Three Continents, Three Days

"Are you tired?"

"A little..."

"I can tell by your face."

My first day began after four hours of sleep. We had been traveling for two days, moving over two continents (North America and Europe) to reach our final destination -- Istanbul, Turkey.

Flying on two planes for a total of 11.5 hours total, with a seven hour layover in Amsterdam --  the Las Vegas of the world -- I was exhausted. I guess my host thought so too.

No matter how tired I am, the fog in my head could not possibly diminish the extreme beauty of Istanbul. From the call to prayer five times a day, to the tangle of streets that curve and twist like the bony fingers of an old woman's hand, Turkey has mesmerized me.

I do not feel as if I have been placed in an entirely foreign land, though it is vastly different from anywhere I have been before. The people are welcoming. They are so full of life and spirit and national pride (there are Turkish flags flying on buildings, poles, even on bridges) that you cannot help feel those things yourself. It is like living on land all your life then suddenly immersed in water, but breathing and swimming as a fish. Their culture flows through you and all around you.

We walked through the bazaar and spice markets; hundreds upon hundreds of people pressed together and moving together and opposite each other. I stumbled frequently and brushed into so many... but no one seemed to care. The closeness is part of every day life.

Everything a person eats and drinks here is fresh. Even the food seems to have the inexplicable energy of the people. Tomatoes are carefully peeled, bread is soft and warm, cheese is supple, and the tea is the best I have ever had. Even without sugar it is full of taste and a roasted sweetness. No one looks at you strange when you make noise from stirring, and accommodations are always made to personal preference. Everyone smiles, even if they don't know what you're saying -- happiness is universal.

On the third day we went over the bridges of the Bosporus to the Asian side of Istanbul, the third continent of our trip. Rain melted the clouds into the immediate horizon, making the city appear as if it were floating in the sky. We stopped in a small park to take in the scenery and photograph each other, and the scent of fresh trees and rain was infectious. We took as much time as we could, stealing a few more minutes of excited photo-taking before shuffling back into our bus.

Now I am back in Taxim square at the Eresin hotel. I am tired, but I am too excited to be defeated by fatigue. Everything is new, yet already feels a part of me. I am curious of my surroundings, but strangely comfortable with it all. This must be what it feels like to live in a global world; anywhere can feel like home.