After being in the Western world for well my entire life, the buzz and bustle of Istanbul was a dream. People from all over and in every direction in constant movement.
I always felt like prior to going on this adventure, aside from, you know, typical 3-week luxury vacations in Europe, or a weeklong adventure trip that long-term travel and backpacking always looked so glamorous. Everyone was out and about, meeting new people, they always looked happy.
I was about to go into my senior year of college, working a full-time remote job, tired of living in the same town I had spent my life growing up in, and hadn’t crossed much off my bucket list in the last 2 years. I wanted to explore and see the world, push myself out of my comfort zone...