“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

Istanbul, Turkey – In just one whole year, I have been to Istanbul 3 times. Why? Because why not? Istanbul is (yes it is a cliche to say this) beautiful. It isn’t difficult to convince why one would fall in love with this city.

From its sensational architectural spectacles to its sumptuous dishes and sweet delights to how the city turns into various shades of yellow and orange during sundown to the various scenes along its busy streets that showcases diversity and history unfolding your very own eyes, and some unexpected kind people who can change your perception about life – Istanbul is a wonder.

Here are some pictures (and reasons) that made me swoon over its charm.

I love Istanbul because it is like being in two continents at the same time. And that is cool.

Istanbul is one of the most well-known city in the world spanning on two continents – Asia and Europe, making its location essential and strategic. The Asia and Europe sides are efficiently connected through a series of transportation systems by way of the famous Bosphorus. So if you want to tick off the idea of being in 2 continents at the same time, well, Istanbul probably is the best place to be at. Because of this, Turkish culture to me is a perfect fusion of Asia and Europe!

I love Istanbul because one has an array of public transport choices. And it is such a delight to try each kind.

I lam fascinated how efficient and cheap it is to travel from one place to the another in this bustling metropolis. They also have terrible traffic but it shouldn’t be much of a problem because one have other options to reach one’s destination. One can take a bus, a funicular (small van like vehicles), the subway (which by the way goes down the Marmaray Bay), a tram, a train or even a ferry. Name it, they have it! And you just have to have one transpo card – the Istanbulkart! You will be surprised you would never take a taxi.

I love Istanbul because Turkish food is soooo damn good! You’ll find yourself craving for more…

Probably one city that tops my list for its food. Why? Because they’re good… really really good. From the popular Turkish delights (my taste buds scream with joy whenever they taste its saccharine goodness), to street food like midye dolma (stuffed seafood) to their very cheap bread called simit paired with either Turkish tea or coffee, their “iskander” kebab (thinly cut grilled lamb, tomato sauce, pita bread, melted sheep butter and yogurt) – all rich and delicious!

I love Istanbul because every corner of the city is like learning architecture, history, arts and culture rolled into one.

Having been regarded as the capital of 3 great empires – Byzantine, Ottoman, and Roman, Istanbul is such an amazing city to explore. From its oh-so-picturesque mosques, to its stunning parks, grand bazaar, and seaside sceneries – the ‘city of a thousand mosques” will leave you in awe. The Blue Mosque and the Suleimaniye Mosques to me are stand out. The Hagia Sofia shouldn’t be missed as well. Emirgan Park is such a lovely place to visit. I was lucky that during my 3^rd Turkey trip, I was able to check out the tulip festival in this large park. Truly, every angle is picturesque and reflective of a rich culture.

But of all the reasons that made me love Istanbul, this very personal sharing is the most significant to me.

This is one of the most memorable (and insightful) from among the experiences I had from my travels.

Traveling is a brutality, as it forces us to trust strangers and lose sight of the familiar comfort offered by our home, our family, and our friends. And traveling made me realize that the world isn’t as frightening as we have been made to believe.

Watching the news, it is pretty difficult to not begin discerning that the entire world is a scary, unsafe place. Thus, it is vital to keep our minds alert and take some extra caution. But I want to believe that generally, the average country is just as safe as the one we live in. Threat and vulnerability is always out there. But then again, you have just as likely of a chance of having something bad happen to you in the perceived safety of your home as you do abroad. So why let your anxiety and distress hinder you from seeing the world?

While in Turkey, I met a local named Recep, and he is a Muslim. He gladly showed me some of Istanbul’s must see sights. We were having a good time when it was time for him to pray. So I told him I could just go somewhere else as he goes to pray inside a mosque. He disagreed and told me to come with him. When we reached their house of worship, I told him that I will just wait for him outside but he insisted that I come in.

I didn’t want to be rude but I won’t deny that for a moment, I felt pretty scared (that I can feel my heart starting to pound loudly). I evaluated where the fear was coming from. Is it because he is a Muslim? That I have only known him for a few hours? Is it because I was in a foreign place? Or is it because of some unfair stereotypes that society have been dictating us, or maybe my mind was just creating its own evil? I found myself praying in someone else’s house of prayer. Honestly, I prayed that nothing bad would happen to me. My eyes were still close when someone tapped my back. It was Recep, and he told me we could go.

I was quiet for quite some time. My fears started to subside and was replaced by a joyful feeling. True enough, travel is such a transformative experience, it changes you, but in the outright best way possible. From this experience I have come to realize that whenever we are scared of a certain group of people, we are actually singling out ourselves from them. This creates barrier and biases. Traveling reminded me to venture out of my comfort zone, and learn about others by interacting with them, by trusting them, and believe that there is goodness in everyone.

Travel has taught me that our world is full of generous people who are worthy of our trust.

Travel gives us a sense of accomplishment: If you dream big, you will probably reach for new challenges. Being able to finish a trip gives you the satisfaction that you were able to make a goal to travel and accomplish what you set out to do – and that is to see the world.

I don’t know how to fully describe what I am feeling whenever I am in Turkey. But somehow , it feels like home. Maybe some day I could live in Turkey. Who knows. Don’t be a wasted soul, be JUANderlust. Take it easy everyJuan…