13/2/2016
I’m home now. It feels like it’s been a long day although we didn’t do that much. The TV is on, and “Dream Turk” is playing music videos of heavily-made up Turkish women singing tragic love songs in low, mournful voices.
I find myself at a point in my life where I’ve never been, about to set off into unknown territory. We’ve been here 6 weeks, far longer than anyplace that I’ve lived that wasn’t Los Angeles of San Francisco. It’s weird! Things are becoming normal, yet are still thoroughly strange and surprising.
What happens now? I’m used to moving on, and simply doing the pleasurable things that one does in a foreign country: seeing the sights, sampling the cuisine, making tons of strong but brief connections with fellow travelers, taking it all in and then moving on to the next place. I’m just now beginning to do all those things here, but it feels different. I almost feel like I’m not even taking in Turkey as strongly because I have the time to absorb things slowly.
So what now?
Life, that’s what. What I would do if I had moved to any city in the US. Begin working, for a start. Our CELTA training was such a whirlwind that I’ve definitely felt a lull since. But I have many plans for how I would like to spend my time. There’s so many things I want to do: volunteer with refugees, blog, get back my Etsy shop, cook, learn Turkish, connect with artists and thinkers, see music, knit, travel. And travel!
Mostly though, I’m excited to begin to really explore life here and Turkish culture and to become a local in a different part of the world. I think in some ways I had thought that by now I would be doing that, but I’ve only just scratched the surface. And because I’m not on some whirlwind backpacking tour, I have the time to do just that.
Right now, I’m looking forward to whatever comes next, and taking things one step at a time. We’ve done the hard stuff already. Cheers to the future!
Happy Travels,
Mo
A Stranger In Paradise 