Crossroads

Dear Michael,

          I’m wondering if your perfect cut and shave have grown out since we’ve been apart.  I miss you, and it makes me smile to think about that master barber flaming your ears in Karaköy. 

          From the beginning, you made it better than it might have been.  I gawked at the snowy forecast, but you laughed and said, “It will be our Turkey.”  Our Turkey was a whirlwind of long walks to Istanbul’s incredible sights, flurried with pomegranate tea, and warm hummus.  Our Turkey had the chill of suppressed freedom swirled together with vibrant expressions of art, music, and innovation.  Our Turkey glittered with wealth and fell flat with poverty.

          “A crossroads,” is how you described it, and to us it certainly was.  Istanbul felt like one of the great intersections of the world, where fifteen million people meet to talk over warm manti in yogurt sauce, or pide, or a tasting of Turkish delight.  The Ukrainians and Russians are talking there now, and I’m hoping for an end to this war.

          I’m glad we stuffed our bags full of little gifts and took all the photos because it was fun to share our adventure stateside.  We brought the Turkish barber to Washington DC and the restauranteur from Ortaköy to Florida.  We brought the religious scholars from Pakistan to Philadelphia and the Moldovan businessmen to Utah.  We brought the jazz singer from Galata to Atlanta, and the shopkeeper selling scarves in the old town to New York.

          I think we did our very small bit to bring people closer together, and now I’m working my way back to you.  I’ll be there soon with love.

Jill

Last remarks

• Thank you to our family for housing us, feeding us, and loving us when we come ‘home.’  Thank you for traveling to us when we don’t make it to your neck of the woods, and for sharing our adventure with us.  Your excitement energizes us!
• Thank you to our friends that went out of their way to take time out for us when we were back in town.  We will stow away your stories in our hearts and take them with us as far as we go.