Embracing the New vs. Appreciating the Familiar

Living in a foreign land is a tug-of-war between the fascination and excitement of discovery and the longing for those things that are beloved and familiar. I enjoy my life in Turkey, but I don’t shun my life in Louisiana. There are many things I miss from my home, but I won't be buying a plane ticket back just yet. 

I could go on for days about the things I miss from home compared to the things I love about Turkey, but instead, here’s a visual representation I made of five of each. I didn't include my friends and family — you already know they're at the top of the list. However, it is quite fun finding Turkish dopplegangers of my loved ones. 

1. I miss speaking the same language as the general population. It makes life much simpler and diminishes the inevitable alienation that comes with an unshared language. 
   
2. Before I left the States, Louisiana had a blossoming craft cocktail scene, and I was fortunate enough to have a writing gig that allowed me to blog about it and test out the trendy spots. That hasn’t exactly hit Istanbul, whose overpriced drink lists don’t venture beyond sex on the beaches and not-quite-right margaritas.
   
3. In a normal week at home, the global origins of my meals varied daily. I ate Mexican, Vietnamese, Italian, Southern, Thai, Japanese and Greek rather regularly. Here, it’s ubiquitously Turkish. Sure, there are other types of cuisine if you look for them, but you surely won’t find a hot bowl of cilantro-heavy pho for $7. 
   
4. No dryers = crunchy clothes that take forever to dry and a weather-dependent laundry schedule.
   
5. There’s no cilantro here. Instead, it’s the look-alike imposter parsley. As I’ve mentioned before, parsley is treated as a green rather than a garnish, and it is everywhere. Cilantro makes every dish better. Parsley, on the other hand, does not. 
   

1. It’s hard not knowing how to communicate with the locals. It’s really fun learning how. 
   
2. There are stray cats everywhere in Istanbul, but it should be noted that these aren’t your typical mangy, malnourished homeless felines. Istanbul’s street cats are friendly, healthy-looking and spoiled. Locals put out food and water for them and stop to give them a good head scratch. I’ve seen a street salesman sit on a wall ledge because he was letting a cat sleep on his seat, and another allow a cat to sleep on top of the merchandise he was selling. As a cat person, these sights never cease to make me smile.
   
3. Cheap food is a beautiful thing. Clay and I have recently discovered a place in our neighborhood where we can get hearty sandwiches cooked in front of us for a grand total of $2 US for us both. Our special weekend breakfast is a serving or two of the pastry borek, which costs us about $1.50. I also love to get simit from red-carted street vendors for less than two quarters.
   
4. Life in a big city is vibrant, exciting and different. It's loud, it's fun, it's busy. 
   
5. Having friends from around the globe teaches you more about the world than any textbook ever could. I not only appreciate just getting to know more good people, but the increased cultural awareness my new friends have given me is invaluable.