Well here we go again

Here we are, September 4, and I'm getting ready to depart on my 4 month adventure to "the capital city of two world empires." In the words of my good friend, Shane, "why the fuck are you leaving the country so much?" I'm contemplating that question as well, but with the realization that once I get on that plane there will be no room for regrets or self-pity. Studying abroad in Istanbul is truly an incredible opportunity. Sure, the university I'll be studying at is in Europe, but this won't be like my previous European jaunts. It's cool that I'll be in a place which will require learning. I can't just grin and bear 4 months, nor can I fake it. Turkish is crazy, dude. That language has approximately 0 similarities with English, from what I can tell. And with the exception of disc (yeah Turk Kasi, make me homesick), I'm expecting a completely different culture than anything I've ever experienced. Maybe I'm being dramatic and it won't be that different and I'll make tons of American friends and we'll go out and have a nice and easy academic semester while exploring Turkish nightlife and learning all about Turkish history and traditions, but I kind of hope not. While Turkey is dope, it serves more as a platform from which I can learn about myself rather than a subject in itself. My curiosity means I'll want to be informed on political situations, historical context, and everything else I can discover about Istanbul, but the actual experience is more relevant and important to me. How will this city change me? How comfortable will I be in this (strange) place? Do I need the safety net that Lexia and Grinnell provide? These are all questions that this blog will grapple with, along with the anecdotes that kept you people coming back to the Ireland blog like moths to a flame, and lots of caps lock. My computer is almost broken. I hope it survives this trip. Anyway, I'm clearly bored and laying in my bed right now, so I'm going to get up, watch Good Will Hunting, and maybe start packing. Maybe start freaking out. I'll update from Turkey. Peace.

Major