What I will miss and not miss . . .

An incomplete list: 

I will miss çağ kebab. Lamb roasted sideways on the fire and served with flat bread, peppers and yogurt by waiters who know your drink order because you are one of four foreigners to enter their restaurant. An Erzurum speciality. Yum. 

I will not miss been nearly toppled over by teyzes (aunties) who seem to have no sense of personal space or possibly peripheral vision under all their layers of clothing. 

I will miss the kindness of bus drivers, waiters, government workers and handymen. No task seemed too great for me to receive a rude response. I’ve been “given a break” on everything this year. When I was late for the bus, drivers waited. When I was a few lira short, I was told not to worry about it. When I ordered a drink not in stock, a little boy was sent out to fetch it.

I will not miss the over the shoulder stare from the person behind me in line every time I withdrew money. I guess knowing how much money the young foreigner had was very important for the city of Erzurum to know. 

I will miss being a guest. After 9 months, I no longer deserve the status (I have a residency card, not a tourist visa!) but I can’t say I stopped enjoying the perks. I wasn’t charged for my excess baggage weight today at the Turkish Airlines counter because I was guest to Turkey. 1. No way Delta is not doing that, not even to welcome me home. 2. How is that sustainable business practice for an airline? 

I will not miss the toilets. I will spare you the details but I will certainly not miss the toilets. 

I will miss trying to speak Turkish and the victorious feeling of being understood. 

I will not miss not knowing what people are talking about, especially when I’ve already asked them to explain. 

I will miss all the Turkish phrases that are appropriate for specific situations. Geçmis olsun: said to a sick person or to someone who just did something difficult, from taking an exam to bumping his or her head. Afiyet olsun: said before eating, after eating, while eating, when you are walking to lunch, when you are buying food. Kolay gelsin: said to someone who is doing work from sweeping the floor to working in a shop. Selam söyle: said when someone is talking to or soon visiting family, it means “say hi”. I will also miss the praise from my students when I used one of these appropriately. 

I will miss Turkish Airlines. The best airline in Europe...and Asia. (Actual slogan)

I will miss the extension of activities. In Erzurum, dinner invitations turn into sleepovers, breakfasts end at 5 pm. Social events never seem to end unless I had a genuine excuse to leave. (Side note: Having to skype my family, prepare for class or being tired were never adequate excuses. I learned that I could just use my hosts’ internet to skype, prepare for class while they did the dishes, or take a nap in their bed!)

I will miss the lira. And getting a paycheck, I suppose. For now at least. 

I will miss the tea after dinner. But never fear, friends and family, I have a double boiler teapot (necessary) and a kilo of tea from the city of Rize (only the best) in my overweight suitcase for after dinner teas in the future.