PEOPLE OF ISTANBUL.

When I travel I do what all tourists do – take lots of pictures, visit famous sights, and buy souvenirs. However, these are not the things that I find most fascinating. My favorite moments are not the sights I visited or the crazy pictures I took; they are the interactions I had.

In Istanbul I experienced a culture that was welcoming, warm, and wonderful. The pictures above are people I’d seen on the streets of Istanbul – street performers, dedicated workers, free liberty speakers. Each picture tells a little bit about their story. These people were just like the rest of us with different life experiences, different dreams, different trials, and different gifts to give. I find these characteristics and pockets of wisdom ever inspiring. While I was in Istanbul, these are some of the comments/stories I heard. Some are funny, some are heart-rending.

 “Hey lady, you are cute. You come back to me tonight.” – Old man who insisted on hip bumping each of us as we walked by.

“I have decided to ride my bike around the globe. It may take me a year or two, but now is my time to explore and learn before I have to grow up and set down roots. I started in France and am simply heading east until I hit the ocean. It has already been two months and I still have a lot left. It may not be “fun,” but it is a quiet enjoyment allowing me to think.” – 25 year old French man I met at the hostel on his way across the 

world.

“For you it is free.” “You can eat me too if you want.” – Man trying to get me to come into his restaurant.

“We left it all. We simply quit our jobs and set off. We have decided to ride our motorcycle everywhere we can go. We get to experience things no one else can.” – Couple from Denmark waiting for the arrival of their motorcycle (they had already drove all over Africa and were about to head to Amsterdam)

“I’m basically a bum. I quit everything and now I am just travelling the world.” – Australian man I met at the Hostel

“1 lira 1 lira.” “Chai Chai Chai!” – Young boys trying to earn money off all the thirsty tourists (they definitely made quite a bit off of me)

“How about a round of beers?” “No thank you, you can get some though (our reply).” “Naw, I only wanted to get drunk if you guys were.” – Argentinean man as we sat and watched the World Cup game

“The one thing I regret doing the most while drunk was losing my virginity. That is something that should mean more. Too many teenagers are ending up pregnant, and too many children are ending up with a life that isn’t deserved. “– good friend we met at the hostel

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” – Gandhi

Just as the quote states, it is in a gentle way that you can help change the world. With a simple smile, conversation, or listening ear you can help others feel the joy of life and help them to grow. You never know maybe along the way the people you interact with my teach you a lesson or help you to gain a new perspective, just as the people of Istanbul have done with me. In a gentle way, the people I met in have taught me things no person can learn from the words written in a book or studied in a classroom. They have taught me to live.

 I hope that you can take a moment or two and open your eyes. Take a look around you, talk to someone you would never normally approach. Learn their story, see what gifts they have to give learn to love and understand them (even if it is for a brief moment). The people around each of us, no matter where we are, have a light in them. Never will you discover what a great light it is until you search to find it.