Walking...

I've never enjoyed walking for long periods of time. I tend to stomp when I walk. This greatly limits my durability and sustainability. My first week and a half of Turkey has done little to change these thoughts. There is a huge difference however, between walking in a mall with my sisters and walking in Turkey. In a mall with my sisters, I feel trapped within the confines of their desires. In Turkey, there is always a sense of excitement, adventure, and enlightenment. The pain I feel in my feet is endurable, only because it liberates me. Specifically, it frees me from my unfortunate ignorance of this wonderful culture, religion, and country.
Before embarking on this Turkish journey, I started growing a little mustache. (This was, of course, to my parents' dismay.) As of right now, I can say it was worth it. I have recently received two compliments from the natives in regards to the awesomeness of my mustache. This has totally validated my decision. Sorry, mom and dad!
Traveling overseas isn't always an easy transition. In my case, my bowels didn't agree with the new Turkish diet. The past three days have been an internal adventure of sorts. But thanks to Imodium, I seem to be feeling much better now. Yeah!
Today's adventure was marbling!!! It was the coolest thing ever! I'm not that great of an artist, but I have to say that I was pretty darn good today. The whole process was very mesmerizing. As I watched the demonstration run, I was in awe at what beauty could be made from just a few strokes. Aside from the marbling, just spending time with Ali and the whole gang who work over there was fun as well. I can never stop laughing when Ali and Peter converse in Japanese. It's just so funny to me. We also had tea before and after the marbling session. The pre-marbling tea (I think it was called Dervish tea) did a number on my heart though. The caffeine in that thing made my heart feel like it was beating a thousand miles per hour.
In all, this trip so far has definitely given me lots to think about. I've enjoyed the time with my friends and this country. Learning new things about Islam has led me to a greater understanding and respect for the religion. The fact that the people here are friendly doesn't hurt either. There have been many personal ups and downs during "Going Global 2011", but man, I am having way too much fun to complain about anything right now.