My life has been pretty weird the last 6 months. Going from being frustrated, unemployed and broke, to addenting a study (from fall it will be two studies) as well as getting a big part time job teaching, and during the summer I work taking care of the elderly, and I voulenteer to teach for free to get teacher experience. Last time I met SO I was just about to start my practice in the studies, and I had not yet much experience as a teacher. Now on my visit, I felt like so much is happening on my part, good things. Like, I make money! I teach! My kitten is growing up to be a lovely cat!It was great to bring that energy with me, to him. Like, I missed him a LOT, but I did not feel empty coming to him, I felt proud. Tired, but proud! The sun did me good - I was every day at the beach to swim (at his job) and one day we were able to go on a boat trip - I fell asleep in his arms in the sun and it was just the greatest thing

We also had a visit to our favourite fish restaurant, which is small and intimate and the also sell fresh fish there so everything is really fresh! We had prawns and then fish, and it was so so good. I even felt confident enough to speak a bit to the balikci (fisherman/fish store manager) in Turkish

We did not drink as much alchohol this trip and more fresh drinks, SO makes a killer banana split! (I dont even like those except the ones he make). And we went to be early each day lol SO becan his work day at 8 every morning.

He too changed his life; he quit his afternoon restaurant job for the 2nd time (involving some drama as he was too expausted to even talk to me), and he joined their twin restaurant which offers him a daytime job (well, 8 to 8, so it is still 10 hours, but there are still 4 hours to midnight and sometimes he gets off earlier). He knows all the people there already because they worked together at times, it is still the same chain so no outward drama. I can see that he is much happier working where he is! He also seem to be more openly recognized as part of the management. I mean he is still young, but he has some experience and he has a bachelor in management so that should count for something. As for his pay, I dont know, but he has payed his militar loan for a few years now so I hope it is gone soon! Working at the beach also suits him more, he is not so extrovert so he disliked the role of "making people come into the restaurant" and all the birhday parties and such. Now, people come to the beach restaurant by themselves and he can be his loving caring self at his job. He is very proffessional, he hardly notices me when he works, but once again he will send me lots of drinks for free or tell guests (that are our friends/aqiantances) that I am "his girl" l

The future is not up for explicit debate, but we agree on being very frugal with our money. The times of having spa at the visit is long gone! Now we are like, should we buy that chocolate or not lol But I love that he is so sensible with money and it all makes so much sense with him. I have never felt that kind of financial security with a lover, like they really "get" money, and it is very new for me to share something like this with someone I care about. I am thinking this bonds wery well for us in the future - I am good at "big things" like saving and buying flats (I used to have a stock portefolio when I was younger), and he has excellent "housewife"/hotel mangager skills like gets the soap that is 1 lira cheaper because when you do that a lot, the sums add up. And he does not tell me how he manages his money, but he is very reasonable, spending money on his health and even mine - he likes to give me vitamins as going away presents (again, something I have never experienced from a lover).

While I was travelling to the airport to see SO, my ex texted me - like in his break at work or something - if we should get a divorce. Well he said, either I will send in a divorce application or we can do it together as a couple with both our signatures. Because we had been separate 12 1/2 months at that point, so we could apply. I was feeling surprisingly hurt by this, but I just told him I am in on because I also want the divorce it and that we could do either way. So he said, ok then I am filing for divorce now because I want it done quickly. I dont want to be married to him anymore, but it was still hurtful that he rushed it - even though I dont know what he could have done to make it feel less rushed, and rushing it is also benificial for me (for instance, I need to be divorced a full 9 months in order to apply for the Turkish fiance visa). We have not yet settled the financial stuff, but we are in agreement, I just need an ok from a bank to take over the loan (or sell the flat as the worst option). My ex wants to get a flat on his own, which is understandable. I just dont like to talk about these things, I feel left I guess. Like he is calling the shots for our breakup. We live in the same city, he could have asked me over for a coffee instead of doing it over the phone.

It was just great being back in Turkey. I was amazed about how much Turkish I understand, but I am still shy practicing it, plus listening is easier than talking for an introvert like mine. I met several of our friends/aquiantances who have or had a Turkish boyfriend. Some of them make it, some dont, that's life.

Also, on my way home, I met my SO's best male friend - his former coworker at the restaurant where I met SO - he gave me a big hug and pointed to his son running around. He was also there with his MIL (I dont know where his wife was at that point, working in Sweden perhaps). He said they had been driving as well as going on the plane so he was very tired, but it was nice to see me. And he kind of pitied me that I have to keep travellling to see SO, he is doing the "EU solution" (living together in an European country to prove that you have lived together as a family, which will then count as if you were making enought money in Norway). He was very kind and genuinly happy (I have seen the photos and videos of them online as a family also), but it made me sad. I try to be very brave about it, but when you meet someone who KNOWS what it is like, you just want to kind of cry

Since I have been back in my country, I have had a few days off and it has been so nice to finally relax a bit. I have been running around! I have my "new" balcony that I am very happy with where I can sit in the half shade and relax. Summer will be a lot of hard work, fall as well, I got accepted into a new study (a bit expensive!) that can very possably land me a full time job after I finish it (I am taking "Norwegian for immigrants" - ie learning how to teach Norwegian as a foreign language). I have a lot of debt and I want SO to come here, so my first priority is a full time job after I finish my education. I also want to finish my PhD but that might take time!