And so it all begins...

They say that beginnings are scary, endings are sad, and the middle is where the great memories are made.  So far, the adage has proved correct.  After three flights and a ridiculously long layover in Frankfurt, I arrived in Istanbul.  A student from the university was kind enough to meet me at the airport. And in a true tribute to my American nature, I was expecting to be picked up in one of the school vehicles or something of that nature.  But to my great, jet-lagged surprise, the three flights that I had just taken proved only to be half of my journey.  The other half was made up of a brief stint on a subway, two very crowed bus rides, and a bit of a hike, all keep in mind while hauling all of my luggage.  And its needless to say that I did not pack light.  I arrive to my dorm, which is really more of an apartment complex, hoping that at least one of my three room mates will be there to help ease the slight panic that has begun to set in.  After my seemingly epic battle with the lock, I opened the door to a very large, very empty apartment.  My room itself is small and covered with cupboards that would be more fitting of a kitchen then a bedroom.  However there is a bed in which I found my jet-lagged refuge, falling asleep much too early.  

And here I am now, awake long before the sun, or the morning call to prayer.  I lie.  The praying has just begun it seems.  The echoing chants only add to the foreign aspect of this experience.  In all honesty, I do feel much calmer now then I did upon arrival.  I know that the complaining that more than accents this post is childish, and for that I apologize.  I am sure that as the anxiety wears off and the excitement takes hold this will really be an amazing, life changing experience.  But for now I'm way out of my element.  

Peace & Love