Turkey through my eyes

 I felt very excited before coming, and that excitement did not decrease, my first month in Turkey has been a wonderful experience! I must say that Turkish people are so friendly, since the moment I got off the plane I have always received a smile and kindness. 

Did I have some hardships?
Yes, it’s hard to live in turkey without speaking the language, so learning Turkish became a must on my to-do list.
Another thing that was difficult was trying to manage my time well in the first weeks, but now I got a kick to it so it’s a little bit easier.
Besides this, there were some minor things but not worth mentioning.

What do I eat in Turkey as a vegetarian?

Once again I have to praise and thank Turkish people because they always find a way for me to eat something. But it’s still difficult I don’t have the ingredients that I normally use, so cocking at home can be a bit of a struggle but I learned to adapt.

What did I do?

A better question is what didn’t I do, every day is a new experience even if the day is spent at home. We have more or less the same routine every week, but still, we manage to do something different, I have been to a lot of places around Ankara, and I was able to understand the culture better because of this. In addition to our weekly routine, there was always a different activity. On my first day, we were a part of an international day, where I was privileged enough to talk with people from different countries, we also went to a language university, and visited a famous park on the way. I have also visited Eskişehir, a beautiful city where you can feel more at peace and connected with nature. I have learned how to make a traditional meal, Mantı, and I have to admit it was one of my favorite activities, the woman that taught us is one of the most genuine people, and I was blessed to meet her. 

I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by wonderful people, and the other volunteers quickly became my Turkish family, we do almost everything together, but the thing we do most is laugh. So considering this I always have positive things in my day-to-day. Another thing that is important to mention about my experience is that I always tried to be open to new situations and people and because of this I believe I made friends and made new memories more easily. 

So I have high expectations for next month. I’m eager to make more friends, go to new places, and have new experiences.

With love,

Leo