Antalya, Turkey

From April 1-6, I was in Antalya, Turkey. To make one thing clear, I was entirely safe the whole time and made it through without problems, even if at times I felt uncomfortable. Many people ask why I decided to go to Turkey, of all places, and the reason for this is because I had no idea where I wanted to go, or who I wanted to go with, and after talking to a Gustavus girlfriend, Kendra, who had booked flights to Turkey by herself, I decided I would join her. It turned out to be an incredible trip. I'll highlight the most memorable parts.
When I landed, it was late and dark. I had no idea where I was, or where I was going. I had some directions, but they weren't very clear. I got on a bus that took me to a central transit station, it was crowded and hot and the bus driver kept talking to me in Turkish. A lot of people don't speak English. I got off the bus and ended up meeting these 2 middle-aged Belgian women who were going where I was going, which turned out to be a miracle, because they helped me get to exactly where my hostel was. I got to my room where I met Kendra, and I was sooo thankful that the journey was successful. The combination of events really took a lot out of me! As I was explaining my story to Kendra (she had been in Turkey for some days by herself), she tells me that she knows the feeling, being extremely uncomfortable, but in the end, you can look back and almost know that it was fun to be that uncomfortable, being safe in the end. On the crowded bus I remember standing thinking, "why in the world did I choose to come to Turkey?" but the next morning we woke up, walked 50 feet outside of our room to the Mediterranean (with gorgeous mountains in the background), and then I knew why. It is the most beautiful place I have ever been to.
The first day we wandered around Kaleici (the "old town") and acquainted ourselves with our surroundings. We took a boat ride, ate delicious Turkish food, and met many people along the way.
One of the most memorable things that happened was during our day at the beach. We had just arrived at the beach when a group of maybe ten Turkish ~16-year-olds stopped us and asked if they could get a picture with me, and it wasn't all together, it was individual pictures, and they all wanted one, making me feel like some sort of celebrity. I figured it was the color of my hair?
Another one of my favorite parts was the Turkish bath. It was done in a 400 year old stone room, and it was a very relaxing and unique experience.
In all, Kendra helped make it the great experience that it was, and we had so much fun together exploring the city, eating different food and drink, drinking apple tea, getting sun, going to museums, and relaxing and enjoying Turkey!

"This is why I came to Turkey"

Boat ride.

Kendra and I.

Turkish delight anyone?