Growing up in California, I’d never heard the concept of “summer house”. I mean, it was sunny California for heaven’s sake! And we always enjoyed summer where we were – whether going to our neighbors’ pools, heading to any number of beaches, or taking small camping and backpacking trips.
So when I moved to Turkey and started hearing about people off to their summer homes on the Aegean or Mediterranean, I started to wonder what that was all about.
We live in Northwestern Turkey, on the Marmara Sea. It is cold and snows in the winter and is hot and humid in the summer, so escaping to a place where you can revive yourself in the sea is definitely appealing! (Being from California with such a comfortable climate, I’m only just now becoming accustomed to the snow and the humidity – though I don’t love either, the one thing I do enjoy are the passing of the seasons. Something much more subtle in California.)
Last weekend my husband and I were invited to stay with some good friends of ours at their summer home. It’s nearby and situated on the Marmara Sea.
Most famous for its fishing industry, there is not much to do but enjoy the view, swim in the sea, and eat fish of course. My friend always has a stack of home and fashion magazines, so I cozy up on the terrace and slowly meander through them.
Even though we stayed just the weekend, it was the perfect visit and we returned rested and refreshed. I think these weekend getaways are like 15 minute catnaps – they aren’t very long, but they are very effective!
We talk every so often about where we’ll buy a home. Our dream is that we’ll have homes in California and in Turkey, but we still haven’t quite settled on where. My family keeps asking when we’ll move back to California which at the earliest won’t be until my husband retires. But now I’m thinking we should start looking at summer homes in California- someplace that allows us to be near family and have a foothold back there. One thing is for sure, wherever it is, it will have be near the water.
