When asked about my life in Turkey, I faced many questions. Who am I? How do I live? What do I do? The first was easy enough. I am a resident of Turkey, a native of the U.S., and a citizen of the world. I was raised in Chester County, PA, in a town that had the feel of an old and small northeastern city plopped in the midst of the green pastures of horse country.
I loved it, but eventually moved to the great City of Brotherly Love – Philadelphia. There I lived and practiced law for more than fourteen years.
In March 2010, I moved to Turkey, having married a Turk the prior year. Upon my request for more adventure in my life, he lined up a job and moved back home to Ankara about six months before me. I proceeded to pack up our 3-story Victorian home, sell it, and made plans for my new life abroad.
The hardest part about leaving home was being so far from my mother. I am at the bottom of a long (very, very long) line of children. Mom is in her 80’s now, so I didn’t know how she would handle it. In the end, she was more supportive than most. After all, Mom is an expat herself, a German war bride.So off I went with her blessings, through the blue skies, across the ocean, and started my new life in Turkey.
When asked about my life here, I usually say the same thing. “It’s very different. But a lot of it is the same.” They call Turkey “Eurasia,” but I’ve always seen it as more American than European. For instance, I have visited Europe numerous times. I always struggle with the small warmish refrigerators. “How does one store large platters in there?” Turkey, on the other hand, boasts large American-sized refrigerators! I often see Turks walking the streets wearing baseball caps. That’s something I never saw in Europe! And there are the same things I do here that I did in Philadelphia, like stopping by small local markets to purchase ingredients for dinner rather than go to the larger stores (although they are available.)Or spending an afternoon at small local shops rather than driving to a mall. I should note I was surprised by how popular the malls are here. Finally, even though Turkey is only slightly larger than Texas, it has a wide range of terrain, just like the States, from rivers to seas, and fields to mountains. There’s a lot to see here in this beautiful country!
I will admit that there are more differences than similarities. Number one on the list is the way people drive. There is absolutely no regard for traffic rules or pedestrians. So to be safe, I quickly learned to drive like them. Another issue for me is lack of variety –cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and bread! Turkey is known for all of these things. But to me, the hundreds of cheeses are just variations of feta. Fruits and vegetables are only available “in season” and just forget about variety in potatoes. And while bakeries produce fresh warm bread at least twice a day, you are not going to find a nice rosemary infused loaf. The food is great, but if you are coming here, you will want to bring some of your favorites from home, and of course, you will quickly learn to adapt.
A large concern for any expat is the language barrier. Turkish is not like French or Spanish. I would say it’s even more difficult than German. It’s just different. You have to learn like a child learns and stop trying to translate. I am still a beginner, mostly because I haven’t focused. I often joke that I can’t communicate well with my in-laws and that’s why they still like me! Seriously though, Turks are a very hospitable people. They will bend backwards to welcome you to their homes and stuff you with sweets and tea. The simplest attempt at speaking Turkish can mean so much to them. They appreciate it and encourage you. Recently I found myself among a group of expats one of whom stated that she had nowhere to practice the language, smack in the heart of the Turkey! That’s a bad attitude.
That brings me to what I do here. A friend has a theory that there are 3 types of expats; those who come for work; those like us, who married Turks; and those that are running from something. I was grateful that she cast me into the second category but often wonder whether I was running from something or running to something.
It is forbidden for a foreigner to practice Turkish law without citizenship. Law, however, wasn’t on the top of my list. My life is simpler now. Little is expected of me. I am fortunate to have contract work from a small U.S. law firm that I do online. Working part-time allows me to meet people, travel, and blog my adventures and info for expats. It is quite easy to meet other English-speaking expats in Ankara which gives me comfort. I also have a few really good U.S. and Canadian friends. But I try to make the most of the opportunity to get out, meet Turks, and live like a Turk. Sometimes it’s as easy as walking around the corner, sitting down to a glass of tea, and saying “Merhaba” to the shop owner.
My advice to a newbie is to keep an open mind. Accept that things are different. Laugh.
Will I stay here forever? Nah, Turkey’s a great country, but I won’t stay permanently. Sure, I want to move back to the States at some point. But one only truly experiences the world by living in it and its many homelands. My husband agrees and Mom? Well, she is a world traveler herself. She has already visited us twice in Ankara!
Visit Terry's blog: Adventures in Ankara
