Well its been a few days since I last wrote. Wednesday I had orientation at the office of international relations. There were roughly 50-60 American exchange students and another 15-20 Erasmus students or the European students. At the orientation, I got to meet a lot of the other kids. There from all over the US, but quite a few are part of a Duke University program that has kids from both and other colleges. The actual orientation was a little odd... It was about two hours and consisted of a long power point presentation that didn't really cover a lot of information and a campus tour in the rain! The campus tour was a good chance to meet the other kids as I was able to walk around and introduce myself. Too many names to remember, but everyone seems friendly and nice. One of the kids that I hung out with, Joshua, is very intriguing. I found out after the orientation that he's 24 and in his last year of school at the University of Oklahoma. He's a freelance travel writer who's been all over the world. He's spent a lot of time in South America and Australia. After the campus tour, we all loaded on buses and had a buffet style dinner at another campus belonging to the University. There were traditional turkish food offered like kebabs and meatballs, with an American twist to it. We ate in a long dining hall at many different tables. There were about 8 of us at each table so were able to mingle with everyone. Unfortunately, I think arriving a few days early was more of a disadvantage than I thought. Most people who arrived on Monday took at least some part of journey together. As a result, they were already friends and formed their own groups. A lot of people are traveling right now as we still have another week before classes begin. After dinner, we took the buses to another region of Istanbul which I'm conveniently forgetting. We went to a hookah bar where I inhaled about 10 years worth of cigarette smoking. I'm glad I went, but I won't be going back again!
I've been taking a lot of walks around the area. Each time I've been venturing a little bit farther. I'm getting a little sick of this area and after I complete the registration tomorrow I'm heading to the tourist area. I had wanted to go over the weekend, but was feeling a little under the weather so I decided to postpone the trip till I felt better. I'm trying to convince a few people to go with me, but it seems everyone has already been. That's what I mean when everyone who showed up the same day are already friends. Also, I'm pretty sure I'm the only American on my floor which is a bit of an issue in terms of meeting everyone else. Oh well, it'll just be a little more challenging. Once classes start, I'll be spending a lot more time with the students. For the next week I might have to be a solo traveler, but I'm not going to sit around my dorm doing nothing so I'll be adventurous and see the sights on my own!
I'm having fun, but I'm definitely homesick. There have been a few times when I've questioned whether I made the right decision in coming here, but a long walk usually clears up any doubts. Still, I definitely think about it. Tomorrow is registration and a meeting with my academic advisor. I'll let everyone know what classes I'm in after I register!
Love and miss you all!
-Brett
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Do not worry, it will get easier. You are only 1 week into the trip, and it is a reality that it might be challenging at first to meet new people. Everyone that has traveled together is only clinging to each other b/c it's the easiest and safest thing to do. Over the next few weeks, everyone will get settled and realize who they actually want to spend the next few months with.
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