Istanbul, Turkey

When asked to think of a place that makes me feel peaceful, my first thought was of my family's apartment in Istanbul, Turkey. 

I have gone to Turkey over my summer vacations in previous years, and honestly those trips were some of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. Life is very different in America compared to the Middle East, and being able to connect with my culture, family, and friends there was an amazing feeling.

In the morning, we would wake up very early to go to the street bazaar in the center of town. Basically, people from all over (nearby towns and villages) would come and set up their own stands where they would sell things. People from the villages would bring fresh produce they grew on their farms, and artisans would sell their pottery and jewelry they made by hand. A friend of ours is a seamstress, and sold beautiful hijabs and clothing.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was going sightseeing; I got the opportunity to see Turkish architecture and famous tourist attractions, and the aura overall was very peaceful. 

For instance, we went on a boat ride on the Bosphorus Sea. The Bosphorus Sea connects Asian Turkey to European Turkey, so tourists frequently board it to get from place to place and see all the tourist attractions. My cousins came along with me and my sister, and we took pictures of the shimmering, cerulean water from the terrace of the ferry.

The ferry had a little restaurant on the first level, so a lot of seagulls would come and circle the boat, hoping to snatch some food. I fed the birds some of the food from my plate even though technically you’re not supposed to do that, since they’ll just keep coming back for more (This I learned the hard way).

In the distance, we saw dolphins leaping out of the water. The sea was glittering under the sunlight, producing a beautiful, breathtaking sight. The ferry ride was one of the most serene experiences I had in Istanbul and I would love to go back just to do it again.

The ferry made multiple stops at the many islands off of Istanbul, so we got off at the biggest one. The island was very vast, with a paved, mountainous region. In this area, there were masses of horse-drawn carriages going up and down the hills, and tourists would rent out these carriages to ride throughout the whole island.

My cousins and I rented out bikes and rode up the mountains, which was a very arduous task but a good experience nonetheless. It took us hours to go up the hills but I loved every second of it. The weather was breezy and perfect, and even though it got tiring biking for so long, the ambiance was peaceful.

Sunset at the island

On the ferry