Unknown Anticipation

I wouldn't say that nervousness is the word that I am feeling, but rather unknown anticipation. However, this anticipation is much more unknown than I like to admit. I have been to a few other countries in the past couple years, but I always knew what to expect for the most part. This trip however, is something wildly different because I have absolutely no idea what I am about to get myself into. I am extremely excited don't get me wrong, it is just the not knowing part that is filling me with this lingering anticipation. But it seems that I will be on my way to Turkey tomorrow, so not much more I can do now except for board my flights and begin this new adventure.

I really knew nothing about Turkey before this trip came along, frankly I still do not know all that much. I was originally going to Germany for the summer and that seemed much more comfortable. Why? I do not know, maybe it being a main part of Europe, and having people around me know about it as well. But when I tell people I am going to Turkey no one has any story of that one time that they went there, or that their ancestors being from there, most people are pretty perplexed as to why I am going there. But with more and more research it honestly seems like the place to go. A quote from our book made me more excited than ever because it seems that Turkey has everything, "This country's land has been populated since the beginning of human history by an amazing number of civilizations - pagan, Christian and Islamic, coming from Greece, Rome, Egypt, Arabia, Persia and places even farther away. King Midas and King Croesus, Saint Paul and Saint Nicholas, Homer and Herodotus - all came from the land that is now Turkey." It continues to go on about Aristotle, Florence Nightingale, and others like Alexander the Great. I have to admit that I did not know who all of the great people listed were, but to have so much history packed into one country seems like a whirlwind of new experiences.

I am a big fan of meeting new people and going new places, so I cannot wait to see what Turkey has in store for us, and for me! To see so many different cultures collide will be nothing like I have ever seen before. So now that my bags are packed (mostly) I am ready to start exploring Turkey and probably not close to half of what it has to offer, but as much as I can fit in in the next few weeks!