Tanju and I traveled a lot around the world. I have fond memories of those days. We always traveled with family, in all possible combinations of four people, like all sides of a Rubik's cube. We traveled in and out of USA to various directions with no problems.
January 1st, 2014. Next day, we go on a vacation with a group of friends. I am not my usual myself today. I have butterflies in my stomach, flying in every direction. It is a combined feeling of anxiety and fear. There is an unstoppable chaos in my brain. Well, I know it has to do going on a vacation, not the vacation itself, going on a vacation with friends!
I forgot how to travel with friends.....that is the bottom line of my anxiety. We are travelling with friends whom we have known for a while and like. It is like the first day of high school, you know everyone but you don't know what is before you. As you know, I am kind of a free spirit and I do as I please. My family is annoyed time to time, but always put up with my decisions. At least, I like to think so.I have the luggage wide open in the middle of a room with all kinds of stuff around it. I know what to take with me, I am not concern about it, but keep questioning myself.
"Should I? shouldn't I?"
So, I decide to dress like anyone from the vacation crowd; I put on a very comfortable pair of baggy pants and a t-shirt, hoods and flat shoes. I make sure that I am color coordinated and really comfortable.
What is wrong with me? It is not my style at all!
Taxi drops us off at the check in area and butterflies are with me. I am dressed so comfortably, yet I am not.
While we are approaching to the gate Mehmet (from the group) catches up with us and we all act like it is a great morning. We are at the gate and we see Dr. Petek and Alkan Donmez on their cell phones. They are busy with worldly problems from what I hear.
Things start to change when I pay attention what Petek is wearing. She is her stylish herself. She looks like a lady traveling in her most stylish yet appropriate outfit. Nice leather handbag, gold lame flat shoes, Turquoise color jacket and a big smile. She looks beautiful.
At that point, I decide to be myself again and get out of the persona I was trying to fit myself in.
I feel free, even though I am wearing the most comfortable travel outfit I felt most uncomfortable in.
Rest of the vacation was great. We swam a lot, we ate in the best restaurants, we dressed as we pleased, we were loud at times, we laughed a lot (Mehmet, you were such a trooper), we splashed water on each other, we told jokes, we finished a bottle of Caribbean rum in an hour and concluded that it was a bottle of fake rum, we were so convinced we sent Mehmet next day to get our money back, when I think about it makes me laugh out loud. In the meantime, Mehmet kissed every waitress that we encountered, Alkan played with a band, I showed my skills in dancing. Guys played backgammon several hours a day, Petek and I swam around the bay and I am still not sure who won the backgammon game. By the end of the third day, we all looked like tandoori lobsters.
We never got our money back for the rum.
We are back in Washington and everyone is back to being busy. I am sure my friends will take a minute to think about the vacation when they find the time.