First New Impediment to Istanbul: Golden Retrievers

My dad upped the opportunity cost of going to Istanbul for Spring 2012. He and Mom are planning their late-February, 2012 trip to Fort Myers, Florida, and they're hoping I can save them possibly $1,000.00 or more in boarding costs by babysitting their three golden retrievers for most if not all of the days they will be gone.

Ordinarily I would be eager and happy to help. The opportunity to help out this time is especially appealing because my parents did not approve of my recent decision to quit the job I'd held for well over ten years. They took the news very well, though. I've made serious mistakes in the past and gone through periods of deep shame as a result. I appreciated enormously that, while they did not approve of this decision, they gave me essentially zero grief.

The idea of helping Mom and Dad in this respect, and the sadness I feel about possibly letting them down, is enough that I seriously ponder postponing, which could ultimately mean foregoing, the Istanbul opportunity altogether. Articulating that possibility almost immediately makes it seem like a shortsighted move. In five or ten years, how would I feel thinking that I passed on the opportunity to study for a semester in Istanbul to babysit dogs for a week and a half?

Of course that wouldn't be the only reason I pass on the opportunity; there is the financial burden, and being away from my fiance and my daughter. But I had decided to proceed with the opportunity in spite of those costs. The golden retriever babysitting would become the tipping point.

I was already afraid to tell my folks about the Istanbul opportunity, afraid they will think I am going too far: quitting my job was a bad enough move, now I am getting carried away. Whatever their thoughts would've been about me going abroad, now I know I will be disappointing them by not being available to do the dog-sitting.

I flat lied when my dad broached the dog-sitting idea today. I said I would be available to help. I did not feel ready to break the news of Istanbul on the spot like that. My plan had been to make sure I have the financial picture in order first. I have a financial aid meeting planned for November 9. I do not think I will wait that long to tell them. Would rather get the disappointment out there as soon as possible.

Yeah, I'm Probably Doing This

Yep. Here it is. The Blog. It's created.

This is a big step in making this experience real for me. It's 6:31 AM CDT, I'm on another of my all-nighters. I attempted to finally turn in about an hour ago and just, as often occurs, found my mind alight with wonder. Who am I? Why? Now that I am 18-years-old, can I really be free? What kind of world awaits me? I am eager to discover. So I applied to study abroad. I didn't just want to go to London. Anyone can go study abroad in London. They speak English there. I really liked those Lord of the Rings movies, I especially liked the scenery, so I wanted to go to New Zealand.

So I applied to go study in Istanbul. A funny thing happened on the way to Istanbul: I heard about a study abroad program in Doha, Qatar.

I've never heard of Doha, Qatar. It took a while before someone corrected my mispronunciation of the country ("Kwater").

Anyway, I'm an American with money, so naturally I was accepted into both study-abroad programs! What was I to do? How do I choose which to pursue? Well that would be a question for someone pondering study abroad programs occurring simultaneously. I am not of that stock. No, the Doha program is a 3-week Winter Break program. The Istanbul program is a 4-month Spring 2012 program, begins about 2 weeks after I'd be scheduled to return from Doha.

As of this writing my plan is to participate in both programs.

Oh, I should also mention that I am most definitely not 18. No. I am 30. That's the truth. I'll stop fucking with you, imagined reader. I appreciate, sincerely, your interest in me, and I want to honor that with honesty. While I have money, I am not an American "with money." I am not rolling in it. I also never pronounced Qatar "Kwater."

Yes. Whereas when one thinks of college student studying abroad one probably tends to imagine bright-eyed and bushy-tailed late-teens or very-early-20-somethings "off to see the world" a la Alvin and the Chipmunks in that epic 20th century travelogue, The Chipmunk Adventure.

No sir, I am a grizzled old man of thirty. That is part of the adventure. Amidst one of the great world economic downturns, I quit my job of well over 10 years and went back to school full-time. Tapping into my retirement savings to do so, and all while a "live-away" dad with rent, child-support, and bills to pay.

I am well aware of the common hardships of these times. Debt is a common onus among the hard-up. I will be assuming considerable debt to embark on this journey.

I am also likely to be apart from my beloved 10-year-old daughter for the whole time I am abroad. I hope she may be able to come visit me in Istanbul, but I am not optimistic that it will work out. I am sad at the prospect of this length of separation.

I will also be apart from a loving fiance, my partner of over three-and-a-half years now.

There you have your plot. In a lost world, a lost man embarks on personal journey for growth in the face of risks and deep uncertainty for himself and the world.

I'm going to have to learn ways of enduring. One simple tactic is to learn some basics of the Turkish language. To that end, I borrowed a CD with accompanying booklet from the library, teaching Turkish for travelers.

The CD includes the Turkish translation for the phrase "I've taken a beer from the minibar." I would offer you that translation right now, but I can't seem to find the accompanying booklet.