Homeward Bound

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays....

Today is my last day in Istanbul,
tomorrow morning at 0900 i fly out of here on a plane homeward bound
I feel a sense of bittersweetness
I really loved my time here and i felt like something really clicked with me here in Turkey
but at the same time it has been a vacation from real life and its time for me to get back to reality
i have to graduate
and get a job or go to grad school
and i have to keep moving forward
one step at a time

It makes it especially sad because all my friends here keep telling me how
i am like family to them and i hate leaving family behind anywhere
but it is also nice to know that i have family all over the world!

anyways the time has come for me to wrap up this blog and say my last piece

First, i encourage everyone to be brave and do something unexpected of you
Second, it is direly important for the future of the world that our generations and the ones that follow us get out of their own cultures and experience something different
Third, it is so important to make a real attempt to be understanding and compassionate to all human beings regardless of ethnicity, nationality, language....etc....because one person can encompass a lot of differences within them...and its important to bridge the gap and make common ground where you cannot find any.
Fourth, Turkey is a historical phenomenon....you can't go anywhere without running into something ancient, meaningful, or sacred. For example there is a church built into a mountain in Turkey and its called St. Nicholas's Cathedral....
for those who dont understand St. Nick...is Santa Claus....bet you didnt' know Santa has a summer home in Turkey did you?
Fifth, drop your biases, and your strictured opinions....be flexible...the only part of you that should be so straight and narrow is your backbone...how will you grow if you dont allow yourself the room...and i mean this mentally.
Sixth, don't assume anything...dont assume you know...dont assume you dont know...dont assume what people are thinking...or feeling...etc....if you want to know something- then ask, and ask someone else, and then research on your own....dont just believe, discover for yourself!
Seventh, and i learned this a long time ago from a childrens cartoon called The Magic School Bus....but i relearned it here in turkey..."Take Chances, Get Messy, Make Mistakes"
you're going to make mistakes....that is inevitable but while you do it you might as well learn something...you might as well try...take a chance....i mean if you are going to fall off a cliff- why not try to fly...

and with those words of wisdom dear reader, i leave you to your own devices...

remember its a really big complicated world...so if you think you know something...look at it from a different angle and i bet you'll see a whole new picture!

Ciao!
Jessi