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The Swirl World

Celebrating and Elevating Black Women - mind, body, soul and spirit!


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Interview with Loving Movie Co-Star Will Dalton!

December 11, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

We can’t get enough of Mildred and Richard Loving.

We’ve written about them before. This year, we even featured a podcast first – a slide show by our good friend, former podcast guest and fellow Swirler Williesha Morris.

The slide show commemorated her crowd funding campaign for Loving Day 2016 in Birmingham, Alabama.

We also added a Loving Day tab to our header!

Interview with Loving Co-Star Will Dalton

Interview with Loving Movie Co-Star Will Dalton!Our podcast co-host Adrienne London Leach had a phone conversation with actor Will Dalton, co-star in the Loving movie.

Today, we’re pleased as punch to feature her interview with Will.

Will plays the role of Virgil, Richard Loving’s best friend.

The movie is up for some Critics’ Choice Awards.

Instagram post courtesy of Will Dalton

Instagram post courtesy of Will Dalton

The Critics’ Choice Awards Show airs tonight, December 11 at 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific.

Be sure to tune in and send Will and the other members of the Loving cast some good vibes and well wishes!

In the meantime, listen in as Will discusses how he landed the coveted role.

Will also shares some priceless advice from movie legend Sidney Poitier, and provides his own philosophy and approach to life.


If you cannot see the podcast player, click here or here.

If you cannot see the Sound Cloud player, click here. You can also head over and listen to the show on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, or PlayerFM – and now on iHeart Radio!


Shout Out!

Stepha LaFondOur Shout Out! goes to Stepha LaFond, creator of the Modern Thriving Mama Program. When speaking of her mission, Stepha says,

“My mission is to empower women to boldly step out into the world and create the life they have always dreamed of.”

Stepha helps ambitious women who feel like they are overwhelmed juggling the demands of life, career, and family. They desire more balance and for now but fear that it will never be their reality. Together with her clients, Stepha addresses the stories that have kept them in their current patterns and works diligently to break these patterns through delegation, boundary setting and ritual development. As a result they feel more empowered and in control and are able to approach life with more ease.

To learn more about Stepha, click here. To connect with Stepha on Twitter @StephaLaFond, click here.


Want to be a guest on The Swirl World Podcast, or know someone who should?

Send an email to Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio. You can also hear us on PlayerFM!

Copyright © 2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™ LLC, The Swirl World Podcast™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. 

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Filed Under: 2016, 2016 Posts, BW/WM, Interracial Families, Movie Reviews, Podcast Tagged With: Black women, interracial couples, interracial marriage, interracial romance, Loving Movie, Loving vs. State of Virginia, Mildred Loving, podcast, Richard Loving, Stepha LaFond, Supreme Court, White men, Will Dalton

Saluting The Longevity of BW-WM Interracial Marriages!

October 18, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Longevity in Interracial Marriages

All hail the longevity of interracial relationships between Black Women and White Men!

A Sweet Spot Called Longevity

Research indicates BW/WM interracial relationships enjoy a sweet spot called longevity.

That’s right – when it comes to interracial marriages, BW/WM combinations last longer.

A Case In Point

We have many examples of friends of The Swirl World we can point to (our friends Karla and Don immediately come to mind).

So, in celebration of the longevity of marriage, we salute our featured couple, Bryan and April French.

“Happy Anniversary!”

October 15 marked Bryan and April’s 24th wedding anniversary.

April & Bryan French, October 15, 1992

April & Bryan French, October 15, 1992

April and Bryan have 3 sons who are just as gorgeous as they are:

The-french-family

April and Bryan’s beautiful 2-month old granddaughter is truly a living doll!

Longevity in Interracial Marriages

April’s Secret Sauce

I recently had an opportunity to chat with April about spending 24 years with the love of her life. She told me about the secret sauce making her marriage successful.

Enjoy!

 

 

If you cannot see the podcast player, click here or here.

If you cannot see the Sound Cloud player, click here.

You can also head over and listen to the show on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, or PlayerFM – and now on iHeart Radio!

April French and Ladies of SoulApril’s many talents include author and singer. She’s a published author, and her book Brown Girls Are Pretty Too can be purchased on Amazon by clicking here.

April sings under the stage name Deja Blue with a full band. To keep up with Deja Blue on Facebook, click here. She also sings with 2 other ladies in a group called Ladies of Soul. To “Like” their page on Facebook, click here.


Want to be a guest on The Swirl World Podcast, or know someone who should?

Send an email to Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Copyright © 2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™ LLC, The Swirl World Podcast™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. 

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Filed Under: 2016, 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Interracial Families, Podcast, Shout Outs, Special Guests Tagged With: April and Bryan French, Black women, longevity in marriage, wedding anniversary, White men

Love Connection, French & Jamaican – On Facebook!

July 29, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Facebook Love Connection

Two people made a love connection – on Facebook? Facebook? It can be a wonderful place – and it can also be a pit.

Let’s be real: Facebook – heck, the internet – is unique in that on the one hand, it’s an online space where you can connect with people who are witty, charming, funny, and just plain ole fun.

On the other hand, Facebook is sometimes a very scary place filled with trolls spewing hateful, racist rhetoric, and just plain ole idiocy.

Yet, like anything else in life, it’s all in how you use and approach it.

Thankfully, in the face of all the negativity that seems to run rampant on Facebook and other internet spaces, you can still find wonder. And delight.

And love.

Sometimes, you can make a love connection.

They Made A Love Connection – On Facebook!

I’m happy to report that today’s featured couple, Ludovic Delaveau and his gorgeous wife Melissa Wallace-Delaveau, didn’t allow the less-than-stellar aspect of Facebook to derail them.

Instead, they found each other – and found love as a result!

Melissa tells their story in her own words:

“Hello everyone! I will try and make this as short as I possibly can because this has been a wonderful and blessed journey for me since 2011.

My husband and I met on Facebook in late June 2011.  He is French and I am Jamaican.

He came to see me in my country in August of that same year and the rest is history. We got married in Jamaica in 2013.

In 2014 I moved from Jamaica to France (away from my family) to join my husband.

We now have a wonderful sweet, loving son named Tyler who is 10 months old. It wasn’t an easy journey for me but thank God we made it out safely.

I give thanks for being a Mom to a biracial child. Motherhood gets better with each passing day.

For me it’s not so much that our son is biracial, but rather I get to watch him grow up in two different cultures, two totally different worlds. He is getting the best of both sides.

My husband is the sweetest, loving, shy, humble, and all the other good words I can find. Lol! With all his flaws we love each other more than anything in this world.

One thing that keeps our marriage fresh and healthy is that we remind each other constantly how much love we have for each other.

And don’t get me wrong – we are not perfect by any means. Like every couple we have our flaws but we don’t argue or shout. We have calm discussions to solve our concerns.

We enjoy being married we love spending time with each other; travelling and exploring the world.

I’ll just leave it here for now because I could go on and on. God favors me. Blessing and lots of love to you all!”

Melissa’s parting advice?

“Love as if it’s your last time. Be patient – your Love will find you!”

Keep Up With The Delaveaus

Melissa and Ludovic have their own YouTube channel. To learn more about them (and listen to their delightful accents!) click here.

To learn more about Jamaican cooking, with step-by-step demonstrations and great recipes, watch Mel’s Kitchen episode on YouTube by clicking here.

You can also follow Melissa, Ludovic and their sweet baby, Tyler on Instagram @the_delaveaus.


We love to feature singles (and couples!) in our posts. If you’d like to be featured, please email a nice, high-resolution photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com. Selfies are ok – just make sure they’re not blurry.

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World™ LLC, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photos used with permission.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and apply to join our private Facebook Group!

50 Days Of DatingTo catch the latest installment of “50 Days of Dating” click here. Will Rachel make a love connection? Sign up for email updates to ensure you don’t miss a single episode!

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Filed Under: 2016, 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Interracial Families Tagged With: Black women, challenge, children, France, French, interracial marriage, interracial relationships, Jamaica, Jamaican, life, living well, love, Ludovic Delaveau, Melissa Delaveau, swirling, White men

Dawn Sanchez: Now I KNOW I’m Beautiful!

May 25, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Beautiful Dawn Sanchez

Dawn Sanchez KNOWS she’s beautiful!

Do you believe – rather, do you KNOW – you’re beautiful?

Dawn experienced an epiphany concerning beauty and was so inspired she wrote a book to describe it.

In this podcast episode, Co-host Adrienne London Leach chats with return guest, military wife and author Dawn Sanchez concerning Dawn’s new book, Now I KNOW I’m Beautiful.

I’ll ask you again:

Do You KNOW You’re Beautiful?

Enjoy the conversation, and be inspired!

You can also listen to the podcast on Sound Cloud.

If you can’t see the Sound Cloud player, click here. You can also head over and listen to the show on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, Spreaker or PlayerFM. 

Beautiful Dawn and Pedro SanchezDawn Sanchez was also featured in a previous podcast discussing her previous book, Call To Duty.

She wrote the book to uplift and encourage military spouses. To visit her author page and learn more about the book, click here.

To check out the blog post where Dawn proudly proclaims, “I love traveling with my Spanish Marine!” click here.

 

Shout Out!

Beautiful Christine St.VilThe Shout Out for this episode goes to the lovely and vivacious Christine St.Vil.

Christine is a wife, homeschooling mother of three, speaker, blogger, author and trainer. Through her work with Moms ‘N Charge®, Purpose Driven Media™, LLC (PDM) was created to help entrepreneurs drive traffic, increase registration and grow engagement for their live events. Christine walks you through discovering and defining your digital strategy to make sure your business message aligns with your brand. Christine is an instructor in the Steve Harvey Success Institute, & she has been featured in numerous local and national TV and online media outlets (including VOA, Fox 5 DC, Fox 45, WBAL, WHUR, Huffington Post AllParenting.com, Sirrius XM, amongst others). She received her BS in Biology from Marymount University.

Christine K. St.Vil

Founder/CEO, Moms ‘N Charge®
Phone: 202.630.5596

Media Highlight Reel

Contributor for Black & Married with Kids and Happy Wives Club

Stay connected with Christine: Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Periscope

Did you know? Christine has a new book, co-written with her sister that is available now! Check out www.whoseshoesbook.com for details and Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for exciting updates including their Fox 5 interview & official Whose Shoes Promo Video!


Want to be a guest on The Swirl World Podcast, or know someone who should?

Send an email to Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio. You can also hear us on PlayerFM!

Copyright © 2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World™ LLC, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World Podcast™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photos of Dawn Sanchez and Christine St.Vil used with permission. Post contains affiliate links.

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Filed Under: 2016, 2016 Posts, Beautiful. Powerful. Everything!, Black Women Living Well, Book Reviews, Books We Love, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Interracial Families, Makeup & Beauty, Military Couples, Podcast, We Love Our Military Tagged With: Black women, Hispanic men, interracial couple, interracial marriage, interracial relationships, interracial romance, life, living well, love

Seize The Moment Right Now

May 23, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Seize The Moment

With all the turmoil and unrest throughout the world, happiness is something you sometimes have to strive to attain – or maintain.

Whatever you do and no matter what happens, seize the moment.

Make the most of your life. Pursue your dreams, goals and passions.

Don’t waste your precious time and energy hating.

Make full use of the time you have and the opportunities presented to you.

Seize the moment – now – today!

 

Seize the moments of happiness . . . love, and be loved! ~Leo Tolstoy
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Today’s featured couple are fans in The Swirl World.

We’d love to feature you and your Boo in one of our posts! If you’d like to be featured, please email a nice, high-resolution photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com. Selfies are ok – just make sure they’re not blurry!

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World™ LLC, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo used with permission.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and request to join our private Facebook Group!

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Filed Under: 2016, 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Interracial Families Tagged With: Black women, interracial marriage, interracial relationships, interracial romance, living well, love, swirling, White men

What A Difference A Smile Makes!

May 16, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

What A Difference A Smile Makes

The megawatt smile on each face says it ALL.

This is what happens when you choose character and compatibility over superficial factors that are limiting and keep you boxed in.

Want a beautiful life? Expand your dating and marriage options – and keep an open mind!

Show me a man who is smiling from ear to ear and living a beautiful life, and I’ll show you a man who is grateful for what he has and utterly in love with his wife. ~Fawn Weaver
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Need a Jump Start? Here’s a Special Offer

We have a course entitled 4 Weeks To Swirling With Confidence.

Over the course of 4 short weeks, you will receive strategic plans of action you can immediately implement to take your Swirling to an exciting new level!

For more details concerning the course offerings (laser coaching calls, specialized worksheets, actionable strategies, etc.) click HERE.

It’s time to get your Swirl on! We look forward to working with you.

—

Today’s featured couple is Ed and Mandy Slovinsky.

We’d love to feature You and your Boo in one of our Inspiration Daily posts! If you’d like to be featured, please email a nice, high-resolution photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com. Selfies are ok – just make sure they’re not blurry!

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World™ LLC, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo used with permission.

Smile – And be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook!

 

 

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Filed Under: 2016, 2016 Posts, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Interracial Families Tagged With: Black women, Black. White, interracial marriage, interracial relationships, interracial romance, living well, love, swirling, White men

Bringing The Hot Sauce – And Bringing The Love!

April 12, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Bringing The Hot Sauce - And Bringing The Love

You’re in charge of the hot sauce – what do you bring??

Fresh from a guest appearance on the Steve Harvey Show, Daniel and Patrice Love of “The Detroit Loves” chatted with Adrienne and me about life, love, interracial marriage – and hot sauce!

Needless to say, this couple is hot – and they’re definitely in love! (Yes, puns intended)

They Need Hot Sauce – And You Brought What?!

Here’s the segment from the Steve Harvey Show:

Love Culture

Daniel and Patrice are passionate about their love for each other.

They’re also passionate about diversity and enjoy seeing the rise in the number of Black Women/White Men interracial couples.

In addition to sharing their “how we met” story, Patrice shares advice specifically targeting Black Women and Daniel does the same for White Men.

This conversation is a fun and lively as the couple themselves – enjoy!

If you can’t see the podcast player, click here or here.

If you can’t see the Sound Cloud player, click here. You can also head over and listen to the show on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spreaker or PlayerFM.

To connect with Patrice on Facebook, click here. To connect with Daniel on Facebook, click here. To “Like” their Facebook page, The Detroit Loves, click here. Follow them on Twitter @TheDetroitLoves by clicking here.


Shout Out!

Stepha LaFondOur Shout Out! goes to  Stepha LaFond, creator of the Modern Thriving Mama Program. When speaking of her mission, Stepha says,

“My mission is to empower women to boldly step out into the world and create the life they have always dreamed of.”

Stepha helps ambitious women who feel like they are overwhelmed juggling the demands of life, career, and family. They desire more balance and for now but fear that it will never be their reality. Together with her clients, Stepha addresses the stories that have kept them in their current patterns and works diligently to break these patterns through delegation, boundary setting and ritual development. As a result they feel more empowered and in control and are able to approach life with more ease.

To learn more about Stepha, click here. To connect with Stepha on Twitter @StephaLaFond, click here.


 

Want to be a guest on The Swirl World Podcast, or know someone who should?

Send an email to Podcast@TheSwirlWorld.com.

Be sure to “Like” The Swirl World on Facebook and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

You can also follow us on Sound Cloud and listen to the show on Stitcher Radio. You can also hear us on PlayerFM!

Copyright © 2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World™ LLC, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World Podcast™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photos used with permission.

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Filed Under: 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Interracial Families, Podcast Tagged With: Black women, Detroit, hot sauce, interracial couple, interracial marriage, interracial relationships, life, living well, love, podcast, Stepha LaFond, Steve Harvey Show, The Detroit Loves, White men

Who To Fall In Love With?

March 9, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

Who To Fall In Love With?

Want to know who to fall in love with?

Fall in love with someone who’s comfortable with your silence.

Find someone who doesn’t need your words to know it’s time to kiss you.

Chassitie and Josh Thornton did just that – and you’ll never guess where they met!

To read their story, click here.

 

The Swirl World Team is committed to sharing inspiration in 2016. Our goal is to help you stay motivated and inspired by bringing you positive, uplifting images and corresponding thoughts.

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, high-resolution photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com. Selfies are welcome – just make sure they’re not blurry!

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World™ LLC, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo used with permission.

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Filed Under: 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Interracial Families, We Love Our Military Tagged With: Black women, Chassitie Thornton, interracial couple, interracial marriage, interracial relationships, Josh Thornton, life, living well, love, swirling, White men

Serendipity!

February 26, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 3 Comments

Serendipity

Serendipity (noun)

Finding something good without looking for it.

 

Today’s featured couple, Martin and Takyrica Kokoszka, experienced serendipity when they met one another.

Takyrica says, “We met on vacation in Las Vegas at a nightclub (the unlikely place to find true love!). Dated long distance for a year and then he moved to Chicago, and we got married shortly after.”

Five years and three children later, Martin and Takyrica are still in love and still going strong.

There’s something to be said for serendipity, wouldn’t you agree?

 

Join in the Fray: When have you experienced serendipity in your life?

 

The Swirl World Team is committed to sharing inspiration in 2016. Our goal is to help you stay motivated and inspired by bringing you positive, uplifting images and corresponding thoughts.

We’d love to FEATURE YOU in one of our posts! If you’d like to be featured, please send a nice, high-resolution photo to InspirationDaily@TheSwirlWorld.com. Selfies are welcome – just make sure they’re not blurry!

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World LLC, ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photo used with permission.

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Filed Under: 2016 Posts, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Interracial Families Tagged With: Black women, couples, interracial couple, interracial marriage, interracial relationships, life, living well, love, Martin and Takyrica Kokoszka, swirling, White men

Guest Post: Living Life In Turkey

February 18, 2016 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 3 Comments

It’s Travel Thursday!

Today’s guest post hails from our girl Rachel Robinson, an HR executive who Swirls and travels the world.

In this post, Rachel gives the back story on her early days of living in Turkey.

 Sometimes . . . Life Changes

I was living in Sacramento, CA with my now ex-husband and our two toddler-aged daughters. I remember my husband coming home from work and telling me that he had some bad news. When you’re married to a member of the military you learn rather quickly that those words translate to “your life as you know it is about to change.”

The Bad News . . . Became Good News!

I had only heard every other word as he spoke but when he had finished talking I gathered that “we” were moving to Turkey in 90 days. The thought of moving to a foreign country was exciting. Traveling abroad had always been a childhood dream of mine and that dream was about to come true.

Accompanied with my excitement there was a bit of sadness. It hit me that I would have to say goodbye to friends and family as we set out on a 3-year long assignment.

The next 90 days were very stressful and filled with very detailed tasks each having a specific deadline. The tasks include filling out passport applications, scheduling vaccinations, preparing for household items and the vehicle to be packed and shipped, among other things.

I fulfilled these sudden obligations, all while reading everything I could get my hands on that pertained to Izmir, Turkey. The more I learned about the country the more excited I became. I was ready to experience all Turkey had to offer!

Arriving In Turkey

I remember our flight landing and all of the passengers started applauding and cheering. (I would later learn that this happened on all flights landing in Turkey). Walking through the airport was overwhelming because I couldn’t understand a word that was being spoken and it seemed as if everyone was yelling.

Once we retrieved our luggage we located the driver assigned to drive us to our hotel where we would be staying until we found a place to live.

Although this was a military assignment there was no designated military housing for service members and their families. As a result, we lived among Turkish nationals – which had proved to be challenging for some.

Living In Turkey

Within weeks of arriving in Izmir we moved into an apartment that provided the most amazing view to the Aegean Sea. The view was beautiful! Our neighbor and landlord Seçil was a very friendly woman with the gift of gab, a retired physician who had adult children living in the States.

Seçil spoke English fluently and she was very instrumental in helping me and my family settling in. it was like having our very own tour guide every step of the way.

After we settled into our apartment we hired a nanny to take care of our daughters during the day.  My husband reported to his duty assignment and I immediately started my job search.

I soon learned that there weren’t many job opportunities available to military spouses. I enrolled in a Turkish language class and insisted on learning the language. I wanted to be able to do more than just order dinner or say “Good morning” and “My name is.” I had a desire to speak the language fluently and eventually, I did!

Making Friends

During my search for employment, I became friends another African American woman named Marilyn. Her husband was also an active duty military member and their family had recently moved to Turkey from Germany.

I learned a lot from Marilyn. She had been living abroad for 10 years so she was a wealth of knowledge.  Marilyn and I were both hired as part time English teachers for an all-boys military school.

Feeling The Love

It didn’t take long for us to realize that Turkish men are very attracted to Black women. And they’re very vocal about it but never disrespectful.  When Marilyn and I weren’t working we would venture out into the city during the day while our husbands were working and kids were with nannies and in school.

There was never a dull moment and I relished in every experience anticipating the next. Every day was truly an adventure! We would often catch a ferry to the Greek island of Chios for lunch and shopping.

Follow Me, Please!

One evening Marilyn and I decided to check out the nightlife and we went to a popular club on the Marina. Just like any popular spot in the United States, there was a line to get in.

There we were standing in line talking and laughing when a tall gentleman dressed in all black walked over to us and in English says “Follow me please.”

Marilyn and I exchanged glances with one another and followed him to the entrance of the club.  Before the gentleman opened the door he informed us that the owner wanted us to be his special guests for the evening and that he had a table for us.

Totally shocked, we were escorted to a table near the dance floor, where there was a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses waiting for us. After pulling out our chairs, the gentleman opened the bottle of wine and filled our glasses.

At this point, I’m thinking the owner has us confused with someone else. I wanted to speak but Marilyn was giving me this look as to say “Don’t mess this up!” So we made a toast and took a drink.

Not long after that, we were approached by another gentleman who introduced himself as Tarik, the owner of the club. He told us that we had an open invitation to come to his club anytime we wanted.

We did revisit Tarik’s establishment and each visit was better than the last.

This treatment became pretty common but never expected.

Historical Sites . . . And More Travel

Aside from the flattering hospitality I received, I thoroughly enjoyed learning the history of Turkey. We visited historical sites such as the beautiful city of Ephesus where the Temple of Artemis (one of the Seven Wonders of the World) is found. We also toured the House of Virgin Mary and visited the hot springs in Pamukkale that are believed to have healing powers as well as the Sardis Synagogue that dates back to the 3rd century A.D.

While living in Turkey, we traveled quite a bit as a family. On our first vacation, we visited Germany for Christmas because our daughters had never seen snow.

We visited Paris in the Spring and London during the Summer months. In addition, there was so much for use to see and do locally without having to venture out too far from our home. In the summer, we would spend weekends at a local resort surrounded by black sand beaches.

Here are some photos of  the ruins in Ephesus, one of the 7 churches mentioned in the bible in Revelation. The other photos are of the House of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus.

Living Life In Turkey


 Living Life In Turkey

Immersed In The Culture

Every weekend I set out to create new memories with my family. We were fully immersed in the Turkish culture; so much, in fact, my 3-year-old daughter refused to speak English and only communicated in Turkish!

Those three years of living abroad was a time in my life that I will always cherish. It reminded me that dreams do come true no matter how old the dream is.

 

Join in the Fray: When has “bad news” turned into good news – or a blessing in disguise?

 

Living Life In TurkeyRachel Robinson is a Human Resources executive whose job requires extensive travel.

She will be featured in an upcoming podcast.

This is Rachel’s second travel blog for The Swirl World – stay tuned for more! To read Rachel’s first post, “I Dream Of Traveling,” click here.

Copyright ©2016 Michelle Matthews Calloway, The Swirl World™, LLC , ASwirlGirl™, The Swirl World™, The Swirl World Podcast™, The Swirl World Inspiration Daily™, Swirl Nation™, All rights reserved. Photos courtesy of Rachel Robinson. Used with permission.

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Filed Under: 2016 Posts, Black Women Living Well, BW/WM, Fantastic Fans, Interracial Families, Military Couples, Travel Tagged With: culture, Ephesus, Germany, Izmir, Pamukkale, Rachel Robinson, Sardis Synagogue, Temple of Artemis, turkey, Turkish

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