Where am I going to live for a year?

Izmir, Turkey

İzmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entireIzmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010 making the city third most populous in Turkey (2009). 

İzmir metropolitan area extends along the outlying waters of the Gulf of İzmir and inland to the north across Gediz River's delta, to the east along an alluvial plain created by several small streams and to a slightly more rugged terrain in the south. The historical city was formerly known as Smyrna.

İzmir has a typical Mediterranean climate which is characterized by long, hot and dry summers; and mild to cool, rainy winters. The total precipitation for İzmir averages 706 mm (27.8 inches) per year; however, 77% of that falls during November through March. The rest of the precipitation falls during April through May and September through October. There is virtually no rainfall during the months of June, July and August.

In ancient Anatolia, the name of a locality called Ti-smurna is mentioned in some of the Level II tablets from the Assyrian colony in Kültepe (first half of the 2nd millennium BC), with the prefix ti- identifying a proper name, although it is not established with certainty that this name refers to modern day İzmir. The Romans took this name over as Smyrna which is the name that is still used in English when referring to the city in pre-Turkish periods. 

The name İzmir (Ottoman Turkish: إزمير İzmir) is the modern Turkish version of the same name. In Greek it is Σμύρνη (Smýrni), Իզմիր (Izmir) in Armenian, Smirne in Italian, Esmirna in Spanish, Smyrne in French, and Izmir (without the Turkish dotted İ) in Ladino.

Am I excited?, yes.. more than you can imagine...