Merhaba, Istanbul

Well, I made it. As I sit in my dorm and type, it's 6am and prayer call is going on outside my window. I am in Istanbul... it's all very surreal. In a lot of ways, I never expected to make it here, I don't think. I'm a procrastinator at heart. I'm not really a go-getter type, and I don't do well with planning (and believe me, studying abroad takes LOTS of planning). And yet, here I am! Whether I'm ready for it or not, here I am.

Flying here was pretty painless, surprisingly. I was so beyond thankful to be traveling with my friend, Ashton. He helped navigate airports, made me laugh to keep from crying (it worked!), and was just great company. I was so grateful not to be doing the whole thing alone. We were the very last two people to board the plane at MCI (they literally shut the door behind me) towards New Jersey. 

From there, we  flew to Frankfurt, Germany where we had a 7 hour layover, so we ventured out of the airport. That was no easy feat, let me tell you. The airport in Frankfurt is quite confusing. The layout of it isn't American-friendly and all the maps are, of course, in German. We spent probably close to an hour and a half checking out the airport and trying to figure out where we needed to go to leave. From there, we figured out the public transformation (aka, we heard another passenger was going where we were headed to, so we followed him off the train) and got to the main streets in Frankfurt. We  found a beautiful park by the water to hang out at for a bit 
before heading to Istanbul. We walked across the bridge there and looked out on the water. I wish I could say that this is the moment I 

had some huge moment of realizing I was in a foreign place or headed to live in another country for 5 months, but honestly, most of the getting there process was just that - getting there. I'm a pretty slow processor which is a blessing and a curse. So far, though, it's been a blessing. It has allowed me to just keep moving forward, not questioning, doubting, or feeling afraid. It has allowed me to say "Ok, we are here, what's next? What needs to happen?" and leave it at that. One of these days, the 

reality is going to hit me really hard and it's going to get real. There will probably be tears. I will probably binge eat all the chocolate I brought with me as I snuggle up in the blanket I brought from home. I will probably post a melodramatic blog entitled "What was I thinking and who let me leave?!" But for now, I am ok. I am here and I am ok - more than ok, even! Don't get me wrong - I definitely miss home. I almost had a moment last night because the smells and foods are so different. I know, it sounds so silly, but it's honest. The bed sheets and pillows I was so generously given smell like Turkish spices/perfume. It's not even a big deal, it just doesn't smell like home and that almost got me. I was so thankful I packed some Zum air freshener to feel at home! I also already miss American food - so much so that I dreamt I had a plate of hot wings, and when I woke up and realized that was not the case, was left hungry and disappointed. It's pure silliness! Before I left, though, I was encouraged to just embrace all of Turkey. The different food, people, and language. To embrace prayer call at 6am. To embrace brand new roommates. To embrace olives, cucumbers, and breads for breakfast in place of my sugary cereal. Because I will be leaving this place before I know it, and I'll probably miss all of these things that feel so different and unnatural right now. 

Today, Kevin, Ashton, and I are going to explore the beautiful campuses that make up Bogazici and I can't wait! That is, if we don't hit the wall with jet lag again. Hopefully we'll get the store, as well, because I'm currently living off of breakfast bars and cheez-its (mom, if you're reading this, I'm eating perfectly balanced meals... I promise...). Also, water. Oh have I taken water for granted! The tap water here isn't good to drink, so I've been boiling water and anxiously waiting for it to cool to keep hydrated. They sell huge jugs of water here and I fully plan on stocking up today! 

Today marks day two in Istanbul (even just reading that confuses my brain a bit - it doesn't seem real!) and I can't wait to see what it holds. If it's anything like yesterday, it'll be full of cobblestone streets, some of the largest hills I've ever walked up, dreamy skylines filled with houses and outlines of mosques, seagulls, water, jet-lag induced sleep, and adventure.

I can't wait.