May 11 and 12th: The End

May 11th: Our last day

 Entrance to Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace (from Dani’s report)

Historical Significance

Topkapı Palace was built by Sultan Mehmet II in 1459 after his conquest of Constantinople, and was the home of the Ottoman sultans for 400 years. While it was occupied, the palace served as living quarters for the sultan, his family, and his hundreds of slaves and concubines. Also, Topkapı Palace served as the headquarters for the judicial and executive functions of the Ottoman Empire.

Mehmet II had the palace built on Sarayburnu, a promontory overlooking the Bosphorus Strait, the Golden Horn, and the Sea of Marmara. The sultan’s private quarters are on the highest point of the promontory, and the rest of the palace extends down to the shoreline of the Bosphorus. Over the years, repairs and additions were made to the palace by various different rulers, until Sultan Abdulmecid built himself a new palace in 1856 and officially moved the royal court. The most modifications were made during Süleyman the Magnificent’s rule from 1520-1560. Sultan Süleyman wanted the Ottoman Empire’s growing size and power to be reflected in Topkapı Palace, so many new buildings were constructed during his reign and can still be seen today. 

About the Museum

Ever since it was converted to a museum in 1923, Topkapı Sarayı has served as a cultural and historic site. It stretches out over 173 acres of land and includes houses, gardens, courtyards, kitchens, an armory, baths, workshops, halls, and residential areas. At one point during its use, the palace was practically its own city. Famous and popular sections of the museum include the royal harem, the treasury, and the various courtyards.

Beautiful Arabic calligraphy

Our last day in Istanbul was sort of a free day. A large group of students went with Eli and a couple of chaperones bike riding on the largest of the Princes' Islands. I went back to Topkapi Palace with the group I had yesterday. We got there right when it opened, and headed for the two most popular sites in the palace - The Treasury and the Harem. The treasury was spectacular (sorry, no pictures allowed), as was the Harem (though I did come to learn that "Harem" is the living quarters for the sultan, the Queen Mother (mother of the Sultan), his wives, and his concubines). 

Beautiful tiles in the Harem section

More beautiful tiles

I had visited Topkapi Palace two years ago, and was fairly unimpressed. I decided to give it another chance, and am so glad I did, for this time I really enjoyed myself.

The same thing happened to me at Hagia Sofya. Last time to Turkey I loved the Blue Mosque, and thought Hagia Sofya was just okay. This time, though I still really liked the Blue Mosque, I was much more impressed with Hagia Sofya. It is so interesting what influences one's impressions. Reality is so fluid. 

The Sultan's chambers

the ceiling

Emily, KJ and Emili

Grace and Dani

Outside the circumcision room

The museum with the religious articles was very interesting. On display were the following: 

The sword of the Prophet David

The staff of the Prophet Moses

The sauce pan of the Prophet Abraham

The turban of the Prophet Joseph

The arm of John the Baptist

The footprint and beard of the final Prophet Muhammad

Quite a claim!

Yeni Mosque

 Finally, I decided to do some shopping. I promised my father I would buy him pepper and for Christy, anything with rose in it. Near the Spice Market is Yeni Mosque. What an amazing mosque this is!

 The ceiling of Yeni Mosque, following a pillar up.

Farewell Dinner

Our new friends Melanie and Ferhat arranged our Farewell dinner at the restaurant where Ferhat is the chef.  We wer given the entire roof top terrace, which had a beautiful view of the Bosporus and Hagia Sofya. 

Student were asked to prepare their "most important lesson" to share at the Farewell Dinner. We took breaks through out the meal to hear a few "lessons" and then back to eating. So I will disperse their lessons through the next few pictures.

Most Important Lessons: Class of 2012

The Turkey trip really opened my eyes to so much freedom, I felt like I was a different person. I have traveled many times, and while I traveled I would always be with my family and they would not really give me the freedom I had on this trip. It was always a set itinerary that we would plan on the spot and it was an itinerary that I could not change. I was surprised by the change that hit me when I stepped out on my first day in Antalya. Our group could just easily choose where to go in what order and that was so much to me because I felt like I really had an influence on these decisions.

            I heard about a group of people getting homesick, but I have traveled so much that homesickness really doesn’t happen to me. But as I sat at those numerous internet cafes, I realized that I didn’t miss my family, I realized that I loved them even more, because of that connection of just email. Just this opportunity of being with a different group of people changed my experience so much and I really am thankful for my friends giving me that opportunity of change of experience if that makes any sense. I enjoy being with my family and my friends during travel because the experience is so different that you love getting a change.  I learned that change is something that we really need in our lives, or we start getting a feeling that travel is so monotonous, and no one really wants to get the feel of travel being boring.

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I learned how to be with a group of people and not put on a school “face”. I learned how to open up with a large group of people. I learned how to navigate through a country and use other people’s skills along with my own.

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            I was reflecting on homesickness a little while ago, and I started thinking about what I got mad at my siblings for. I think that this trip has taught how much I take them for granted. I get mad at them for things that don’t matter, and without them, life would be fairly boring. The only difference to them and my friends is that they're family. I still feel that I can trust and confide in them, and still end up on the floor laughing with them.

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This trip I had to learn my most important lesson the hard way. The lesson I learned is look before you leap, this can be translated into think before you act. If I had used my head my trip would have been a lot simpler.

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One night Robert was talking to us and he said, “If something cool happens, just let it happen.” In the beginning, this idea was hard for me. Not knowing what was going to happen in a place we didn’t know where we were was scary. I talked about this at the going away ceremony, and continued to think about through the trip. Quickly, I realized that some of the best adventures we had were unplanned. Visiting the preschool in Antalya. Looking in at a sewing club and a diorama museum in Konya. Exploring the rock formations on the way to Cappadocia. Shopping with a dozen pen-pals and Evergreeners in Antakya. Visiting mosques and shops in Istanbul. These things happened on the fly with no prior planning, and were totally awesome! I enjoyed them and now I know not to be scared of something I don’t expect. The Turks also showed me how to Embrace the Unknown by asking me to sign their arm over and over again or inviting me over to their house. They were excited to learn more about me and welcomed me as a stranger. From now on I don’t have to dread surprises, I can instead embrace the unexpected and look forward to what I don’t know is coming. 

This trip has been an exotic blend of old and new, same and different. Going on a month-long trip was old, but being in Turkey was new. Spending time with my classmates was old, but having them as my sole outlet for companionship was new. Walking around a foreign country was old, but doing it alone – with independence and responsibility – was new. More than anything, all of those experiences have taught me how to finely balance my time. I know now that old and new, same and different, good and bad, black and white is all the same, part of a bigger spectrum. Balancing the time I spend on myself, with my friends, or with family is a lot harder to do at home than it is to do here. Maybe now that I’ve had so much experience and practice with balancing my life in Turkey, I can make a more conscious effort to do the same in Seattle.

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I have learned many important lessons over the course of this trip but the most important thing that I have experienced on this trip has been finding my spirituality.

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On this trip I learned that I am strong. This might come as a surprise to  those who have laughed after I hit them, but it means a lot to me. I have trouble with a lot of things in my life., not just because I have high standards, but because I have a hard time living up to other people’s. There are a lot of things I want to do, and a lot of things in my way, and yet I spend all of my time timing to keep other people happening, and explain why I’m not. But after this trip, I’m done. I’m my first priority, and I am strong enough to do it. I’m ready to go forward, and start being the person that I want to be and after that, everything else should fall into place.

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            The world is a cold and sterile place, where everyone is out to gain something. That was my outlook on life for quite an embarrassingly long period of time. Someone offered me something; I would have to think vigorously about what s/he “was trying to get out of me.” If someone had said “genuine kindness” I would have laughed. Those words just weren’t in my vocabulary. But then I came to Turkey. In Antalya, I was offered numerous amounts of “free” things, and thinking about the hidden gains of each one was tiring. Soon, after maybe 4 or so, I began realizing that there were no hidden gains. My immediate thought: that was their hidden gains. And then I saw my flaw. These people were actually trying to give me something. Their gain, if anything, was my pleasure. With this in mind, I cautiously dipped my feet into the metaphorical waters of freedom, and just accepted a free tea without any second thought. And that was all it took. From then on, I never questioned an offer of anything “free” (to some level, that is). And then- I finally started living.           

 The most important lesson I learned on this trip was how to communicate with people nonverbally. Before the countries I had been to, I either knew some of the language or I had adults to communicate with me. This trip I realized how important it was to know the local language and how to get my point across to someone who did not speak my language.

            The second lesson I learned was not to take people for granted. My good friend died while I was on the trip and I realized how important she was to me even though I had not been hanging out with her for a long time.

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Lesson learned: I learned that to gain responsibility and respect you have to be responsible and respect authority figures. This was something that was always told and taught to me but I didn’t truly understand it until I came on this trip.

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That I take my family and friends for granted, that people around the world live perfectly fun lives without the internet or tap water, That I do not need to be aware of everything that is happening on the planet, And that I enjoy being a follower as much as a leader.

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I think that the most important lesson that I learned in Turkey is to be aware of my surroundings. This can be keeping my voice quiet in mosques, or not going places that I am not supposed to. For example, while I was walking in Topkapi palace, I accidentally stepped over this small fence onto the ‘sacred stone’. Although I still do not know what this meant, I am sure that stepping on it was not appropriate, and if seen could have resulted in repercussions. I have learned to mimic my surroundings and not do things that would draw to much unwanted attention to me.

The most important lessons I learned on this trip is how to be less uptight about plans, how to be a little bit more spontaneous and present, and that no matter what, there is always somebody behind me.

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Over the duration of the trip I have learned many lessons that I will remember forever. The most important lesson that I learned was to do what you can, while you can because you may never get to do it again. On the last day in Cappadocia I was tired, but instead of sitting in a hotel room staring at the wall I decided to go on a hike to the Uchisar castle, which was well worth it. After playing soccer with our pen pals in Antakya, they invited me out to dinner, and even though I was tired I still went. In the end I made some great new friends, had a great meal, and a great time. You don’t experience Turkey in your hotel room. You might technically be in Turkey, but if you don’t go out and experience it you should have stayed home. I can sit on the couch and watch TV in my own home, but I can’t go to an 800 year old castle in my house, around my house, or in America. This lesson will be important to me whenever I am faced with an opportunity that I may not have again, not only when I am traveling but in Seattle too. Because I can never write something creative without a quote, here is one that I think about, “To live doesn’t mean you’re alive.”- Nicki Minaj. A basic outline in my day is wake up eat, school, homework, eat, and sleep. The things you remember in this schedule aren’t the main events

. It is what happens that is unique each day. The unique experiences are the one you remember, the ones you only have once.

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The most important lesson I learned on this trip was how much I take things, such as my home and basic dependence on my parents, for granted. This trip has graduated me to a level of independence I have not before reached and, while I enjoy that freedom, I have also realized how much I rely on the support of people like my parents who are not available on this trip. I didn’t miss my parents very much until about a third of the way into the trip, but then it hit me that I had never spent this long away from them and, while everything had worked out smoothly thus far, I didn’t really know what to do. I think this is a very valuable lesson as a huge step to becoming an adult in any community is to stop depending on others for support and look inside oneself instead.. 

During this trip, I’ve learned to watch, wait, and listen. That I should never be too caught up in my own troubles to be grumpy and miss the moment or a great experience.

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Plans are like hopes and wishes. Sometimes things don’t go as “planned” but it might be the best day ever. You need to be okay with that. That is why people have back-ups and last minute problem solving.

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            As I probe my mind for things I have learned on this trip, I first arrive at what I expected to learn. I expected to become more responsible and self-reliant, but I don’t think that’s what I will take from this. Cleanliness and work have not been at the front of my brain this trip, because I didn’t have a good enough reason to work when I could talk to my friends. When this thought came to me, I realized what lesson I would take from this.

            Turkey brought a mix of interesting foods and places, but I found the important part of the trip to be living with my classmates for a month.  I found out more than ever what I liked and disliked about my friends, and how to live with that. Dealing with people is important in life, and this trip has taught me about my effect on my fellows, and their effect on me.

I learned that one of the best ways to grow as a person is to adapt to my surroundings in each of my different settings. I admire people who react in the perfect way to each and every person or event. I admire people who you feel like understand you when things happen, and react in a perfect way. One thing I learned is not to react boldly to somebody until you know them, and you know their sense of humor. People teach me about myself by being like a mirror.

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The most important lesson I have learned on this trip is that you need to know when to let things go. Sometimes if you think something isn’t possible, but ask anyways, it might turn out well for you. Sometimes, though, when there is no way it will happen or there is no way to fix it, you have to try to let it go.

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I learned to plan ahead and take charge a little bit more, instead of just sitting back and letting others plan things. However, I also learned when to be spontaneous and allow new decisions into a schedule.

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The most important lesson I learned on this trip is appreciating my family. Before I left  I didn’t think I would miss anyone but my family but about halfway through the trip I realized how much I missed my parents.

The most important lesson on I learned on this trip is the importance of recognizing similarities while embracing differences.

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A month seems like a long time, but it’s not.

Don’t stay in the hotel if you have the option to go out.

You can stay in hotels in America all the time. You can’t wander Istanbul all the time.

You’ll have more fun out in the city anyway.

You’ll learn new things.

Sitting in the hotel is boring.

Get sleep at night, not during the day.

The places are more important than the company.

Sure, laugh with your friends, but not loud enough to be disrespectful.

The impressions on the Turks are more lasting than the side conversations with friends.

If you’re somewhere beautiful, take time to enjoy it on your own.

If you have a friend near you, you’re going to be distracted.

Find time for solitude.

Social life is not the top priority.

The more you pay attention, the more interesting the trip gets.

Teachers and tour guides know what they’re talking about.

You can talk to your friends tomorrow, but you won’t be seeing Hagia Sophia tomorrow.

Be engaged even when you’re tired; you’ll be glad you paid attention later.

Don’t take pictures.

Only take pictures of the frivolous but important things.

A generic picture of Hagia Sophia can be found on Google Images.

Take pictures in your mind.

The longer you take to record your memories, the less you make.

Keep your camera charged.

If a guy flirts with you, flirt back.

Don’t buy from someone just because they’re cute and nice.

Don’t spend 30 lira on tea on your second day of the trip.

Buy what you want, you’ll have enough money in the end.

When someone talks to you in Turkish, don’t be afraid to respond.

Speak as little English as possible – the more Turkish you speak, the more you learn.

If you speak Turkish, no matter how badly, people will like you more.

Don’t reject a free gift.

Fall in love with everything.

Don’t regret it.

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I do not feel comfortable sharing my true most important lesson from this trip for fear of ridicule from my peers. I can, however, state the general summary and its effect on me. In this experience I have learned to try to accept and be kind to others, for no selfish reason, only that it will enhance their lives, no matter in how small a way. 

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The most important thing I’ve learned on this trip is the amount of things I worry and obsess over. Back in Seattle, I feel like my general demeanor at home is to go into a situation with a sense of knowing what will happen, how things might play out, and with a general “plan.” Though I know I’m capable of otherwise, I’ve realized that here in Turkey, and when traveling in general, not everything will go as initially planned. Mistakes, loss, and struggle will take one places they never would’ve traveled to before. This can be a wonderful thing, to put it plainly, and not always has this occurred to me in Seattle, but when the situation rises in the future, “going with the flow” might be the better way.

On this trip I learned that I can really change how I feel about something with the attitude I approach it with. Sometimes when our group was walking around, I could navigate us pretty well if I just thought I could. Also if I thought some food was going to suck, it would. Same thing goes for pinball scores. This lesson wouldn’t be very important if I didn’t apply it, though.

            Ignoring my group also helps. I found that sometimes we would need to stop to look at a map when it turned out we were heading the right direction in the first place. I try not to ignore them too much though, because I might get hit by a car. An example of this was Topkapi palace. I just told myself how awesome it was going to be and it was. In this case, it would have still been awesome.

            This may not sound that important, but it changed my entire outlook on the trip.

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            I think I have taken away many things from this trip, very few of which were lessons that I expected to learn. For instance, I have learned appreciate the value of money (that much more) and realize how far you can make one buck, (or one lira) go. I have become aware of how insanely lucky I am to have been born into the position I am – financially comfortable, living in an awesome city offering bountiful opportunities and a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively) at my will, with a family that loves me, and loyal, fun friends that understand me. Along with this I now realize more than ever how much some others in the world would give to be in this position and to live in the glittering enigma that is, “America!” But most of all, one lesson sticks out to me like a red, rapidly throbbing sore thumb; it is a beacon of light shining across the Bosphorus, the north star found when one is without direction. Dramatic sentence! I have learned how much I can truly do with my time. I now realize how many memories I could be making and experiences having in every single passing moment. I don’t think I have regretted a single moment spent on this trip and I can’t say the same for my pre-trip life. I have always had high hopes and big goals for my life, wanting to accomplish many things. But now I get it: I have to do all these exciting things or I will regret all those ‘wasted’ moments. There are infinite exciting doors to open, and I need to take advantage of that. I need to run through the hall, throwing open every door and loving each minute of it. Life is there for me to make the most of it, so I should. And I will, because this trip has spoiled me and I don’t think I can live through many more dull moments.

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            After eight years of deliberating about how the eighth grade global studies trip would change my life, I am suddenly in a position to answer it. I find myself on the last night of an incredible journey that has taken me through freedom, laughter, sadness, anger, sickness, and many other emotions that would have never touched me if not for this trip. I have put myself through museums, schools, mosques, six hotels and long bus rides to find the answer to the question I have always pondered. But I believe each event speaks for itself, each joke I shared with a pen-pal, each time I ordered food in Turkish. These events are the ones that changed my life. And I am forever grateful for them.

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The most important lesson I learned while in Turkey was to be flexible. I learned that in order to have a good time you not only needed to be flexible with your schedule, but also with one another. What I mean by that is to be flexible with people to try to cope with what they do, with their flaws, and try to put yourself in their shoes. When you do that then the group experience would be better for everybody and instead of everybody arguing with one another, people would have the time of their lives. This is also a good lesson for life too. To be flexible with everything, and that way you would understand more about the world and one another.

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I learned about the language barrier, and the lack of it in certain places. Trying to communicate with someone who spoke very little to zero English was often difficult and involved many hand gestures and mispronounced Turkish words.  Sometimes it was simple, for someone inquiring about the whereabouts of the toilet could simply say “Toilet”, and the man would say “Toilet?” “Yes.” Then the man would point him in the direction. While playing Frisbee on the Antalyan beach with a few of my friends, we noticed an increasing group of Turkish boys watching us. We spoke under five words in the same language, but speaking wasn’t necessary.  I gestured for them to join us, and I threw the disc to the first one who stepped forward. He grinned as he caught it, and then threw a lofty throw back. One by one the kids joined the circle, and we were all having a great time. One of the older kids in the bunch decided to climb up one of the various rocks nearby, and both of us read each other’s mind. He looked eagerly at me, on the balls of his feet in anticipation. I threw the Frisbee a couple yards in front of him, and he leapt off like a flying squirrel and deftly caught the disc in the air. Everybody was clapping and cheering, and the rest of the boys queued up on the rock. It was so fun!!!!!!!!!!! Language, smanguage, as I say.  If you see a smiling kid who looks interested, let him join. If you don’t speak a language fluently, at least make an effort to speak it.  Every moment is an opportunity, and every moment provides a chance break the barrier.

Ferhat in his cute chef's cap

We celebrated Amelia's birthday a day early.

May 12th

We got back to the hotel after the farewell dinner around 11PM, and had to wake up at 2AM to be in the hotel lobby by 2:30AM, pay all the bills, check the rooms, and be driving to the airport by 3AM to catch our 5:50AM flight to Frankfurt.

15 hours later we arrived in Seattle.

What an amazing experience it has been. Once again I am so grateful for being able to be part of this experience for these young souls, opening a few doors for them, and observing their transformation.