Reflections

While I missed the United States and, quite surprisingly, Mexican food, now that I'm home I miss Turkey. I'll find myself waiting for the call to prayer, expecting to need to jump out of oncoming traffic, and wanting with every part of me a wet hamburger and some mayonnaise. It's strange how much of an impact one place can have on you.

Since returning, I've been asked a lot of the same questions I was asked before I left. They're often stereotypical and misinformed. The difference is, this time I can give them all different answers. No longer ignorant myself, I can tell them with honesty how incredible the culture, history, and society is. No, people did not drop to their knees in the middle of working when there was a call to prayer. No, all women were not covered head to toe in layers of clothing. No, I was not in danger because I am not Muslim. Before, when I didn't know the answers to these questions, I found myself wondering the same things. Now that I know the truths, I have no qualms with setting people straight.

The history we learned and witnessed still blows my mind. Even more mind-blowing is the amount I have yet to know and understand. Three weeks in Turkey barely scratches the surface of all it has to offer. It was a crash course in one of the most complicated subjects I've ever encountered. However, it did change me. I learned about a religion that, before, was absolutely foreign to me. I learned that stereotypes are pervasive and rarely carry merit. I learned that there are cultures out that we don't really talk about in the United States and ultimately I learned that we should. The three weeks I spent in Turkey were three of the most enriching weeks of my life.