Yesterday was a special day in a few ways. Firstly I got to sleep in. My sleep cycle is constantly rolling from one extreme to the other. I thought when coming to turkey I would be able to reverse my horrible habits of never having a normal sleep cycle; however, Turkey has proven me to be weak in that area. It's ok though, with all the hustling and bustling at the cafes, reading news, watching music videos, and catching up with family and friends due to the time difference; it is totally worth an abnormal sleep cycle.
With a well rested mood and peaceful mind I took my travels to the outskirts of Izmir, Kemalpasa, where my friend, Cansu's family owns a garden house. We traveled by car about an hour, to a small town, drove down some dirt roads and there laid a secret land of peace and quiet.
The house was a one bedroom and had the bare minimums, all that are needed for relaxation and a stress-free evening. My friends stayed on the porch and began reminiscing and writing poetry and songs. I had to take advantage and explore. I could guess that the land was about 2-3 acres covered with olive trees. Everything was so green, fresh, and smelled of nature, which is a good smell, I promise. There was a creek with running water that was soothing to the ear, and gently passed right by the house. I understood why my friends chose to come here for some free-writing time.
I decided to take this opportunity to free-write and let out bundled up emotions, thoughts and opinions. This was the best part. Sitting on the ledge, looking down at the water, surrounded by fresh green grass and trees, pondering over life and where my life has come. It was pure serenity and security.
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| The tree on the mountain that gave me writing ideas. |
As I poured out my heart with my pen and paper, I felt that I could breath again. Even though I love Turkey with all my heart, I still had a roller coaster of emotions running through my body, like any other place in the world one would live in.
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| Alone stands a strong spirit. |
When traveling around and Izmir, Turkey in particular, you must realize the not so obvious places. These are the places that you will hold the most memories. Yes, the Ataturk memorials are great and have so much history behind them, and the ancient mosques are absolutely breath taking, and the cafe's are full of conversation and energy; but places such as the garden house really bring you down to reality. Reality that not everything has to be full of adventure and tourism but rather you should find serenity and peace as well in the places you travel. Turkey is a great place to find these areas; whether it be a cafe on a back alley that serves the best Turkish Coffee, or on the mountain side where they prepare the best Gozleme in Turkey. These things are what bring the culture and history alive.
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| Stairs to ______. |
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| On the hill lie some olive trees. |
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| My place of writing by sunset. |
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| The view from the Top of the hill in the garden. |
