Is life better in turkey? i am from nj usa.

Hi Heather, I'm new to all this as well.

With regards to the dog grooming, it probably depends on which part of Turkey you are intending on moving to. In my area (Fethiye, southwest coast) dog ownership is extremely common. There are expats from various countries who own dogs and of late, many local Turks appear to be following suit - although many others are still terrified of them. Many veterinary clinics have suddenly sprung up over the last couple of years so surely a good dog grooming parlour is the next step??

Life in Turkey? Again, it depends on which area you move to. Areas of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir are super cosmopolitan. Obviously, I can speak better for the Southwest coast. If you're looking for a coastal life and all that comes with that (amazing fruit and veg markets, lots to do during the long summer when the kids are off school etc) then I can highly recommend Fethiye. Not too many tourists and a bustling town/city in its own right so it doesn't completely close down in winter. Oludeniz is on your doorstep too (apparently, the most photographed beach in the world).

If it's a while until you move here, we write a daily blog about our life here which may give you a good idea of what happens and how things work. Feel free to have a look at that whenever you feel like it. The address is http://turkeysforlife.blogspot.com (or you can click the link on my profile).

Hope that was of a little help to you. Good luck.