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Published: September 13th 2011
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I went to Turkey to live there. For a long time. Maybe even a lifetime. And that didn't work out. I'm back in Kuwait now, teaching English at a university. But some people have asked me to write about my life in Selçuk, near Izmir and Kusadasi on the Aegean Sea, even though it wasn't technically a holiday. But, I wasn't working, so it sort of ended up being a holiday after all. Originally I wanted to open a business there with my then boyfriend, who is a carpet dealer working for his pony-tailed brother in Selcuk, but after a few months, I figured out that wasn't at all what I wanted. So in December I decided to go back to teaching internationally and started looking for jobs, knowing that a couple more years of teaching was all I could handle. I took the rest of the year off because I felt like it. I wasn't ready to go back to work in the middle of a school year somewhere else in the world. I rented a beautiful house for near nothing, unpacked my bags, and settled in for a few more months. I look back at that time now and
can't believe I stayed.
People ask me why I stayed there a year when I knew in my first month things would not work out. I don't know. Staying was completely out of character for me. I cannot answer this question as I haven't figured it out for myself.
I think I was more than a bit naive about living in Turkey when I arrived and reality started to hit me pretty soon after I arrived. I think after a few months, I knew in my heart that living in Turkey was not for me, and neither was my boyfriend.
Because I wasn't working, I had time to clean the house, cook a lot, which I really enjoyed, do the laundry and ironing, and other things that I was sometimes too lazy to do when I was working. And I quite enjoyed it. Sometimes. Because I wasn't working outside the home. But I needed something more stimulating, and a few months into my life in Turkey, I knew I needed to live somewhere more stimulating. And I needed to be around people who were not just nice to me, but who had a bit more life experience
and varied interests. Yikes. I was bored with my life and myself and my bpyfriend who never talked about anything except himself, carpets, customers, and Kurdish politics. This feeling of boredom was new and different and I didn't like it. Most of the time, I didn't like who I was while living in small town Selcuk, Turkey. It was more like village life in Turkey rather than real live in Turkey. The worst part was, this was real life in Selcuk, Turkey.
Maybe some people think I chickened out. Maybe some think I gave up on my dream. My dream to own a business hasn't changed. The desired location of my dream has. Maybe others think I made a wise choice. I know I made a wise choice by leaving Turkey and the carpet and art gallery scene behind.
I made the right choice in leaving and I don't have much else to report about my time in Selcuk. I didn't travel much in Turkey while living there, but I did go to the Black Sea and some Greek Islands and I already wrote about that. Oh, and Rome for a week. And Morocco. Actually, I guess I
Takiin' a Nap
in the windowsill of my house. She was very pregnant. did travel a lot while living in Turkey.
I am happy to provide information about traveling in Turkey, transportation, currency, hotels, language, and buying a Turkish carpet and how to avoid Turkish carpet scams and finding a reputable carpet dealer. I have a lot of experience to share. And if you end up Selcuk, enjoy the sights, but keep your wits about you as the people who work in tourism there can seem quite charming and inviting, but getting involved with them personally can mean paying a very high price, in more ways than one. I won't make that mistake again in any country.
Overall, I would have to say Turkey is an exciting, amazing cultural experience, and while it didn't end positively for me, I still have more positive feelings than negative about the country, it's people, and it's culture.
Moving on.
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Donna Stohun
non-member comment
re: Enis and Marco
I couldn't find your photos of Enis, but was in Selcuk in April 2011 and met both him and Marco. Don't know anything about their business practices, as I was not interested in buying anything ... guess I did well, then. Marco was more interested in talking and trying to get some, although I did find him very attractive and entertaining. Please enlighten me re: their practices as there are other mentions on the net re same but no details! I could use the diversion. Thanks!