As I'm basking in the glow of college graduation (read: freaking out about the future), it's more clear than ever how transformative my semester in Turkey was for my life and perspective. Although, even a year later, I still don't believe that I've fully processed the experience, there are several lessons that I have taken from my 5 months in the land of Atatürk. I never thought it was possible to learn so much about myself, another country, and life in such a short time, but İstanbul proved me so very, very wrong.
Take everything as an adventure.
Whether it was running errands or taking a spontaneous weekend trip, I learned to look at everything that I did in Turkey as an adventure, most of which turned out to be a learning experience. Whether it was trying something that I was apprehensive about, or wandering around the city to find a nargile cafe, we all seemed to adopt the mantra, "que será, será" - what will be, will be. The days that we spent going through the bazaars or about town with little or no plan were the most fun and most educational. I've tried to maintain this sense of adventure since leaving Turkey, and it has opened new doors and helped me look forward to new experiences and changes, rather than dread them.
Never, ever, judge a book by its cover.
Sitting in the smoky Meydan Pub on our first evening in Sarıyer with a bunch of old Turkish men is still one of my favorite memories. Although I didn't realize at the time, it was a classic experience - Rakı, laughs, conversations, and awkward language barrier moments. However, to find the pub, we asked a man on the street where we could find Rakı, then followed him through an unmarked door and up some creaky steps. We had strength in numbers, so it wasn't dangerous, but I would never have chosen to go to that pub of my own accord. You never know what gem you can find when you keep an open mind. (I promise - I didn't intend that to rhyme.)
Everyone should be an outsider for a while.
The greatest learning experience I had while in Turkey was that of being an outsider. I've always lived in a predominantly white community, with people who speak my language and know my area and background. You can attempt to understand what it is like to be the "them" in a society, rather than the "us," but until you're the one that doesn't understand the language, doesn't know the streets, and lacks the common knowledge of the locals, you can't understand the disadvantage. As a student, and especially with my background, I still held a place of privilege in the city, but being the outsider taught me a great deal about the importance of humility and treating one another with respect, compassion, and understanding.
The greatest legacy that I think Turkey left to me was the people that I met. I learned so much from the Turks that I lived with and knew, and made life-long friends from my own country and others. I hope to be able to return soon. They say that if you leave İstanbul for more than ten years, you won't recognize it. İnşallah, this won't happen to me. Türkiye, seni seviyorum. Her şey için teşekkürler.
Take everything as an adventure.
Whether it was running errands or taking a spontaneous weekend trip, I learned to look at everything that I did in Turkey as an adventure, most of which turned out to be a learning experience. Whether it was trying something that I was apprehensive about, or wandering around the city to find a nargile cafe, we all seemed to adopt the mantra, "que será, será" - what will be, will be. The days that we spent going through the bazaars or about town with little or no plan were the most fun and most educational. I've tried to maintain this sense of adventure since leaving Turkey, and it has opened new doors and helped me look forward to new experiences and changes, rather than dread them.
Never, ever, judge a book by its cover.
Sitting in the smoky Meydan Pub on our first evening in Sarıyer with a bunch of old Turkish men is still one of my favorite memories. Although I didn't realize at the time, it was a classic experience - Rakı, laughs, conversations, and awkward language barrier moments. However, to find the pub, we asked a man on the street where we could find Rakı, then followed him through an unmarked door and up some creaky steps. We had strength in numbers, so it wasn't dangerous, but I would never have chosen to go to that pub of my own accord. You never know what gem you can find when you keep an open mind. (I promise - I didn't intend that to rhyme.)
Everyone should be an outsider for a while.
The greatest learning experience I had while in Turkey was that of being an outsider. I've always lived in a predominantly white community, with people who speak my language and know my area and background. You can attempt to understand what it is like to be the "them" in a society, rather than the "us," but until you're the one that doesn't understand the language, doesn't know the streets, and lacks the common knowledge of the locals, you can't understand the disadvantage. As a student, and especially with my background, I still held a place of privilege in the city, but being the outsider taught me a great deal about the importance of humility and treating one another with respect, compassion, and understanding.
The greatest legacy that I think Turkey left to me was the people that I met. I learned so much from the Turks that I lived with and knew, and made life-long friends from my own country and others. I hope to be able to return soon. They say that if you leave İstanbul for more than ten years, you won't recognize it. İnşallah, this won't happen to me. Türkiye, seni seviyorum. Her şey için teşekkürler.
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