Are We Doing This? - Retirement in Turkey

 Both of us in our own ways, are very out of shape. We'd been saying since the start of this decision that we'll need to lose weight and get fit. We don't want to potentially move to a foreign country and be struggling to enjoy it because of weight issues and poor health.  So, yesterday we agreed that with this long term plan, getting fit doesn't have to be something to accomplish immediately. We have time to start small and build capacity for routines and better choices. Holly has been using the stationary bike most mornings for months, so she's already ahead of me. We both took our first step today toward becoming healthier with exercise. Movement has always been the key for me. The depression that set in after no longer being able to stay at my job has taken it's toll on my body. Time to reverse that. Admittedly, our meal choices are fairly healthy. With the exception of our weekly pizza, we've removed dairy from our diet. We mostly eat vegan/vegetarian b...

 We had a fun discussion today about the quality of tp in Turkiye. We don't remember the situation in 2012 but we've grown accustomed to two-ply. One-ply is for suckers. We've also grown very used to our Ultra Luxe Bidet attachment, which I still contest is the best Christmas she's ever given me. I'll need to make sure that remains a part of our lifestyle. We're a Cottenelle household. Gemini says it's available for mail order through Ubay Turkiye, which isn't a terrible option. All the hotels we stayed at were geared toward tourists, so the tp was flushable. I've been looking it up and apparently the relative norm is a bin near the toilet for your used tp. That's not a happy thought if avoidable. Methinks we'll be looking for a home or condo with larger pipes to handle the paper. The bidet will be a must, I'm convinced. 

The laws about working in Turkey appear to be pretty strict in the sense that, the government wants to protect jobs for Turks. It would seem that you can work as a foreign national at a Turkish business as long as the business can demonstrate that the job isn't being denied a Turk. I looked into busking. Who doesn't want to hear some middle aged American hammer out some Scottish and Irish tunes in a Turkish park? Spoiler: Most people but I could probably clean up in some more touristy areas. My cursory looking finds that government isn't overly favorable of the practice but that it's up to local agencies to enforce it. In busier places like Istanbul and Ankara it's looked down upon but in many other areas, as long as you're not causing a disturbance or blocking access to shopping, you could probably get along just fine. Good to know. And then I started thinking about my passion for comic books. Are there even comic book stores in Bursa! Yes, my friends, there ar...

Can you be a citizen of three countries simultaneously?  I'm a citizen of the US, born here to a US parent. My mother is British and I've dragged my feet for some time in acquiring UK citizenship for no other reasons than laziness and forgetfulness. I qualify based on all I've read. Then I got around to looking up what it would take to get Turkish citizenship  What I learned about acquiring Turkish citizenship from  this official document  is: You can apply for Turkish citizenship if you reside in Turkey with a stateless person identity document or as a resident for 5 years without interruption. However, additional conditions such as a good command of Turkish, good morals and not being diagnosed with a disease that may constitute hazard to general health are also sought. Foreigners who are confirmed to have purchased real estate worth minimum USD 250,000 or promised to purchase a real estate with floor ownership or floor easement corresponding to a minimum USD 250,00...

Today is our 30th Anniversary and I think we're looking at making a huge leap! After watching a few seasons of House Hunters International on Max, my brain started spinning about whether or not it would be possible for us to move oversees. We own a home in a lucrative part of CA we could rent out, we have no kids, no car payments, I just left my teaching career, and have nothing really tying us here except for Holly's well-paying job. I'd mentioned a few times that it'd be fun to pack up and move internationally but never thought it'd happen until one day she asked, "So if you could move anywhere, where would you go?" We both threw out lists of places we had enjoyed in our travels but both landed on agreed on the same one, Turkiye. In 2012 we did a 2.5 week tour of the country and immediately fell in love. That love was only enhanced by our dedication to taking all 3 modules of Rosetta Stone's course in preparation because we wanted a more immersive ex...