Turkey sort of snuck up on us (Dad's thoughts about leaving)

When we first arrived in Turkey we came with a sense of enthusiasm and momentum (most of us anyway) that allowed us to plow into almost anything Turkish and make the best of it. Intensive Turkish lessons? Sure. Drive across the country in week two and visit Cappadocia? No problem. With our American eyes and stomachs however, it wasn't necessarily love at first sight. The food was pretty bland, folks seemed eager to overcharge and we had almost no ability to make ourselves understood. Thankfully over time we found our way to good people who weren't interested only in the quick score and with whom we slowly built a relationship as non-cruise ship Americans. 

The owner/manager of our building for example was super professional, fair and incredibly helpful with his one sentence phrases explaining the unexplainable to us about Turkish culture. Eating out was another example. Our dinners were not Applebees events where the food and the experience is templatized and has nothing to do with a personal relationship. Instead, and I'm guessing the US was more like this 50 years ago, we had our favorite shops and cafes and that really meant that we had our favorite shopkeepers and cafe owners who got to know us and who remembered things like "no parsley" for Zach or balsamic vinegar for Ladan. The experience started with the food but had a lot more to do with the people than it typically does in the US.

And speaking of food, remember the meat that we found so bland in the beginning? Over time we discovered red meat isn't necessarily at the center of a great Turkish meal and we began to put a lot more emphasis on the subtle flavor of smoked eggplant, the taste of first press olive oil from a friend's orchard and the freshness of the grilled calamari. I'll also miss buying 10 lbs of mandarin oranges for $2 only a few feet from where they were grown after sailing lessons Sunday mornings on the bay. I really looked forward to the weekly adrenaline rush as we plowed through super clear blue water with our 10 meter boat and high-fived each other as if we were sailing by ourselves. Our instructor meanwhile was never far from the tiller and with unfailing Turkish hospitality would somewhere in the middle of the four hour class offer us tea. No matter how rough the seas were or how hard the boat was keeling somewhere around 11a it was "one lump or two?" Afterwards, newly charged up with some sort of special sea power we helped ourselves to fresh produce, honey and home canned goods at the nearby farmers market. Turkey's bounty took awhile to discover and access was often inconvenient but I will miss the quality of the experience once we found what we wanted.

There is a lot to be said for the efficiency of the US, and goodness knows there were times we really craved some efficiency, but where Americans often seem to be in an endless hurry the hardworking Turks always seem to have time to offer you tea or to show off their futbol (soccer) skills even if it's in the middle of the street. Even the aggressive driving that shocked us when we first arrived became more about give-and-take and no one seemed too upset when we too learned how to wedge our little car into an already jammed street. Slowly but surely we were invited into the conversation and into the hearts and minds of the folks we got to know. Turkey snuck up on us and I sure hope we make it back.