Almost 4 weeks, yet it feels too short.. That is how much time I spent in Turkey visiting my family and vacationing in different parts of the country. As always, I had my list of “todos”. But instead, I completely disengaged myself from all my expectations and just lived in the “now“. “Now” being the most important thing that I should do at that given moment. At times it was hanging out with my sister, my mother or just hanging out at the beach in awe of the beauty of my surroundings. A perfect vacation, and now that I’m back, I’m working my hardest to hang on to it as long as I can. I’m still processing my pictures from the trip, which can be viewed on Flickr.

Most of our time was spent between the Aksaz beach, near Marmaris, and in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. On the way back from Aksaz, we visited Pamukkale, a natural wonder which is declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Pamukkale (Cotton Castle), also referred to as the 8th world wonder by Turkish people, is the largest example of elaborate calcium formation and the site is known for hot springs that are used for treatment of various medical issues. Pamukkale also hosts the Roman city of Hierapolis, which was founded in 190 BC and later became a popular Roman thermal bath center. It is an amazing experience to walk down the old Roman streets and realize that their sewer infrastructure is still standing! We also did an overnight trip to Amasra at the Black Sea coast, and visited Safranbolu, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. For a country that is the size of Texas, the cultural and geographical diversity is quite amazing.

Turkey hasn’t escaped the effects of globalization, whether it is the internal purchasing decisions of marble from China (Turkey produces marble) or specialization taking place deep in the villages. I fondly recalled the days I strolled around my grandparent’s fields for lunch: tomatoes, onions, honey, cheese, … You name it, they pretty much produced it. These days, with the pressure for specialization and playing in the global markets, the village has been focusing on growing cherries and apples. As the market fluctuates, so does the price of the cherries and apples. It is no wonder that a few people in the village are doing well, while the others barely survive from one winter to the next.

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Turkey is her ability to uphold the secular government that Kemal Ataturk has built. As a modern Islamic country, Turkey is a natural gateway to the Middle East. Turkish culture is ripe to contribute to the global marketplace, and Turkish partnerships will go beyond the boardroom as they are about relationships, not just business. As people, Turks are eager to learn and apply. If you do get a chance to experience Turkish hospitality, please do so. You won’t be disappointed.

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