FAQ: Have you been to Europe before?

This really isn't a frequently asked question (or even an infrequently asked question), but hey, it's my blog, I'll do what I want. And this is the first in a series, so get used to it.

The answer to this inaugural FAQ is a "Yes, but. . . ."

When I was six/seven, my Dad was stationed outside of Istanbul, Turkey for a year after the end of the First Gulf War. It was an unaccompanied tour, which meant that Mom, my little brother, and I stayed back home in Augusta, Georgia. We did, however, have the opportunity to visit Dad in Turkey for ten days over Thanksgiving.

(Sidenote: They did not have turkey available in the country for a perfectly valid reason that escapes my mind right now, so that led to the cultural oddity of us having chicken for the Thanksgiving we spent in Turkey.)

While 97% of the country is located in Asia, we spent the entirety of our trip in the 3% that is in Europe, including when we visited Istanbul (the only metropolis that spans two continents). We also had a day-long layover in Germany on the flight home, but most of that was spent on the Army post there.

So while I have technically been to Europe, for all intents and purposes, I have not.