Empty Nest Expat

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Empty Nest Expat
I'm an American expatriate bursting with enthusiasm to GET OUT AND EXPERIENCE OUR GLOBE!
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  • The Girl from the Golden Horn 5 years ago My friend Jen nominated a book I was unfamiliar with for our Istanbook feminist book club, and it became my biggest guilty pleasure read of the year. The Girl from the Golden Horn, by Kurban Said, is a novel relatively unknown to most. It had been published in the 1930s and translated from the...
  • Celebrating the City of Joy 5 years ago My City of Joy movie posse,Ladies from Global Minds and Istanbook book clubshere in IstanbulWhat a powerful evening last night was! Eight of us assembled for our film screening of The City of Joy, celebrating the work of the new Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Denis Mukwege. He cares for women in the...
  • Americans, how well do you know your global neighbors? 6 years ago Americans ladieshaving lunch with legendary journalistSuzy Hansen (second from right),after her reading at PAWI,the Professional American Women of IstanbulThis month I had the joy of interviewing legendary American journalist Suzy Hansen and reviewing her first book for Lale Magazine, the...
  • A Month of Turkish Literature for Global Literature in Libraries 6 years ago On a ferry between two continents is a great place to readIn the last two years, one of the most fun things I have done is get involved in the fledgling Global Literature in Libraries movement. Did you know that around 3% of what is published each year in English has been translated from another...
  • Washington Post: As Boomers Shed Stuff, Their Offspring, Millenials, Reject it 9 years ago  This article about Boomers downsizing and their children not wanting their stuff made me smile, as I have had this experience when I downsized, and I now actually live in a city with my memories on a blog, just like a Millenial! There's a big box of hard copy photos waiting for me to organize...

ExpatsBlog.com Expat Blog Awards 2012: Turkey Silver Award!

This blog won the Silver Award for best expat blog in Turkey!

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Website Reviews » There are 32 reviews on Empty Nest Expat

BrnoChris
17:55 PM November 18, 2012

I started reading Karen's blog when she was in Prague. It had great info and made my move to Brno a bit easier. Now I get to enjoy her stories from Turkey. =) Keep up the great job Karen!

Bahar
08:27 AM November 20, 2012

It's full of joy and knowledge, I like reading it very much

Donna
10:22 AM November 20, 2012

Karen's blog is great! She writes about things that expats, soon-to-be expats, travelers, soon-to-be travelers and want-to-be travelers find interesting. With her words, she paints a visual image for the reader of both the place and the experience.

Helene
10:22 AM November 20, 2012

Karen's Blog inspires me when things get hard here in Istanbul. It is nice to have a peer to relate to as she shares her adventures. Many young folks pack up and leave their home countries to try this expat life...but fewer of us "of a certain age"! Thanks, Karen, for leading the way and showing me how it's done! So glad to know you...

Jan
12:21 PM November 20, 2012

Karen's blog is a great way for those of us in the States to keep up on her life in Turkey!

Laura
13:02 PM November 20, 2012

Karen's enthusiasm and sense of adventure are inspiring, and her stories (with pictures!) of Istanbul and elsewhere are inevitably thought provoking and well written. She has a keen eye, and her readers are richer for it!

Julie
13:09 PM November 20, 2012

When I'm reading Karen's blog, I feel like I'm right there with her experiencing first hand what she's describing. Her personal writing style and choice of photos just draws you in. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us, Karen!

Kaitlin
13:16 PM November 20, 2012

Karen's blog helps keep me in touch with Turkey now that I'm gone. Love it!

Jean
13:26 PM November 20, 2012

I LOVE Karen's blog. Our paths crossed years ago when she lived in Michigan and I was as impressed then as I am now with her insightful, enthusiastic and intelligent views on life and experiences. When I found her blog a few months ago, I was delighted by its interesting content, gorgeous photos and it's eclectic mix of humor,reality and reflections. I love the example that she models for those of us who want to explore and experience unfamiliar parts of the world. I look forward to new posts as I vicariously (for now) travel with her.

Bob Thompson
14:44 PM November 20, 2012

Love to hear about Karen's adventures and insights!

Sheila
14:44 PM November 20, 2012

Karen has a zeal for life that i can feel in reading her blog!

Kathy J.
14:53 PM November 20, 2012

I absolutely love reading Karen's blog! Her stories are captivating and most enjoyable! The writing is informative, sincere, and fun. Thanks, Karen.

Nick Dahl
15:54 PM November 20, 2012

Karen's blog is interesting, insightful and intelligently written. She has an open, inquisitive mind and I enjoy reading about her experiences and thoughts!

Lori
04:30 AM November 21, 2012

I've known Karen for years! So proud of her for venturing out to foreign countries and so thankful she has made this blog for us to join her. She writes like a Maestro! Her compassion and passion just exude through her gift of writing. Brillant woman. Funny woman!

Aedín
06:13 AM November 21, 2012

I've been enjoying Karen's blog for years now. One of the things I enjoy is the variety, from Iowa and U.S. politics to Turkish history, and everything told so personall. I also enjoy the lovely pictures and their captions. It's such a friendly blog.

ZUHTU ESIYOK
11:41 AM November 21, 2012

I enjoy reading Karen's blog for too many different reasons. It is funny, informative, inspiring but most of all encouraging. Way to go Karen...

Cemre Cudal
12:04 PM November 21, 2012

Congratulations for this blog which is full of interesting informations.

Emine Turay
13:35 PM November 21, 2012

Congratulations Karen, It's lots of fun to read your articles. Thank you for reflecting your thoughts and experiences. Your expad point of view about Türkiye gives the locals a new perspective, let everyone think one more time on how things look for foreigners.

Esra
15:35 PM November 21, 2012

I love the way Karen writes.. Fun and informative at the same time.. So sincere...You can see that she really likes Istanbul and Turkey... Congratulations...

Ibrahim özen (turko)
21:39 PM November 21, 2012

I'm following Karen's blog for a long time. I learned a lot of things from her. She always brings a new perspective to events that I never think of before.Thanks a lot Karen, wish many more posts from you!

Leyla Beyaz
07:50 AM November 23, 2012

Thank you so much for bringing a bit of Turkey and Istanbul to me, so far away, in Seattle, Washington! I find your blog thought-provoking, fresh, and candid. Thanks for sharing a bit of you, and your experience, with all of us!

Gladys Van Drie
18:44 PM December 03, 2012

Of course I am prejudice, as Karen is my daughter, but I so enjoy following Karen's adventures in Turkey. I am so proud of how adventuresome and how intellectually curious she has always been. Karen is a neat role model for people contemplating a new adventure in their own life. When I read her blog, I feel like I am right there with her. Keep up the good work Karen. I am proud of you. Gladys Mom

Janette
12:05 PM December 04, 2012

Karen writes just as she lives life - full of energy and infectious enthusiasm!

Alexandra Ivanoff
12:23 PM December 04, 2012

Karen takes the readers through her experiences as if we were actually there with her. Her text reads like she talks - very natural and experiential. She not only imparts a flavor and mood, but a firm belief in human values worldwide. The images are used to pull us in to the experience even more. Wonderful blog!

Mark Diehl
12:26 PM December 04, 2012

Karen is delightfully enthusiastic about every new experience she has in Turkey, and it's great to follow along as she shares her joy and spirit of adventure.

Nancy
14:02 PM December 04, 2012

Love living vicariously through Karen and her amazing, inquisitive life experiences. Proud to know her!

Uri
14:59 PM December 04, 2012

What's amazing about Karen's blog is the incredible personal warmth that shines through it - a deep and genuine love of people, of hearing their stories, and of sharing them with the world. Not a lot of people have this wonderful gift, and even fewer take the time to share it with the rest of us. Makes you want to meet her in real life!

Jeff Inks
15:05 PM December 04, 2012

Karens blogs are immersed in a place, which she adopted as her home away from home. She explores the benefits, challenges, and sensations of living in a foreign culture; the elusive meaning of home; and, ultimately, what it means to be human in this big world. She shares her experiences with her foreign friends and enlightens us all on different and facinating cultures.

Ricky Yates
15:30 PM December 04, 2012

What started out as a Czech Republic blog has become a Turkey blog & I've travelled with Karen via this blog all the way, ever since Karen & I first met in person in Prague four years ago. I particularly enjoy her insights into the culture & people of Turkey & when she writes about her own native America, as she sees it now, living as an expat outside of it's borders.

Pascaline
16:29 PM December 04, 2012

I love your blog Karen ;) keep posting, i enjoy very much reading your stories about Turkey.

Kevin Michael Snyder
22:31 PM December 04, 2012

Empty nest expat is truely Karen! A Blog full of energy and enthusiasm for the world and those in it. Simply Priceless !!!

Zoe Brooks
19:14 PM December 10, 2012

I've been a fan of Karen's blog ever since it was about her life in Prague. It breathed her enthusiasm and openness to new experiences then and it still does

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