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It's odd to think that I've only been back from Turkey for just over two weeks. I jumped back into my old routine and now my mind has completely shifted from deciphering Turkish pronunciations to the conversion rate trends and PHP errors that plague my career. I thought it'd take me longer to get back into the swing, but I was back in my routine 9 hours after the wheels touched down in KC.

I loved Turkey, and everyone is already sick of hearing about it. I'm enjoying learning more about the country through readings and trying to talk my friends and family into making trips (at least 2 people have been convinced!). But one thing I realized on my trip that really surprised me was how much I loved the life I've created for myself in KC. I try to picture myself living and working in Istanbul, and I can't do it. Don't get me wrong - if the opportunity presented itself, I'd jump at it. But one thing that seemed clear to me from our time with our Turkish friends is the idea of helping and protecting your own, and my people are here.

Baris and his friends would always tell us how terrible Turkish men were, despite the fact that they were actively disproving that through their constant helpfulness. I think what they really meant is that we couldn't expect the same level of kindness from just anyone on the street. Not that other men were 'bad', but that they were treating us as they would close friends or family because they were asked to by someone they cared about and we were cool enough for it not be a chore. We couldn't (and shouldn't) expect that same treatment from strangers.

At 19, I gave myself the goal to live and work abroad by 25. At 25, I extended that to 30, but now at 27, I question if packing my life up and moving it abroad would be counterproductive to what I say I want out of life. Stepping into a culture with so many layers of history and meaning in every interaction without a cultural interpreter would be overwhelming, but could be overcome in time.

One thing that my time in Turkey underscored was that life isn't about what food you eat or which cafe you have it in, but who you share it with. To leave behind my huge family, wonderful friends and even terrific coworkers in order to start over in an amazing country without them would replace my personal history with a simplified understanding of how other people live. It's wonderful and a bit scary to realize that where you are is exactly where you should be.

But that doesn't mean I'm not already saving for Machu Picchu 2013...

Sonra Görüşürüz*

*Google translator says that "sonra görüşürüz" is "see you later" in Turkish. I can neither confirm nor deny.

Tomorrow is our last day in Istanbul, and I'm slowly saying good-bye to the city. My last wet burger from the corner vendor, last time to see some of our new friends, my last day exploring the side streets off Istiklal. I've really come to love this country's work hard, play hard attitude, wonderful hospitality and kindness, and rich, fascinating history.

I'm pretty sure I'll find my way back to Turkey, so this isn't so much a good-bye as a see you later. I do wonder if the city I'll return to in five or ten years will be the same one I've come to love over the last few weeks.

A common message through our lectures is how quickly things change in Turkey. As a crossing point between the East and West, the country is constantly being pulled in different directions. This appears in the growth of popularity of Starbucks and nargile cafes. Although both coffee and water pipes have a long history in Turkey and both venues are intended for enjoying time with friends, the experiences are distinctly Western and Eastern. Another example of the shifting sands of culture in Turkey is a growing identity as a Turkish nation. I also surprised to hear that the Turkish flags that have been so ubiquitous through the country were actually side-effect of the growth in nationalism over the last decade.



With the push and pull that Turkey is constantly experiencing, I wonder how much the country will change before I'm able to make my way back here. Will it be a part of the European Union and become increasingly democratized? Will Islam take a greater role in public life and, if so, what will that look like? Will the growing sense of ethnicity lead to greater tensions or will tensions be defused and a peace found with the Kurds?

I suppose that as long as my Turkish friends are able to live good lives, the back and forth swing doesn't matter much. The things I love about Turkey will still be there, even if the currency is Euros instead of Lira.

mmm, food

Before leaving on my trip, my friends talked me into hosting a dinner of Turkish food when I get back. I doubt I'll be able to pull off meals as good as what I've had here, but so far this is what I'm thinking.

To start:

• Bread. Lots and lots of white bread.
• Yogurt and spinach to dip it in (or, possible, cucumber and yogurt)
• Some sort of eggplant and tomato cold salad
  
• If I'm feeling ambitious (or can find them in the store...), some stuffed grape leaves
• Turkish tea

Main meal:

• Salad of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and olives with olive oil and lemon juice for dressing
  
• Kebabs cooked over coal, probably chicken because I have no idea how to make lamb
  
• Fries (no skins!) with ketchup and mayo
  
• Raki for the drinkers, ayran for the rest. If they don't want either of those, I'll charge them for water.
  

Dessert:

• Turkish coffee and I will pretend to I know how to read their fortunes from the grounds
• The most delicious watermelon, strawberries and honeydew I can find

If that all gets too complicated, I'll just give up and make potatoes -




The key to recreating a Turkish meal is not so much copying the individual flavors, but the ambiance. Everyone who comes over will be signing up for at least 3 or 4 hours of dwindling over plates of food and raki. Perhaps we'll eat on the patio, but getting eaten alive by bugs in Kansas isn't quite the same as the wonderful cafes where shade and a gentle breeze bring the temperature from unbearably hot to perfect.

One thing that I won't be able to show them is the fun of dancing and shaking a tambourine to traditional Turkish music like we did here in Istanbul, but I think we'll have a good time.

False Assumptions

When I signed up to study in Turkey, I was not expecting to end up like this-



Soaked in muddy water with scraped knees, and nursing a sore foot from walking barefoot until finding someone's lost shoe to finish the end of the trek. A hike through Saklikent Gorge is definitely not what first comes to mind when you think of Turkey.

When I told people I was going to Turkey, a common reaction was "Why would you want to go there? They [insert some terrible characteristic]." So I think it's time to clear up some misconceptions that my friends and family have about Turkey.

"You're going to have to wear a burka, and they don't let women in public.
We have had more interactions with Turkish men than women, but I think that is more due to primarily men working in hotels, shops and restaurants where we've spent the most of our time. I've seen head-to-toe burkas - the black gowns where only the eyes show - once in my two weeks in Turkey, and it might have been a group of tourists. Head scarves are common, but not the norm, especially with younger women. Even women who cover completely find a way to do it fashionable, to the point that I would really love to own some of their clothes. I think Turkey has pushed the division of state and religion a bit too far, actually, since students aren't able to wear scarves to state universities.


"You're going to be killed by terrorists because Turkey borders Iraq."
Yeah, the countries share a border, but the distance from Istanbul to Baghdad is about the same as the distance from my house in Prairie Village to the drug wars happening in Mexico. I'm not scared.

Istanbul is a city of 12+ million people. Crime happens. I'm not going to wander down dark alleys alone or leave lira hanging out of my pocket, but terrorists? Not so much. Even with all the hubbub with Israel, I've only seen a handful of graffiti or signs expressing outrage. When we asked at the synagogue, the man giving us a tour said he hasn't experienced any sort of animosity. It seems like everyone is busy going about their day and pretty committed to get along.

"You're going to get spit on, because they all hate Americans."
I've seen opinion pulls showing that 70% of Turks disapprove of Americans, but I have yet to experience anything but hospitality from the people I've met. Every time I've traveled, I've gone home and said the people were amazing, but I feel like Turkey is in a league of its own. Our tour guides feel more like rent-a-friends than guides. Each one has gone above and beyond - offering to take us out on the town, giving us watermelon, walking us to our bus terminal, inviting us out for drinks, friending us on Facebook, etc.

Everyone is so hospitable that I actually find it difficult to navigate. At what point am I being rude turning down offers? Or, conversely, when am I taking advantage of their kindness? When we prodded one our friends for why he was doing so much for us, he said he wanted us to know what Turkish people were really like, not the stereotypes of the Middle East, so that people could know how great Turkey is. It's working.

Hand made

Turkey is indulging my love of handmade things. Everywhere you look there are beautiful hand-knotted rugs or gorgeous tiles. The skills used to make these things have been handed down for centuries, and while the styles change over time, traditional patterns are common.

On our way to the airport from Kusadasi, we stopped by Ephesus Tile to check them out.


Master potter throwing a pot

The man off-screen on the video is explaining a bit about the pottery as the potter makes a pot. They use white clay to create the form. After drying for a couple days, they fire it in the kiln. Then the artists will paint the design on the pottery and then fill them in with color. They add a layer of glaze and fire the ceramics again. That layer of gloss protects the colors and they last for centuries, like those used at the mosques.


The dome of the Blue Mosque

I loved all the ceramics and knew a plate or tile would be the perfect keepsake for my visit to Turkey. I had thought I wanted to get a traditional design, the Tree of Life, but Ephesus had some beautiful unique designs that were inspired from the traditional designs.

I finally settled on this gorgeous plate. It's tulips, which is an important flower to Turkey. The flower originated in the country, and the name in reverse spells 'Allah'. The guy selling me the bowl said they were symbols of love, too. Whatever the added significance, I love this plate. I'm so excited to own it.

Christianity in a Muslim Nation

Before coming to Turkey, I was expecting to visit places that are important in the history of Islam and learn more about that faith, but I've been surprised by how many places we've visited that are important in the Catholic tradition, which I was raised in. Although I can count the times I've been to Mass in the last five years on one hand (sorry Grandma), I can't help but feel these places are a part of my history.

Constantinople was an important city in the early days of Christianity. Constantine, the man from whom the city got its name, declared the Christian faith the official religion of the empire. The city served as the Eastern capital of the Church, while Rome ruled over the west.

Side by side in Istanbul are the Hagia Sophia and St. Irene's. Dating from the 6th century and 4th century, respectively, both building show the progression of attitudes toward Christianity and religion over time. When the Muslim Ottomans sacked Constantinople, they allowed the church to continue operating, but would store weaponry and artifacts in the building. Now, in secular Turkey, the church is used as a concert hall.


Saint Irene's

Hagia Sophia was such an impressive structure (a topic in and of itself) that the Mehmed the Conqueror had it converted to a mosque, and it remained one until the Republic of Turkey converted it to a museum. In the conversion, the Sultan ordered artists to cover over much of the Christian symbolism. The design the artist used included a fish, an early symbol of Christians, in order to communicate to those in the faith that the Church was still there, even if the building was taken. Looking at the paintings centuries later, it's easy to see what was original and what was the cover up.


Paintings in the Hagia Sophia

By far, the most surprising place to visit was our trip to the final home of the Virgin Mary. She and John the Baptist fled the persecution of early Christians and settled outside Ephesus. As far as tourist attractions go, it isn't much. A cistern, a small stone house, a spring and a wishing wall. It's almost laughable when you compare it to the majesty of the Vatican or the ornate mosaics at Hagia Sophia. But this humble house on the top of a hill thousands of miles from Jerusalem was the greatest reminder of the faith I've visited. To touch the walls built by an old woman who would travel thousands of miles, much of it probably by foot, to flee persecution and spread the word of something she believed in is much more impressive and humbling to me than a thousand gold gilded artifacts or Renaissance artworks.


Mary's final home

This next photo summarizes the dynamic of religions in Turkey. The column in the front marks the Temple of Artemis. It was originally a pagan goddess, but renamed by the Greeks. To the left are the ruins of the Basilica of St John the Baptist, where his remains laid until the Crusades. Immediately to it's left is a mosque, currently in use. Layers upon layers of traditions.

Where am I again?

After a couple days in Istanbul, I can't help but wonder if this city is an elaborate Rorschach test. What would you like to see?

Byzantine mosaics? No big deal.


Greek sculpture? Yep.


Roman ruins? Sure!


One of the seven wonders of the world and one of the oldest churches? Just head over the Hagia Sophia.


A secular, liberal Islam state? Yepper.


If museums aren't really your thing, there is a vibrant night life and wonderful cafes with gorgeous views.


The history here is long, and Istanbul was a vibrant, diverse city before the United States existed. Istanbul was the seat of the Ottoman empire for over 600 years. The empire spread across northern Africa, into eastern Europe and Asia, encompassing many different languages, cultures and religions. When Europe was in the middle of the Dark Ages, Istanbul was a center of culture and learning whose influence was felt throughout the known world.

Trying to untangle thousands of years of history, culture and meaning in three weeks will be a feat. I think I could spend thirty years in Turkey and only begin to scratch the surface of this dynamic place.

Onward to Istanbul

Over the past couple weeks, everyone has been asking me why I'm going to Turkey or what's there (well, after getting done singing They Might Be Giants at me). My default answers have been "because I can" and "I'll let you know when I get back", which isn't far from the truth. I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.

I've been out of the country before - Lithuania, Russia, a mad dash across Europe, Mexico - so I know what it's like to be in a place that's completely foreign. It has been seven (!) years since I've been abroad, and who knows how the experience of travel will be different since my life has become more settled, and I've established a routine. I am looking forward to the struggle to accomplish things I take for granted here, like buying a cup of coffee. I can't wait to have that thrill and exhaustion of everything being novel again.

Turkey will be the first Islamic country I'll visit. I am excited to hear the call to prayer and visit some famous mosques, but hopefully avoid the challenges of traveling to a place such as Iran. I'm curious to see how much antipathy I'll run into. With tensions flaring between Turkey and Israel, it will be interesting to see how that manifests on the streets of Istanbul.

So, what do I expect? Who knows? I'm treating this trip like the rest of my life - I show up, make the best of it, and see what happens.