If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: this really has been the most incredible vacation! Both Bo and I really wanted a mix of relaxation and activity which is something we’ve been able to enjoy by staying in Istanbul for six nights versus traveling around Turkey more or combining a trip to Greece into this trip. I thought it’d be fun to share a few thoughts from the trip in this post including our daily schedule, the traffic situation, and my clothing choices!

Schedule

Since we have plenty of time in Istanbul without rushing to squeeze everything in we are the most relaxed we’ve been in ages. This is our longest vacation together and after five days in vacation mode I can understand why they are so restorative and important. Multiple, short 3 day weekends are nice but a longer trip together like this really allows for some down time, bonding, long conversations, and a change in attitude and overall feeling. We’ve slept 9-10 hours most days, enjoyed a workout either in the pool or at the gym, spent hours sightseeing, returned to our hotel in time for a sunset cocktail or swim, then enjoyed dinner and drinks out in different areas of the city.

Traffic

One of the interesting aspects of Istanbul that has altered our plans a bit is the insane traffic. Bo and I are not strangers to traffic having lived in Atlanta, Philadelphia, and New York but the traffic in Istanbul is like nothing we’ve ever experienced. Before our trip we read this post and thought, really, it can’t be that bad. 

Driving in Istanbul is a terrible and deadly experience for multiple reasons. Probably the most obvious issue is that the roads just can’t handle all of the traffic. The population of the city has boomed into 12-million resident metropolis over the past decades, and the number of cars are increasing even more rapidly than the number of people.

On our second day here we literally got out of a cab and walked 3 miles back to our hotel after only moving a quarter of a mile in 20 minutes! Instead of letting the traffic ruin our trip we have decided to sightsee in chunks, meaning that we will travel to an area of the city and spend our day there versus spreading our travels across the city. This has worked pretty well so far and has saved us a lot of money on cabs.

Clothing

Like any trip to a new destination, packing isn’t very easy. Until I arrive in a city I’m unsure what the overall environment will be like for both day and night. For example, are most restaurants more dressy or casual? Is the temperature of 85 degrees humid and sweat inducing or dry and arid? While some of these answers can be found through research for this trip I decided I didn’t want to worry and enjoyed the free checked baggage that comes with being a frequent Delta flyer and made a concerted choice to over pack. While I didn’t over pack excessively, I did bring multiple options for both evening and touring. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve seen a sampling of my outfits so far which have ranged from jeans and tanks to bright, fun shorts and casual, cotton dresses.

During the day in Istanbul I have fallen in love with dresses again. I say again because I always forget how comfortable a dress is during warm summer months. In addition they also go from day to night far better than shorts. Since I’m so tall, most of my dresses are at least knee length so they are perfectly appropriate for Istanbul and when paired with a light sweater or a wrap they allowed me to see all the religious sites which require more coverage.

Here are links to a few of my favorite items that I’ve worn multiple times on the trip, all of which are reasonably priced!

• Zara Mid-Heel Sandal: Comfortable and only $49. Need I say more?
• Five Bamboo Elusive Dress: Perfect length, comfortable, doesn’t wrinkle, fun colors, the company is a small, startup company, and it’s on sale for $45!
• Athleta Atma Wrap: I’m always looking for a long, wrap that I can wear during flights and over a dress but have a hard time finding something that is either light weight enough or long enough for my 5’10 frame. This is perfect and while it’s a bit more than I’d normally spend it paid for itself during the 10 hour flight and 2 days touring Istanbul!
• Ann Taylor Curvy Slim White Jeans: I never expected to find white jeans at Ann Taylor but found them when searching for going out shorts and immediately fell in love! They were 30% off the day I bought them but I would pay full price for them after wearing them this week. They are miraculously long which is convenient for someone who is normally forced into a hand full of brands that have long options. The curvy fit makes sure they are flattering in the front and not too tight while the skinny leg is perfect due to a hint of stretch in the material. I would order these in a size smaller than your normal size due to the stretch.
• Ann Taylor Loft Pleated V-Neck Tank Dress: I have this in an older style but this one is very similar. A cotton dress with a fun v-neck in front and back I can dress this up with a necklace and wrap or pair it with a scarf for touring.

We are heading out for our final day of touring Istanbul but before I head out a huge congrats to all those runners this weekend. I can’t wait to read some of the recaps on the flight tomorrow but I was thrilled and excited to see that Gia crushed her Ojai goals as did Bobbi! I’m sure I missed others but congrats to everyone who ran this weekend whether for fun or racing!