I finally made it to Europe. One more thing off my bucket list.
It had to happen, it was going to happen, I made it happen. I wanted to see my mother's birthplace and follow her path of immigration to the United States. I wanted to meet relatives I had never met before. And I did. I was not able to follow her true path, that would have taken months, but I did manage to go to two countries.
Relations between Turkey and the United States had been on edge and visas to Turkey were on hold. Then one day I read that they had resolved their differences and opened up visas. I went full speed ahead and ordered a ticket to Istanbul, Ankara, back to Istanbul and then to France.
It was April, the end of winter and beginning of spring. My daughter, Windy, decided I shouldn't go alone so she met me in Istanbul.
When I got off the plane, Windy was there with our new cousins, Tayfun and Seljuck. This was the first time any of us met. They were the nicest people. They took us to dinner, showed us around the area including St. Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The next day they took us to the airport where we were to catch a domestic flight to Ankara. I was so excited because we were traveling on a suspension bridge over the Bosporus and one of the wonders of the world - a city divided between two continents. Europe and Asia.
Seljuck and Tayfun kindly stopped so we could relish the moment, naturally buying us Turkish coffee to warm us up since winter was still in the air. And wherever you went, someone was selling coffee. No Starbucks to be seen.
I was flying high and just couldn't get enough of all the sights and smells and meeting new cousins. We would remark about our similar features that we were sure we shared with our respective grandmothers who were sisters. Can you see the resemblance? The instant bond we formed through our blood relations was amazing.
There was a Kurdish man who set up his own
make-shift attraction of shooting balloons with a BB gun. Not sure if there was a prize, but I was happy to help and pay him the small fee to participate. The conditions were quite windy but I managed to pop one balloon. Mom 1 to 3, Windy 0 to 3
We arrived that evening on a small commuter plane in Ankara. There was a lot of turbulence with a storm brewing. The pilot had a hard time and had to make three passes circling the airport before finally landing. We all let out a collective sigh of relief and gave the crew a round of applause.
This is just the first part of a very fast, whirlwind trip visiting relatives I had never met before and my parents and grandparents homeland. I wish I had given myself more time but I thought I needed to get back to work so I kept it short, unfortunately, which means I will have to go back.
It had to happen, it was going to happen, I made it happen. I wanted to see my mother's birthplace and follow her path of immigration to the United States. I wanted to meet relatives I had never met before. And I did. I was not able to follow her true path, that would have taken months, but I did manage to go to two countries.
Relations between Turkey and the United States had been on edge and visas to Turkey were on hold. Then one day I read that they had resolved their differences and opened up visas. I went full speed ahead and ordered a ticket to Istanbul, Ankara, back to Istanbul and then to France.
 |
| With new found cousins, Seljuck, Tayfun, and daughter Windy |
When I got off the plane, Windy was there with our new cousins, Tayfun and Seljuck. This was the first time any of us met. They were the nicest people. They took us to dinner, showed us around the area including St. Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The next day they took us to the airport where we were to catch a domestic flight to Ankara. I was so excited because we were traveling on a suspension bridge over the Bosporus and one of the wonders of the world - a city divided between two continents. Europe and Asia.
Seljuck and Tayfun kindly stopped so we could relish the moment, naturally buying us Turkish coffee to warm us up since winter was still in the air. And wherever you went, someone was selling coffee. No Starbucks to be seen.
 |
| Make-shift "carnival" attraction |
There was a Kurdish man who set up his own
make-shift attraction of shooting balloons with a BB gun. Not sure if there was a prize, but I was happy to help and pay him the small fee to participate. The conditions were quite windy but I managed to pop one balloon. Mom 1 to 3, Windy 0 to 3
We arrived that evening on a small commuter plane in Ankara. There was a lot of turbulence with a storm brewing. The pilot had a hard time and had to make three passes circling the airport before finally landing. We all let out a collective sigh of relief and gave the crew a round of applause.
This is just the first part of a very fast, whirlwind trip visiting relatives I had never met before and my parents and grandparents homeland. I wish I had given myself more time but I thought I needed to get back to work so I kept it short, unfortunately, which means I will have to go back.
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