I have to admit I’ve been loving the non-marathon training life these past two weeks — getting my balcony ready for summer (more on that in a later post), taking care of a few other household projects (like new chairs for the dining area!), visiting friends, running for fun — in other words, normal life.

With my newly found free time, I’ve also gotten sucked into Snapchat. It took me awhile to figure out what it’s all about, but thanks to posts from A Beautiful Mess and The Alison Show, I think I’ve got the gist. I basically ignore the direct Snapchat messaging (I really do not need another messaging app in my life), but am really loving the storytelling aspect of it. Since everything disappears after 24 hours, I find I’m using it more for the small moments throughout my day which aren’t really Twitter or Instagram worthy, but which I still feel like sharing. You can find me there under: noapathyallowed. Let me know if you’re also on Snapchat!

I’m also planning a couple of fun upcoming trips…  Next week I’ll be heading to Berlin for a few days to attend the Democrats Abroad Global Convention — among other things, to choose our delegates to send to the Democratic National Convention in July. Did you know that US Democrats living abroad have the same number of delegates at the DNC as the state of Wyoming? And we have our own set of issues that we try to get incorporated into the party platform. (So I guess I’m officially outing my political affiliation with this post, but it probably doesn’t come as a major surprise to anyone reading this blog anyway!)

Then in a few weeks, I’ll be heading to Istanbul for both work and fun. I delayed booking anything for awhile because of all the unrest, but the organizers of the conference I’m attending are still holding the event. So I’ve decided to go for it, mostly because I really hate the idea of giving into all the fear. Now I’m super excited and really can’t wait! I’ve been browsing Vayable.com for food and other kinds of tours, but I would love to get your suggestions of things I shouldn’t miss in Istanbul!

P.S. You can tell I’m an Instagram addict because I keep typing Instanbul by mistake. :)

Are you on Snapchat? Or are you resisting succumbing to yet another social media app? Who’s been to Istanbul? Did you love it?