Re-immersion

I took one last travel binge trip before catching my flight back to the US for good. I lugged everything I owned from Istanbul to Antalya for a Mediterranean beach week and then to Amsterdam for three days and then through Reykjavik to land finally at Dulles in Washington D.C. The trip certainly was a work out with all of my excess luggage. I ended up with so many souvenirs from my semester abroad that I could hardly fit them all in my backpack on the way home. I just love bargaining at the bazaars way too much, it's an addiction.





And then it hit me...





I'm home.

America!

YAY!

I love bald eagles and green money and superheros. 

Maryland!

YAY!

I love family and friends and blue crabs and estuary living. 

"Is this real, what happened, how did I get here, wait what day is it?"

And then it hit me again...

Reverse Culture Shock.

According to the alumni help links found on the Global Links Abroad webpage, Reverse Culture Shock, "is a term associated with the phenomenon of returning to one's own country and culture. Very similar to culture shock, a person entering into their home environment will have to make adjustments to reacquaint themselves with their surroundings. Unlike culture shock, most do not anticipate feeling like a foreigner in their own home. However, it should be expected. If you have made any cultural adjustments while abroad, you will have to readjust once back home."

Being home is startling. At first I saw everything through a dreamlike haze. Now that time has set in and my suitcases are unpacked I've had a little time to reflect. I had fresh eyes during my first week home here in the states. An outside perspective is always beneficial, and this was the first time I genuinely could look at the United States and Americans without an egocentric bias. It's relatively overwhelming to be thrown back into the real world with real responsibilities where everyone speaks English and no one is wearing a head scarf. Everyone, every stranger around, can understand what I say in public; sometimes having a language barrier can be nice. I want the head scarves back; the States are riddled with all these little pre-teens with their booties hanging out running around and it freaks me out.  Here the government taps my phone, the water is free, I have a car and a valid driver's licence, I get to hang out with my dog and my family and my old friends, and life is good. But, wait, I'm home so that means I'm not abroad anymore and my semester in Turkey is over.... Ahhh the agony of leaving that experience behind me. Knowing that it is in the past hurts my insides. But you live and you learn and you grow. Everybody keeps telling me to not see it as the end but rather just the beginning of something new, and something just as amazing. 

Below is a small collection of the top ranked photographs from my travels abroad over the course of last semester: 

Free-roaming rooster perched atop the walls of Roman ruins.
Olympos, Turkey (2013)

Bird's eye view of the Mediterranean beach, Konyalti.
Antalya, Turkey (06/2013)

Leftover ruins grown into a wild flower covered mountainside at Pergamum.
Izmir, Turkey (2013)

Near one of the seven wonders of the world, snails cling to a stone ruin at Ephesus.
Izmir, Turkey (2013)

Shadows form through the broken windows of a century old abandoned mountain home.
Trabzon, Turkey (2013)

A Turkish fisherman braves the waves at the base of Duden Waterfall.
Antalya, Turkey (06/2013)

Reflections of Sultanahmet from the Galata Bridge.
Istanbul, Turkey (2013)

Nestled at the volcano's summit rests a prayer for those who were lost to the force of Mount Vesuvius.
Naples, Italy (2013) 

Michelangelo viewpoint tulip garden.
Florence, Italy (2013)

Evening profile of a canal city.
Amsterdam, Netherlands (06/2013)

Flowers from yesterday's wedding on campus while we sneak into the pool.
Istanbul, Turkey (2013)

Swept away into the Mediterranean.
Antalya, Turkey (06/2013)

Sacred altar in a cave church at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Göreme.
Cappadocia, Turkey (2013)

Stranger's sandy dog.
Kusadasi, Turkey (2013)

Turkish delight salesman at the Spice Bazaar.
Istanbul, Turkey (2013)

Evidence of extreme measures during the protests in Taksim square.
Istanbul, Turkey (06/2013)

Clouds of tear gas over Taksim on June 2nd (seen from the roof of Istanbul Sapphire).
Istanbul, Turkey (06/2013)

Bridge conquered.
Trabzon, Turkey (2013)

Valley of a castle.
Trabzon, Turkey (2013) 

Reclaimed pond ornament.
Florence, Italy (2013).

Duomo di Firenze.
Florence, Italy (2013)

Straight down from the Castel dell'Ovo.
Naples, Italy (2013)

Natural infinity pool of "Cotton Castle" travertine healing waters .
Pamukkale, Turkey (2013)

To Turkey,

I'm sitting here in my Istanbul dorm room with my bags packed and only one nights sleep left ahead of me before flying out of this city with a one-way ticket. I don't know how I will be able to explain the experience I have shared with Turkey to those who were not here to experience it with me. But what I do know is that during these last five months I have received so much knowledge, adventure, and love. Thank you to all my fellow Istanbulites, you will be deeply missed. Istanbul, until I see you again stay strong and fight the power! I'll be back.

Now off to Antalya and then Amsterdam for the week!
I'll be touching down in Washington D.C. on June 15th

Family

I cant wait to see these two folks again! Yay! Love you, miss you! 

And these two too!!!!!

OHLORDY

IM GONNA MISS ISTANBUL SO MUCH ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY. LIKE DONT EVEN PRETEND TO LAUGH TO COVER UP YOUR TEARS. THIS IS NOT REAL. LALALALALLALA. NOT HAPPENING. NOT HAPPENING. WAKING UP TOMORROW AND ITS NOT GOING TO BE MY LAST DAY. OH LOOK AT THAT MY CALENDER WAS WRONG, ITS ACTUALLY STILL JANUARY. WAHHHHH. I LOVE TURKEY. I LOVE ISTANBUL. I LOVE CIEE. I LOVE STUDY ABROAD. ITS NOT OVER. I REFUSE. ITS JUST ONE BIG PRANK THE INTERNET IS PLAYING ON ME RIGHT?? I CANT HANDLE IT. OHMYLORD. REALITY STRIKES AGAIN. SOMEONE GET ME A TISSUE. ACTUALLY SEVEN. ACTUALLY THE WHOLE BOX. IM NOT EVEN A CRIER YALL WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!? MUST BE THE TEAR GAS OR SOMETHING. HAH. THAT WAS KINDA FUNNY ACTUALLY. TOO SOON? NAH. NOT TOO SOON.

Görüşürüz

Görüşürüz means "see you later"

Once I go to sleep tonight (which I should be doing quite soon seeing as its already past 1AM) and wake up  tomorrow it will be my last full day in Istanbul. Wow writing that sentence was difficult. I'm going to pull a huge cliche here but my semester abroad proves that time flies when your having fun *wink* *wink*. I cannot believe my time here is hours from being over... It feels as if the relationships I've formed here have been in the works for years and I'm sure the bonds I have with these people will last a lifetime. Slowly but surely all of my friends have started to head back home to where ever they hail from. Some are already back in the States with their family. Others are off traveling deeper into the globe. While a select few (including me) are still left on campus counting down until each of our individual flights depart. It's tough being one of the last people to leave because then the goodbye process is a long and depressing one. Rather than pulling off the band-aid and saying goodbye to everyone at once I have had to slowly watch each person walk out the door to possibly never see them again. 

Usually I can't stand for "goodbye" to be the last thing we say to one another so somehow "see you later" always slips out in the last minute. Hopefully I will get to see many of these amazing people again. We all plan to visit one another individually and also have a big reunion somewhere down the line. I'm determined to make it happen. 

But my flight doesn't leave until Wednesday, so I can't say officially say Görüşürüz to Istanbul and everyone else quite yet. I've got to save up the sappy for the true departure moment....

Fight the Power

The protests in Turkey stay strong after four days of excessive force from the police.

Please help spread the word about the current fight for rights happening across Turkey. There has been a significant lack in media coverage. Social media is the route these protesters must take in order to get the word out!

**CLICK HERE** Heartwarming Images from the Turkish Resistance.

Occupy Gezi

BEFORE YOU READ THIS:

• Know I am safe.
• Know I am being smart and staying away from the protests. 
• Know that these events started because peaceful protesters were reading in a park because they were trying to save the trees... The protests are different now.

"When all that capitalism can offer is shopping malls and asphyxiating gas, then defending a park turns into a fight for life itself."

Today marks the fifth day of protests in Istanbul. What started off as a small peaceful protest for the protection of Gezi Park in Taksim (because the government wants to tear down the park and surrounding historical sites in order to construct yet another shopping mall) transformed yesterday into a massive pilgrimage of Turks protesting the current Turkish governmental regime. After increased suppression in recent years due to the AK Party's take over, the excessive brutality demonstrated by police against the peaceful Gezi Park protesters was the straw that broke the camels back. The Gezi protest is the gateway for what many hope is the start of a Revolution. People are seizing this opportunity to gather in the masses to finally speak up and voice their discontent for the current Turkish government (which many believe to be more Fascist than Democratic) and the current Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, who is known for using this country's religiosity to manipulate the polls.

Protesters set an image of the Prime Minister ablaze in defiance today.

Despite what you may have heard, believe what I am telling you now...

There have been multiple deaths from extreme reactions to tear gas, an unidentified orange gas (which is causing vomiting and feels stronger than the tear gas but is most likely not "agent orange" which is banned by the UN for use other than in war), and from canisters of these gasses being shot directly at the heads/bodies of protesters. Law states that when using these gas guns they must be aimed at a 45 degree angle towards the ground. However there are images of police shooting them directly in people's faces. Water cannons are supposed to only be used in attempts to break up aggressive riots, however there are images of police shooting single persons simply standing there. Many protesters have permanently lost their sight, others have literally lost their eyes from plastic bullets. There are rumors of the police using real guns against protesters and photographs of blood pools are circulating which confirm these rumors. 

There is only ONE Turkish national news media reporting reliably on the events. Most of the public media is tied with or bribed by the government to keep hush hush about it. CNN Turkey actually reported that there have been no deaths so far, this is not true. Turkish citizens have resorted to using social media in order to get the truth out to foreign media. However the government has put constraints on the internet within the country and access to sites such as Facebook and Twitter from Taksim is extremely limited in attempts to prevent images from leaking. 

Innocent animals are suffering too :(

There are many reports saying that the police have backed down, this also is not true. The police claimed to retreat only to return with more tear gas and more officers. They finally allowed protesters into the park only the trap them there and then have helicopters drop tear gas down upon them. They used so much tear gas in the last two days that they had to have more imported from other cities. They used so much gas that it has literally puddled up in the streets. They threw gas bombs into the metro and I even heard stories that they chased protesters all the way to the hospital and proceeded to gas bomb the ER. This isn't about dispersing the crowd anymore, it is about the police trying to use force to silence the population.

But it isn't working. The crowd keeps growing and growing. They are busing supporters in from all across the country. In attempts to prevent access to the city center the government shut down one of the Bosphorus bridges and a few of the main ferry routes. However the protesters found their way into the city anyways... The number of protesters is not countable but estimations have been as high as one million. 

Istanbul is no longer alone in their protests. First the protests spread to many different districts within the city aside from Taksim and now they can be found all across the country in cities such as Izmir and Ankara. Also many smaller protests have been held on foreign land in support of Istanbul's efforts. 

Arial images of the crowd in Taksim

Protesters walking across the Bosphorus Bridge after it was shut down in order to reach the city center

The most amazing fact of all...

Despite the police's persistent and excessive aggression, the protesters have remained peaceful. Despite the huge number of protesters that exist, there have been hardly any reported cases of force/harm towards the police from civilians. I have heard eyewitness accounts that whenever a protester gets too riled up others will pull them back and calm them down to preserve the peaceful nature of the protest. It's awe inspiring that these people have managed to keep their composure through all of the events that have taken place. Everyone is banding together. There are websites set up that list "safe houses" for protesters in Taksim to find refuge where lemons and milk are provided. Lemons are acidic which counteract the effects of tear gas, and milk is basic which counteracts the effects of the unidentified orange gas. 

Those who are not participating directly in the protests are at home showing their support through parading in their neighborhood, or banging pots together, or cheering, or flashing their lights when it gets dark. 

It is very sad that the FIRST time I have felt unsafe in this city is because I am scared of the police. 

Today my friend and I ventured to the top of the Istanbul Sapphire (the tallest building in Turkey) to see the events from above and I snapped these pictures of Taskim...

White "smoke" from excessive tear gas rising from Taksim in the distance.

Grey smoke rising from a fire in Taksim in the distance. (we later learned the fire was burning tires set ablaze by protesters following the helicopter gas bombing of protesters reading in Gezi Park)

http://www.whatishappeninginistanbul.com/

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Erdogan_End_the_crackdown_now/?pv=7

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22740282

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/police-hold-taksim-under-siege-continue-raid-on-5th-day-of-protests.aspx?pageID=238&nID=48009&NewsCatID=341

https://www.facebook.com/eatps

https://www.facebook.com/DirenAnadolu

Istanbul Cam

If ya'll ever want to see what I've been seeing/doing here in the big city you can go to this website and watch some segments of these candid street cameras that record daily life happenings in different areas of Istanbul. I've been to most of these places too so it will be a true "in her shoes" experience for you...

http://tks.ibb.gov.tr/



(the website is in Turkish but if you can get Google Chrome to "google translate the page" for you then you can choose which sites you want to watch by name.)

Forest Life

I go to school in a forest... for 9 more days at least.

If I could re-do my study abroad experience the only thing I would change is the university I chose, not the city of Istanbul, just the particular university because it's isolated location is very limiting. It takes an average of an 1:30 to get into Taksim and if you journey back during rush hour it can take upwards of 3 hours to return back to campus. Additionally, all of the Turkish students at Koc aren't very welcoming. One for the language barrier but also because a lot of them are stuck up snooty-pants. Before arriving I thought Koc was known as the most prestigious Turkish university but turns out it is better known as the most expensive Turkish university that the students buy their way into rather than earning their way.

However Koc is the only Turkish university with CIEE... so the perfect solution would be to transfer CIEE to Boğaziçi University (which is in Bebek) because it is closer to the city center and actually known for its academics. Bebek is a nice area on the coast of the Bosphorus with cute shops and an alternative liberal crowd unlike Sariyer where Koc is located which is a landlocked small village with an extremely conservative population. Yes Sariyer is close to the Black Sea which is beautiful but it still takes 30 minutes to get there and you can't even go swimming.

Whenever I told Turkish strangers, such as store clerks, that I went to Koc they would respond with "ohh expensive" and nod and smile gleefully and then UPCHARGE me because they assumed I was a rich snotty Koc student.

Flashback: Miniaturk