By sturtle7
Hola friends! I am now into my third week abroad in Istanbul which is both an amazing yet disorienting feeling. In a sense I feel like I have been here for much longer but when I Skype my friends back home I realize that my arrival was only moments ago. Leaving my community back home is obviously a difficult transition but I am so grateful for the community I am beginning to build here. I can already say it has brought much comfort to living everyday life in which most encounters often involve people being shocked I am American, asking "no really where are you from," and leaving me frustrated that I sometimes live in a dual world of being American and Egyptian but in the eyes of some never fully being either. Below are some of my favorite things about my community:
The Bosphorus: Much like the Lincoln Memorial or the Washington Monument, the Bosphorus has easily become one of my favorite places to spend my time when I am stressed or need something to leave me in awe of where I am at the moment.
The Mosques: As a muslim, my religion is extremely important to me. It is so beautiful to me to be able to hear the call to prayer five times a day and know that a mosque is only steps from where I am from.
These two lovely gals, Valerie and Ellie, are from Sweden and the U.S., respectively. Although we have just met each other we have spent some great times together and am excited to see where our time here leads us.
My Turkish roommates are the bomb.com! They helped me navigate logistics before I arrived to Istanbul, secure a room in their apartment and show me the best place to get fish! Needless to say they have been my lifelines!
Walking is what I do to get around, which has been a nice common ground from my life in D.C. The roads I walk and the places I pass have contributed to my community and made me feel like I am truly going somewhere that will easily transition me into my next phase in life.
Until next time!