When I talked about my hobbies, I usually told about travelling as well. However, when I think of it now, I realize that it's not a hobby for me. It's much more than that. It's a great part of me. Travelling makes me who I am.
Yes, travelling makes me who I am. How does it do that? I think the reason lies beneath the answer to the question 'Why do I travel?'. Somethings in life are just hobby such as swimming, playing football, hiking etc. They are just hobbies and they may change in time. I mean you may change your hobbies in time, add new ones, stop doing some etc. However, there are somethings we do, which never loses its attraction in time. Travelling for me is like that. It defines my personality in some aspects.
When I was a small kid my travel was between Ağrı, my hometown, and Istanbul. The trip took about 22-24 hours by bus and we often took it. Almost at every religious feast (Ramadan and Sacrifice Feast) we, as the whole family, went to İstanbul to meet my mother's family and to spend the vacation with them. For kids such long time in a bus is not an easy task for the parents. We were three and I really loved it, although it was not comfortable at all. I wasn't being difficult during our travels. On the contrary, I was pretty cool with the trip.
There were stops for half an hour at every 4-5 hours and I was always going out both to eat and to take in the scene surrounding the resting area. On the road, since I was a small kid, I usually went over to the driver's side and sat next to him at the steward sit and watched the road. I loved and admired the roads.
During my childhood, I lived in Van and Muş as well. I always loved to go around the city and explore what's interesting in town. In Istanbul, my cousins and sometimes my grandpa were my guides. With them I discovered some parts of Istanbul.
When I finished middle school, I went to Antalya in a car with my uncle and one of my cousins (I have about 40 first degree cousins:) ). The trip was really quite comfortable, because we had the chance to stop at any place we wanted. The buses take highways, since they can go faster. With the car, we also stopped at some city centres on our route. It was one of the most fun travels of my life. I discovered Antalya and its surroundings during my 1,5 months stay.
When I was at high school, I was the president of our school's excursion club. So, we organised two trips to neighbour city Van. Van Lake is the biggest lake in Turkey and there is an island in it. I enjoyed those travels. I also, partially, started photography during my travels to Van.
It was 1999 that the course of my life changed. I came to Istanbul for my university study. For the first 1,5 years, I wasn't really that active. Then I discovered that one could travel without really spending that much money. It was, in fact, cheap to travel. What I needed was a passport only. The rest was really piece of cake. I got my passport at the end of 2002 though. I didn't have enough money to do it before. With the beginning of the 2003, my international travels started with Sofia, Bulgaria. Then in May to Bucharest, Romania and in November to Cologne, Germany. When you taste the sweet taste of international travel, discovering new cultures, meeting people from all around the world and dating with some, you become someone else. Not your-old-self any more.
What I love most about it is that I get to meet lots of people with different background, cultures and ethnicities.. Once you have that extacy, you cannot be without it anymore. It becomes an addiction. More than addiction, it becomes your passion. Something you cannot be without. Then it becomes a part of you. Without it you cannot survive!
One last thing: Some people ask whether it's about the road or the destination. I believe it's the road, not the destination. Because destinations, kind of, mean an end. However, roads never stop or end, just as the life..
Photo 1: Behind me is Akdamar Church at Akdamar Island in Van Lake.
Photo 2: On my first trip abroad: Sofia, Bulgaria..
Photo 3: After we cooked noodle salad, in Köln, Germany
Yes, travelling makes me who I am. How does it do that? I think the reason lies beneath the answer to the question 'Why do I travel?'. Somethings in life are just hobby such as swimming, playing football, hiking etc. They are just hobbies and they may change in time. I mean you may change your hobbies in time, add new ones, stop doing some etc. However, there are somethings we do, which never loses its attraction in time. Travelling for me is like that. It defines my personality in some aspects.
When I was a small kid my travel was between Ağrı, my hometown, and Istanbul. The trip took about 22-24 hours by bus and we often took it. Almost at every religious feast (Ramadan and Sacrifice Feast) we, as the whole family, went to İstanbul to meet my mother's family and to spend the vacation with them. For kids such long time in a bus is not an easy task for the parents. We were three and I really loved it, although it was not comfortable at all. I wasn't being difficult during our travels. On the contrary, I was pretty cool with the trip.
There were stops for half an hour at every 4-5 hours and I was always going out both to eat and to take in the scene surrounding the resting area. On the road, since I was a small kid, I usually went over to the driver's side and sat next to him at the steward sit and watched the road. I loved and admired the roads.
During my childhood, I lived in Van and Muş as well. I always loved to go around the city and explore what's interesting in town. In Istanbul, my cousins and sometimes my grandpa were my guides. With them I discovered some parts of Istanbul.
When I finished middle school, I went to Antalya in a car with my uncle and one of my cousins (I have about 40 first degree cousins:) ). The trip was really quite comfortable, because we had the chance to stop at any place we wanted. The buses take highways, since they can go faster. With the car, we also stopped at some city centres on our route. It was one of the most fun travels of my life. I discovered Antalya and its surroundings during my 1,5 months stay.
When I was at high school, I was the president of our school's excursion club. So, we organised two trips to neighbour city Van. Van Lake is the biggest lake in Turkey and there is an island in it. I enjoyed those travels. I also, partially, started photography during my travels to Van.
Photo 1
It was 1999 that the course of my life changed. I came to Istanbul for my university study. For the first 1,5 years, I wasn't really that active. Then I discovered that one could travel without really spending that much money. It was, in fact, cheap to travel. What I needed was a passport only. The rest was really piece of cake. I got my passport at the end of 2002 though. I didn't have enough money to do it before. With the beginning of the 2003, my international travels started with Sofia, Bulgaria. Then in May to Bucharest, Romania and in November to Cologne, Germany. When you taste the sweet taste of international travel, discovering new cultures, meeting people from all around the world and dating with some, you become someone else. Not your-old-self any more.
Photo 2
What I love most about it is that I get to meet lots of people with different background, cultures and ethnicities.. Once you have that extacy, you cannot be without it anymore. It becomes an addiction. More than addiction, it becomes your passion. Something you cannot be without. Then it becomes a part of you. Without it you cannot survive!
Photo 3
One last thing: Some people ask whether it's about the road or the destination. I believe it's the road, not the destination. Because destinations, kind of, mean an end. However, roads never stop or end, just as the life..
Photo 1: Behind me is Akdamar Church at Akdamar Island in Van Lake.
Photo 2: On my first trip abroad: Sofia, Bulgaria..
Photo 3: After we cooked noodle salad, in Köln, Germany
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