 7, born in DC. Creative and conniving Lego lover, shy and quiet, but absolutely defiant when crossed. Let's me sleep in her bed when I visit. She gets motion sickness but loves to swim.
WHERE:
AKV Jambo House Two Bedroom Savannah View. When we go, I do standard. It saves points and we've never gotten a bad view; sure, people pen, but never the pool or a wall or a truck stop. But this will be their only trip and I really want them to love everything about it, so I wasn't willing to get just the 'okay' view, I want to guarantee the view. I hope all the extra points are worth it.
The kids will all sleep in the living room. When Adam and I visit them in DC, the kids all share the basement couches and airbeds and it works out great, so I think the same will be true here as well. I suspect that Adam and Melis will play together in the room and at the pool (he STILL doesn't swim or put his face in and I quit swimming lessons because he was two years older than the other kids and we'd repeated that class five times) while Maya will join him/us on rides. C and B and Melis will likely ride very few things. Sad, but true. B isn't aware of the costs (frugal...the man is frugal, it's the most polite thing I can say about it) but C knows that this is for her kids so she's sacrificing.
We planned one grown up meal at Jiko, during which Maya will babysit and have a cell phone. Jake and I will try to take the girls with us once or twice so that C and B can do something together. Mostly, I'm super excited to be with my bestie the whole time!!!
I still haven't learned. I typed and typed and typed and it's gone!!
Suffice it to say, I booked FPs and airport transportation and we are closing on our house tomorrow and my new job is bananas and I left lots of blank space in our plans and Adam may or may not be 48" tall by then and and and....
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