One Week and Counting….

I arrived in Istanbul about a week ago, and wow. Nothing could have prepared me for all this, it’s amazing!

I took a flight from JFK in NYC to Frankfurt, Germany and then from there to Istanbul. The flight was great, I flew on Lufthansa Airlines which was amazing. They really try to make you comfortable and feed you until you explode! I had a three course meal with two desserts! They also give free alcohol, thats definitely a plus! When I arrived to Frankfurt I was super tired but very happy to be walking around after flying around for eight hours. Frankfurt International Airport is huge!!!!!! I had a seven hour layover which wasn’t ideal but at the time it was my best option. The flight to Istanbul was quick and easy (they fed us again!) because it was two hours. Arriving in Istanbul was great, as soon as I got off the plane I was greeted with smiling faces and a whole new culture. Getting through Customs was easy and then IES coordinators picked me up. I met my roommates in the airport, they are super nice. There are nine of us, Claire, Barbara, Naomi, Kaela, Apoorva, Leslie, Kirsten, Laurel, and muah. My group is amazing because we all come from different states and different backgrounds. We each contribute something different to our program which is great.

My first week in Istanbul had been great! I have been all over Istanbul and I have only been here for a week which is crazy. Monday, my first full day here, I went to Yeditepe Universitesi where I am currently taking Turkish! Yeditepe is great, it’s a private university in Istanbul. The first thing I noticed when I arrived there were all the dogs. Istanbul has a problem with stray dogs, they are everywhere. In the city, in the outskirts and even on university campuses like Yeditepe.The next thing I noticed was the Yeditepe population. Everyone seem to look very trendy and very up to date with fashion. It was as if I was back in NYC.

Other than Yeditepe Universitesi, I have been to different parts of Istanbul like Uskudar, Kadikoy, Besiktas, Sultanahmet, Eminonu, and Osmanbey. The city is great full of diversity and people who are great and very helpful.

Another thing I have been doing is drinking lots of Chay! Tea is very important in Turkey so its drank daily up to 20 times a day (Woah..).

So far, I’m in love with this place, and I have only been here for a week. It’s truly a different and amazing culture.