S is for Side

Side (see-day) is in the Antalya province of Turkey and I traveled there with a group of friends my senior year of high school before graduation. Upon arrival in Turkey we purchased our visas at customs and then hopped on a bus to our hotel.  I remember so clearly that feeling of  freedom and independence and good times ahead. There were no parents, teachers, chaperones, no schedule of activities or clue of what we were doing. Just my friends and I celebrating the end of senior year.

We stayed at the most beautiful all inclusive resort and had most of our meals at the hotel. The majority of our trip was spent pool side, or on the beach, or banana boating in the Mediterranean. But we did venture into town to go dancing and have late night kebab sandwiches. We also went into town one day to go sightseeing and shopping. 

There are a lot of Greek/ Roman influences here in Turkey. We went to a night club that was built in the ruins of an old temple to Apollo. They also hold concerts in the Greek coliseum seen below. I loved the contrast of the old with the new and the blue waters of the Mediterranean with the dry desert feel in town.

Walking around this country was quite an interesting experience- so we didn't do too much of it. For the most part I noticed zero women out and about the town. I felt very blonde and very foreign and very grateful that we were traveling with some tall boys. Although it was sweltering hot, looking back now I probably shouldn't have been walking around in a tube top and cut-off shorts. High schoolers, am I right? Cut-offs are also not ideal when riding a camel.

Just a few days after returning from Turkey, with a tan, a knock-off Tod's handbag, and some awesome memories in tow, I graduated from high school. I am so thankful my parents let me go on this trip. They probably weren't too keen on 20 kids alone in Turkey. But they knew that in just a couple weeks they would be packing me up and moving me into a dorm room in another country a whole ocean and a 5 hour time difference away. I guess Turkey probably didn't seem so hard compared to that.

 
 (My mom wrote about her thoughts on the matter here.)