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)