JUST MY IMAGINATION

  It is only a week left before my big move. At least, that’s what it says on my countdown app. Yes — I am that kind of person. I thought I’d be more excited. Or more scared. I am something, that’s for sure — but not sure what that thing is. I feel like ever since I got back from the UK, I’ve been swallowing things into my throat. I haven’t yet processed the fact that I left my home in Southampton. I couldn’t get used to my first home again — Turkey — which doesn’t always feel like home these days. Because, “a man cannot step into the same river twice, because it is not the same river, and he is not the same man,” right? Neither I nor the country is the same, and this unfortunately creates adjustment problems. Also, I’ve been doing all kinds of paperwork ever since I got back. I mean, where is all this coming from anyway? I said it before, and I’ll say it again — I definitely need a personal assistant for this kind of stuff. Last night, I watched a movie called My Oxfo...

This is a long-awaited post about my departure from the UK. I’ve finally settled back in my hometown (for now), and a week has already passed. So, here we go. I said goodbye to a country where I spent six years—give or take. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Though I always knew I’d say goodbye someday, I never truly believed that day would come. It felt like ages away. I was a completely different person back then. I came to this country in tears, and I'm leaving in tears. The first time, I cried because I was heading into the unknown. Now, everything is familiar, known, and feels like home. But the tears on my cheeks fall for a different reason. I never thought I’d leave behind so many loving hearts in just six years. I came to this city knowing no one. And now, I’ve spent my final days saying goodbye, meeting people, and even struggling to   find enough time for everyone. Goodbyes are hard. Goodbyes are always hard. I don’t even know exactly what—or wh...