Let me start by telling you all that the messy haired girl in the picture is me, at that photo - taking by a complete stranger - I was hiding my tears. I cried for the simple fact of being in Istanbul. My beloved Istanbul. My love story started two years ago when friends and relatives started disappearing during holidays so I asked my mother (she knows everything about everything) where was Tunisians going ? (I'm from Tunisia by the way. Hello everybody!! )
Then my mother said the magical word
I.S.T.A.N.B.U.L
I started googling a bunch of sites, photos, names of famous neighborhoods,food. My heart melted with every photo, my eyes grew wider everytime I learnt or discovered something new. I felt like I lost my heart to a city I never been to. And oh God how much did I wanted to be in Istanbul!
I imagined myself walking through the pleasantly crowded taksim Street, walking under the merry lights twinkling above my head,
I saw myself doing all the cheesy things any tourist visiting a new country would do, don't blame me I really didn't knew better...thankfully now I do. I got the chance to meet a nice local girl who taught me in the most significant way that my beloved Istanbul has more to offer than the eye could catch, she took me to see the narrow streets where I saw the colorful houses and met the feisty old people with the heart warming generosity- they offered me tea and food everytime they met me - , we sat at the Green banches by the sea, we eat fish sandwiches (I can't even come to express how much I miss the little food shops and tables in the streets of Istanbul). We drunk coffee in the local, colorful, oh so very cosy coffeeshops in shishane where I met the fluffier, cutest most playful kitties eveeeer. After 10 days my trip to heaven came to an end. I got ready to leave with a heavy heart while trying so hard to defeat the idea of maybe run away or miss the plane entansionly then I came to my senses because you seriously don't want to embarrass yourself in front the good-looking Turkish policeman's. At the plan I promised myself that the next time I'm here it won't just be for a few days, I'll be here to stay. After all, Home is where the heart is.
Ps:starting next June I'll be here in Istanbul for 6 months.
Yeeeeeey me