My stay in Turkey has come to an end, what a
crazy journey! Two months have passed in the blink of an eye and I am now
already back in the comfort of my house, remembering all that happened during
these past 60 days. Despite the pandemic situation, I was still able to meet
new people both in the office and in the apartment I shared with others. As
always in life, many contrasting things happened: we laughed and argued, we
worked and relaxed, we travelled and quarantine, but what’s important is that
we shared all these memories together. I will cherish this experience as an
important life lesson, even if it was a short stay I have learnt a lot about
myself and what I cherish and expect in life.
Since Turkey is a majority Muslim country, I was not looking forward Christmas 2020; as expected there were no Christmas decorations hanging around the city and life was going on like any other time of the year. On the 25th of December, me and my roommate took a flight to Antalya and the same day we met an old friend of mine that I hadn’t seen in a while. It was a strange Christmas day, yet one of the happiest I had since many years. I finally understood that what makes it so special is not the snow, the decorations, the lights or the trees but the people you decide to spend time with.
Escaping for some days to the warmth of the south was a great way to spend the last few days I had left in Turkey. The weather in Antalya was not so nice but even walking near the sea and through the rain felt special. There are always pros and cons in every situation, the weekend lockdown we had to endure and the impossibility to sit at a restaurant were surely not enjoyable; nevertheless, we had the opportunity to go around and enjoy a city that otherwise would have been packed with noisy tourists: a once in a lifetime opportunity! I will surely go back to fully experience the city at its best, in summer, also to visit all the ruins around, along with a stopover to Mt. Olympos.
Since the last two days were also going to be rainy and gloomy, we decided to move to Fethiye, a close-by city. We were blessed with shiny sun and warm temperatures that made the trip even more enjoyable. I saw one of the most beautiful beaches, Oludeniz, and felt like I was in an idyllic movie set! I will cherish the memories of that trip forever, the adventurous time I spent with my lovely roommate and the kg I gained because of all the baklava we ate together!
All things must come to an end and now that I can finally close this short but intense chapter, I know that I will miss people, places and (mostly) food! I am grateful that this program exists and that the European Union is investing into making us citizens of the world, I can finally say I am proud to be European!
See you again,
Alessia
Since Turkey is a majority Muslim country, I was not looking forward Christmas 2020; as expected there were no Christmas decorations hanging around the city and life was going on like any other time of the year. On the 25th of December, me and my roommate took a flight to Antalya and the same day we met an old friend of mine that I hadn’t seen in a while. It was a strange Christmas day, yet one of the happiest I had since many years. I finally understood that what makes it so special is not the snow, the decorations, the lights or the trees but the people you decide to spend time with.
Escaping for some days to the warmth of the south was a great way to spend the last few days I had left in Turkey. The weather in Antalya was not so nice but even walking near the sea and through the rain felt special. There are always pros and cons in every situation, the weekend lockdown we had to endure and the impossibility to sit at a restaurant were surely not enjoyable; nevertheless, we had the opportunity to go around and enjoy a city that otherwise would have been packed with noisy tourists: a once in a lifetime opportunity! I will surely go back to fully experience the city at its best, in summer, also to visit all the ruins around, along with a stopover to Mt. Olympos.
Since the last two days were also going to be rainy and gloomy, we decided to move to Fethiye, a close-by city. We were blessed with shiny sun and warm temperatures that made the trip even more enjoyable. I saw one of the most beautiful beaches, Oludeniz, and felt like I was in an idyllic movie set! I will cherish the memories of that trip forever, the adventurous time I spent with my lovely roommate and the kg I gained because of all the baklava we ate together!
All things must come to an end and now that I can finally close this short but intense chapter, I know that I will miss people, places and (mostly) food! I am grateful that this program exists and that the European Union is investing into making us citizens of the world, I can finally say I am proud to be European!
See you again,
Alessia
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