As I've said before, nothing stimulates creativity like traveling to new destinations.  Having just returned from my latest adventure, my mind is still buzzing with ideas and mental images of this magical place called Turkey - a country so rich in history and filled with exciting sights and sounds.  New discoveries awaited us each  day in every region we visited - from the fast-pace and abundant sights in Istanbul to colorful other worldly formations in Cappadocia where it was easy to picture myself standing on some foreign planet and expecting to see toves or other fantastical creatures popping out of the many caves.  Then there was the peaceful beauty of the Mediterranean where, for the first time in my life, I regretted that I don't swim.  I'll keep re-living the trip and remembering the people, the food, the whole experience which was one that will never be forgotten.

Among the highlights of the trip was seeing the amazingly well-preserved ruins in Ephesus.  Of course the trip would not have been complete without a visit to a local Turkish bath where I was scrubbed and rinsed and massaged and pampered like never before. I can still see the minarets and almost hear the call to prayer which woke us up around 5:30 every morning.

I miss it already and can hardly wait to explore more of this wonderful world we're so fortunate to inhabit.  Until then, it's back to writing about it in an effort to preserve as much of it as possible.  Of course, there are also the photographs that will help remind me again and again that there is so much more to explore.