Would you be willing to relocate your whole life 6,587 miles away if it meant you could finally realize a long-held dream? That's exactly what one local family plans to do in just a couple of weeks.
Middle school teachers Adam and Mena Dedmon, along with 3-year-old daughter Campbell, are leaving the comfortable familiarity of their home in Gardnerville to teach two years abroad in Istanbul, Turkey. They'll depart Aug. 16 and begin teaching three weeks later at Koç (pronounced "coach"), a K-12, tuition-based Turkish bilingual school.
The seeds of this dream were planted years ago.
Though they both graduated from Douglas High in 1994, Adam and Mena didn't start dating until their sophomore year at the University of Nevada, Reno. His friend dated her roommate during their freshman year and a friendship developed between Adam and Mena. Romance soon followed and Adam proposed four years later, right before leaving for a semester abroad in France.
"It was Adam's way of marking his territory before he left," said Mena with a laugh.
Following that semester, Mena joined Adam in Europe and they toured Italy, Spain and France. It was then that the idea of teaching overseas really started to take hold.
The couple returned home and married the following year. Both started careers at local schools: Adam was hired at Carson Valley Middle School to teach English and French while Mena taught history and leadership at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School. Their enthusiasm and passion for their jobs led to the pursuit of higher education. In May 2007, Adam earned a Master of Arts degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages and Mena earned a Master of Arts degree in teaching history.
More opportunities were available once both obtained their degrees. Adam knew he wanted to return to France and with Mena's full support, he began to research teaching positions overseas.
He attended a job fair in San Francisco in February, though his expectations were low.
"I like the job I have now," Adam said. "There really was no rush."
Apparently, the recruiters liked what they saw. He received offers to teach in Turkey, Korea, Ecuador, Brazil and Singapore before the couple ultimately decided on Istanbul. Both are fascinated by the rich empirical and cultural history of Turkey which helped to solidify their choice.
Their original plan was for Mena to be a stay-at-home mom while Adam worked, but he spoke so highly of her during his interview that the recruiters pursued her as well.
She eventually accepted a 12-hour per week position working with sixth-graders on intensive language skills. Adam will be teaching eighth-grade English full-time. Campbell will begin the creche (preschool) program at Koç in the fall. The family will live in a town home right on campus, a three-minute walk to work.
The Dedmons have been diligently preparing for this move. Although they plan to rent their house out for the two years they'll be gone, their goal is to have nothing in storage when they leave. They've held several garage sales and have sold most of the contents of their home. Adam's mom bought one of their cars, though they still have their '99 Chevy Silverado for sale on Craig's List. For all their success, Mena thinks they may have taken it a bit far.
"Campbell recently received a locket from her aunt and uncle for being the flower girl in their wedding," she said. "When she opened it, she gasped and said, 'Oh, I love it! I'm not even going to sell it.'"
The couple is asked frequently about their safety and if they are afraid of moving to such a large, Muslim-based city.
"I'm about as concerned for my safety as I'd be if I were in Los Angeles," said Adam. "It's common sense to avoid the parts of town that make you uncomfortable and stay in the nice areas."
Both agree that the decision to leave Carson Valley, where they've started their family, established beloved careers and enjoy the camaraderie of friends and extended family, has been difficult. Though they anticipate visits from loved ones, it will not be the same as Campbell getting to see her grandparents every other day or simply hanging out with friends.
"To us, that's unknown," says Mena. "That's what really makes me apprehensive."
She has invented an emotion to explain her feelings about the move.
"I call it pre-nostalgia," Mena said. "Can you be nostalgic about something you are still experiencing? I'm excited, but wistful about leaving my family, friends, a job I love, a great boss. It's strange to love it so much here and yet choose something that is so unknown."
Campbell has taken matters into her own hands. She came home from preschool one day and announced that one of her friends from school would be joining them in Turkey.
"Really?" Mena said.
"Yes," Campbell replied, nodding somberly. "But she has to ask her mom."
The family plans to write a blog so friends and loved ones can keep abreast of their experiences and adventures. The domain name will be posted in a future column.
Until then, we can wish them hosça kal (goodbye) and iyi sans (good luck).
n Amy Roby can be reached at ranchosroundup@hotmail.com.
