Just a quick update...

For those of you who have seen it in the news, yes, there was a bombing in Istanbul on Thursday. Yes, it did go off very near to where I live. Yes, I am fine. (Read an article here. The NY Times also covered the bombing). Yes, things like this are scary, especially when in a foreign country. Yes, Turkey is a predominately Muslim country. No, that doesn't have anything to do with anything. There is no al-Qaeda, no Hezbollah; this has nothing to do with jihad. There is, however, Turkish hospitality, Turkish food, Turkish culture, Turkish life...and it all goes on.

Before you start jumping to conclusions about life in Turkey, remember that there are bombings, attacks, violence, petty crimes, etc going on right now throughout the world, in your backyard, in your nation, in your city. There are also fringe groups who do things like this every day, but when it happens in America (or wherever you may reside), does it change the way you view your own country; does it not usually make you more patriotic? This is the world we live in. I urge you to read some of my previous blog posts about Istanbul to try and understand how much I love this city and the way it has treated me for the past four months.

No, this is not how Istanbul is. This is not the welcoming city I have come to know and love. This is not indicative of the wonderful time I've had here. This is not usual or normal in any way. I came here for a challenge, wanting to go some place that would put me far out of my comfort zone. In reality, I found the place that truly put me in my comfort zone. Istanbul is my home, no matter where I was born.