Epilogue

For three days now, people have been asking me: "How was Turkey?" I can only give a lame answer like "it was awesome" or "unbelievable". I am ashamed that, as a lawyer, words fail me in properly conveying the experience of visiting that place and living amongst its people. However, I am in good company. When he returned from his travels, Marco Polo told a visitor that he had not written about half of what he had seen. I feel that way as well.

To be embedded as I was, in a new (to me) culture, the discoveries were literally everywhere I looked. It was intoxicating. Addicting. Returning home has put me into some sort of travel rehab, and now I toil to produce enough time and money to go somewhere else. After all, where else am I to gain knowledge and understanding of the world and have a hell of good time doing it?

In the end, the answer is to travel. One of my favorite authors and TV personalities, Anthony Bourdain, once said that “If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.” Tony is right. You will find out what is different about your respective cultures, but you also find out what is the same. Ultimately, this will lead to a better understanding of the world, and then finally, of yourself.  Since the trip ended, I feel like my blood runs a little differently. I realized just how young the United States and its culture is. I knew this from books before, but to see it is a different matter entirely. I look at how I eat differently. I see how much the US media bombards us with mostly useless drivel. There's so much more, and I am still discovering them as I get back into my real life.

Travel will affect and change you, and for the better. So, dear reader, I can only echo Anthony Bourdain's advice. Go somewhere, see things. Expand your mind and perspective by seeing how other people live their lives. Drive through their country. Eat their food. Even, if you must, do it on a cruise. Just make sure you bypass the made for tourist crap and go where the locals go. In the end, it will make you a better person.










Thank you for reading this blog. I also want to thank my longtime friends, the Adman family (Hasan Adman, Semra Adman, Tanya Adman Akay, Gungor Akay, Sevda Adman, andTamer A. Adman ) for all of their graciousness and generosity in hosting me and showing me their beautiful country and beautiful people. I am truly thankful that I have had friends like you in my life for the last 20+ years. It was the trip of a lifetime, and I will, one day, return to that wondrous place. I am already missing kebab.