Hello Again,

School is winding down. Can't believe I'm going to be home in two weeks. I'm excited to return, but I'm really starting to feel as if Istanbul and the university are my second home. I guess that's a good thing! It's been a long four months, but it's been worth it. I've been busy the past few days getting papers written. I've got 2 down and 1 to go. So far I've written two 8 page book reports and now I have to write a 10 page research paper on the evolution of the EU response to terrorism since the 2004 Madrid Bombings and the 2005 London Bombings. I'm hoping to have it written by Saturday so that Sunday I can go to Princes Island. After that's done, I've got 4 finals and then its SUMMER!! The University has been quite "alive" the past few days. This weekend is International Sports Fest. It's kind of like the olympics for college. There's teams from all over the world (Russia, Croatia, Denmark, UK, Germany, Russia to name a few) at the University to compete in lots of different sports. Last night, there was an opening ceremony held at the stadium next to my dorm. The opening ceremony was much the same as the olympics with all the teams entering onto the track with their flags, their were fireworks, and the singing of the Turkish national anthem. It was really cool! The only downside is that I can't play basketball over the weekend because the courts are being used for games.

Over the past few days, I've been thinking a lot about my experiences from the trip and I wanted to write about what I've learned from coming to Turkey. I think the most common question I get is why did I want to come to Turkey? I've always given the generic answer: I'm studying the Middle East and I wanted to go somewhere different, but I don't think that's really why I came. I think I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of going to a country where I didn't know the language, didn't know a single person, and a long ways from home. Deciding to come to Turkey was a spontaneous decision. I remember sitting in my room, going through my emails and saw one from the study abroad office. On a whim, I contacted the office and made an appointment to talk about the trip to Turkey. I think I was drawn to the program because it represented such a gigantic challenge and it was completely out of comfort zone. Since arriving, I've learned that I shouldn't be afraid to try something new. I can accomplish anything if I have the right mindset and the dedication to get it done.

In Boston, I haven't taken advantage of seeing the city. I've remained confined to the parameters of the BU campus and I can't really say that I know Boston. Leaving my dorm room and hopping on the T to explore the city was never something I did, but its what I want to do next year. Being in Istanbul, I was forced to figure everything out on my own from the food, to the transportation system, to the language barrier. Therefore, I could say that I have pretty good excuse for not seeing the city. Let me tell you, its scary trying to see a city when you have no idea where you're going and everyone looks at you strangely, and you don't speak the language. In Istanbul, I've had plenty of excuses for not leaving my dorm and seeing the sights, but after the first couple weeks here I had to make a decision not to let that stop me, and I didn't. I'm proud of myself for figuring out a strange and foreign city on my own. When I get home, seeing Boston should be a breeze and if I fail to see the city the blame falls on me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that being in Istanbul has taught me that its okay to be scared of new surroundings, but if I don't take advantage of everything around me, I'll regret it in the future.

I've learned that life is just one big adventure. Someday, when I have kids I want to be able to tell them that they should take advantage of every opportunity, but when I do say that I don't want to be a hypocrite. I want to stop being cautious and start taking risks. Some opportunities only come around once in life and I don't want to have regrets about something I did not do. I think my family would definitely describe me as cheap. I hardly ever spend my money. I rationalize not purchasing something or doing a social activity because I might need the money in the future. But what's in the future that can't be done today? For 22 years, I've lived with the goals of saving my money for the big purchases I'll have to make post college like a car, house, etc. As a friend told me on the trip, money can be replaced through hard work, but opportunities might not come twice. When I get home, I want to start living more in the moment and stop thinking about 5 years from now. It's okay to be thrifty and savvy, but its a problem if I'm cheap.

I think going abroad was the best decision I could have made. I don't think I can give an exact reason as to why I wanted to come. When I made the decision to come, I needed to escape from Boston and the US. I was becoming too comfortable with who I was, and being Istanbul has helped me grow as an individual. I've gained a new perspective on not just the world, but myself as well. I think I'll come home a different person with a new perspective on living. One willing to embrace all opportunities that come my way and willing to try new things.

I've still got a couple more blog entries left to write on my plans for Boston and the things I most miss from home, but I wanted to thank everyone for reading my blog. I've loved reading the comments and receiving the emails.

Talk later... Brett