This is a pre-run post. I want to give the phone like five minutes on the charger so I get a full dose of mind numbing music while I pound the pavement.
The potential Istanbul house for 10 months had begun to terrify me. Luckily, SDA’s enthusiasm is unwavering. So, it was something of a relief that the owners hadn’t written back since last Thursday. Maybe it would fall through and not be my fault. But! Then a close colleague/friend wrote to me this morning interested in subletting and cat-sitting for us. I hadn’t realized how much of my anxiety was about leaving my home to strangers and moving the kitties out of their familiar territory. Now that we might have that solved I want to put the money down on the Turkish home lickety-split! I am sure to change my mind a dozen more times about how I feel about the whole thing.
Liv Mariah Yarrow 
I’ve rather a vision of you staying in somewhere described by Orhan Pamuk, perhaps a house out of Istanbul, Memories and the City! Wherever you stay, Pamuk is what I’ll think of, that’s what Istanbul still feels like me today.
I completely agree! The best advice I ever received before my first visit was from Simon Price. He handed me the White Castle and my Name is Red.