Well howdy hi neighbors!

This is your intrepid webmaster, Michael Baird, filling in for our boy Sam has he huffs and puffs up to the Everest base camp. I am ever so honored to be the first “guest blogger” on this fine site as I try to keep the keyboard warm for Sam until he eventually climbs down the mountain (that is unless his fellow hikers have to eat him when they run out of food).

Over the next few days I will regale you with stories from the leg of this trip that even after 2 1/2 months is STILL MISSING from Sam’s blog, our trip to Turkey! Sam and I tore it up in Istanbul, paid respects in Gallipoli, marveled at the ruins in Ephesus and discovered what every hostel SHOULD be like in Selcuk! These and many other tales will be revealed!

But first, a little background…

Around April, Sam and I started to talk about where we should go. I had the green light from my wife Kelli (or as we call it, the Sam Singh card) to make one trip while Sam was off on his adventure. Initially we were looking at eastern Europe when Sam then suggested Turkey. Turkey?!? I knew absolutely nothing about Turkey other than they made rugs and coffee, They Might Be Giants did that song (which has been continuously playing in my head wherever I think about this trip) and that I did not want to do anything to land me in a Turkish prison.

I’m not gonna lie, Kelli and I were incredibly apprehensive given Turkey’s geography and America’s not-so-good relations in certain part of the world. I like to think I have an open mind but I’m not the world traveler that Sam is and admittedly my perspective is still very “americancentric” so it took awhile to finally convince myself that this experience would be safe and completely worth it.

What finally did it? It wasn’t until June when Kelli and I were celebrating our anniversary. At the next table in the restaurant was an elderly couple who were actually talking about flying to Istanbul to buy carpets. Seriously??? Just going to jet across the world to buy a carpet or two? I looked at them and in my head said “Dude, if that old lady is going to Istanbul then there is NO reason you can’t!” So thank you old couple for helping me to see the folly of my ways! It was a huge step outside of my comfort zone and one that I will never regret!

The travel gods smiled down upon us Sam and I had the same block of time available (my work trip to the San Diego Comic Con was cancelled and he had two weeks to kill between Europe and the Olympics) so it was set! Tickets were purchased and vacation time taken. I was going to Turkey to be part of the adventure!