Merhaba....

Its 12:30, Im not done packing, and i have to be at the airport in 6 hours. As every minute passes I say to myself....Its ok, ill just sleep on the plane(s) tomorrow. But who am i kidding, i know i cant sleep well on any plane at anytime. I really dont think i would be able to sleep right now anyway. Im used to the college student sleeping schedule. In bed around 2, if not later, then up at 8 to cram for an exam. And for the first time, tonight, i thought about what a 21 year old college student in istanbul would be doing. Does he or she stay up all hours of the night, even later than i, and wake up and cram like every student here. Or are they this rare breed of students that stay in diligently every night and focus on their studies.  I dont know, obviously, but the great thing about this situation is that in 24 hours im going to find out. Over the course of the next 2 and 1/2 weeks that i will be in Turkey, i plan on studying this, among many other things, not to learn as a tourist, but as an international student. One that will be attending class in many different settings such as a mosque, palace, museum, and even the occasional hammam (turkish bath).  From each of these "Life Lectures" i plan on absorbing, observing, listening, and even asking, hopefully in turkish, all the questions that i dont know the answer to or are curious about. However, through all this i also plan on being a teacher as well.  With the foreign view of the United States right now being, how should i put this, somewhere between a rock and a hard place, i plan on showing those who may be skeptical of Americans, what we are as well. I honestly dont now what i will be specifically studying and writing about. Every topic seems to have a certain degree of interest to me. I really am interested in spending time with Turkish college students, seeing how they learn/live. Thats what really interests me, with any culture, but specifically with the Turks. The dichotomy that exists within the nation and its people. One subject i would like to determine is whether they aare in Europe or Asia, or that funny little marriage of the two, Eurasia. Either way i think its going to be the trip of a lifetime. As i wound down now, I realize i forgot something, im sure its one of many things i forgot. As i end my first post, i only have one final thought before i leave for this trip.......I just hope they have Mcdonalds over there.