Turkish Thoughts

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Whether leisurely walking through desolate streets or hopping from one cobblestone to another in a bustling marketplace of a foreign town, I make an effort to grasp on to some memory of the moment - be it a charming visual, an insightful conversation, or a local purchase - anything to prevent the experience from becoming a blur, forgotten among various other travels.

Yesterday for example, I said farewell to one of my traveling companions as she set off to fulfill her next adventure; for three months, Erica and her leading man will travel by bicycle through rural India, stopping along the way to refuel and explore the various parts of the country. I adore their bravery and look forward to stories when they return in April. As she walked to her ferry, and I to mine, I couldn't resist shouting goodbye one last time loudly above the fishermen, the sightseers, and even the circling seagulls scavenging for their afternoon meal. The sight of the sole green messenger bag strapped across her back, and the confident look on her face when she turned to wave in response to my voice, reassured me of our power as female travelers, bringing with us the support of friendship in all of the rivers and roads that lay ahead.

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Fortune only begins to describe the view that I am graced with as I sit here writing, warm coffee next to me; a traveler from France paused by my table moments ago and inquired about my origins as well as the engaged look on my face. After glancing up at the Hagia Sofia through the terrace window and then back at him, I told him I was searching for words to describe my past week spent in Istanbul. "Ha! Good luck with that," he said. "How does one describe the beauty?"

Following a brief exchange of our thoughts on this city, he headed off toward Topaki Palace for the day. I too, want to enjoy the streets by sunlight once more before this journey ends and plan to break from writing now to do just that. Despite the difficulty (as expressed by this traveler) in articulating my experiences gained here, I do intend to initate the beginning of a much larger conversation in the journal that follows. Please know that what cannot be easily translated here, I will gladly attempt to explain over a cup of coffee or...tacos, once back in the states.

To Be Continued (hopefully this afternoon)...

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