Tuesday, April 30th began the next
phase of anticipation for Istanbul. We began our meeting with a Skype call from
Dr. Ozturk, our Turkish professor who is awaiting our arrival. Looking around the room I could see nothing but smiles. I could
sense feelings of anticipation, excitement, and apprehension in the smiles of
my fellow classmates.
As we sat there and each introduced
ourselves and what our interests are to Dr. Ozturk, I realized that each one of
us has been given such a privileged opportunity to make a difference in
Istanbul: whether that be teaching disabled children English, urban planning,
or government based work. The options are endless and we each hold the
power of making a difference in the Istanbul community in the palm of our
hands.
After our meeting, we ventured to the
Divan Center: a welcoming Turkish community who were thrilled to teach us more
about their unique culture. We ate Turkish cuisine and talked to Turkish
natives about their experiences, what we can expect, and any questions we had.
It was a special time filled with students, faculty, and Turkish natives
joining together around one cause: learning and growing in sensitivity and
comprehension of the Turkish culture. I can only imagine what it will be like
when we get to Turkey, but until then we can remember our time at the Divan
Center.
Turkey, here we come.
