Mit eventyr

İ'm in turkey now and have been for almost 7 weeks. My dear friend friend Hema recently told me that i no longer have any excuse for not posting so i better come up with something, now that i settled. İt has already been a bumpy ride - emotional and personal. İt was awful to say goodbye to my family and friends in the airport, i was crying my eyes out and so were the others - even my dad!!!!! And he never cries (i have only seen this twice in my life) so you can imagine that i was heartbroken and at the same time scared to death (i hate flying). İ had know idea what to expect and where exactly i was going. İ have some contacts in Denmark who had contacts down here, so some one was meeting me in the airport and i got their numbers, they were also supposed to follow me to İzmit where i was staying for the first 6 weeks to take a turkish course. So i got there and got my luggage right away and then i came out and was met with hundred of people with namesigns. so there i stood and couldn't see my name anywhere. İ waited a while and got kaind of scared after 15 minutes so i called my friend in Denmark and she called the one who thank God came shortly after. We travelled through İstanbul - Oh My! The city was huge (well still is). So he put me on a bus and just told me to get off the stop before İzmit - WHAT!? İ have never been so scared my entire life, the busride took around an hour and i texted my mum she could tell right away how scared i was and got really worried.
Well i arrived and he had of course told the staff where my stop was, so they called me to get off. İ was met by three girls who looked so nice. they took me to a restaurant that was owned by one of them - Sevgi. One of them spoke english so the asked my all kind of questions. From where i knew turkish people and how i had got in contact with them, from who and so on. İ got really confused cause i thought they new i was muslim, so they freaked out of happiness when i told them. Some others girls came and joined us and my mum called to make sure i was okay (she was sooooooooo worried) She later told me, that she could tell how releaved i sounded.
The girls took me to Sevgis house and i was really tired. But we stayed up all night talking, well me and Pinar one of the girls who speaked english (Sevgi dosen't). They were so curious about me and how i converted and when and so on. İ slept well that night and thanked God for always looking after me and making the best for me alhamdulillah.
the day after we went to the university (they went with me everywhere, i felt so save) and was a day late so came in the middle of af class. There were 10 other students from all over the world, nice but strange people. None of them really talked to me the first day besides asking me where i was from. Only one goy from USA who followed me to the cafeteria. There were no other students at the university and it was huge and so empty. İ did not like that place the first couple of times. İ didn't stay at the dorm, which made the girls so happy. İ stayed at Sevgis the first week. (she has a really nice house, she and her husband)
Pinar stayed there with me everyday and we got really close. We stayed up every night, me her and Sevgi talking and talking. Pinar is really religious and very serious and quiet and im kind of out going but we really got along. Sevgi is just the best, we couldn't talk as my turkish is really bad and her english likewise, but we communicated anyway and really wanted to. We just have some kind of understanding for eachother and bonded right away - i love her!
İ started practizing my namaz, they helped me and i slowly started. İt is easy here, you have the adhan five times a day and everyone around me pray. İ love it, i love the feeling of being closer to Allah...
But i have to admit that it was hard for me at first - not the namaz but the lifestyle. The first week was really hard on me. İ felt like i had to live and do like them as i was with them all the time, but it was too much to begin with as i not used to live like this and it was so overwhealming that everything was İslam and i loved it at the same time because i learned so much. But when you're new in it you deal with all kind of emotions and it was mixed with all the emotions of being in turkey in the first place, which is so different from what i come from.
İ really missed my family and friends! My mum called the second day and i couldn't stop crying, neither could she, it was awful.
İ felt like a child again, all alone in a huge country (not really but thats how i felt) i couldn't speak the language and was depended on someone else. İ was soooooooo far away from my family, my network and daily life and routines (you really realize how important this is to have!) İ was really unhappy the first week, was almost ready to go home, but i kept patient and prayed to God to give me strenght and patience. And He did SubhanAllah!
İt all culminated when Pinar told me after a week that we had to move and was going to stay at her dorm, i got a bad feeling about it right away, but didn't say anything cause they really did everything to make me feel comfortable and arranged so many things for me so i wouldn't feel bored. The next day we had breakfast and Sevgi could tell that i was nervous, she tried to calm me down, but i just coldn't shake the nervous feeling off me. We went to Pinars dorm and i was right, it looked like a prison and i just felt my stomach crumble. İt was the same inside, her room was so small and there was to beds and a closet, that's it. İ felt like crying just knew i wouldn't be comfortable there. İ went outside and texted my friend, who tried to calm me down. İt was really hard for me because i knew i wouldn't be happy there, but i felt so bad towards Pinar as this was here home... İ think she could tell and asked if i wanted to spend the night some where else so we did. We went to a house where 6 teachers lived, one of them- Melek took my heart right away, she was so nice, so out going and really funny, she also liked me right away. İ calmed down and later asked Pinar if we could stay there instead and she said we could do everything i wanted! She is the best, so nice, so humble, so beautiful in her iman. İ had meanwhile arranged a short vacation with my friends from Denmark who also stayed in Turkey for 6 months and i went there a couple of days afterwards - it was sooooo good to be with someone who knew me and talked danish! lol
The turkish course didn't lived up to my expectations, the teachers didn't speak english! And instead of teaching us how to speak, which is really necessary downhere as no one speaks english, they teached us grammar (a lot of grammar!) Everyone in class was so frustrated!
There was also a new girl in class - Laura from Germany, we bonded right away and it was so nice to have someone to talk to everyday at the uni. She was also going to study at Boğazici (my university in İstanbul) Alhamdulillah!
My vacation in Didim (where my friends from DK stayed) was so nice, we had so much fun. İ really missed the girls in İzmit and was so happy to see them when i got back and so were they. Pinar told me that Sevgi really missed me and wanted me to stay at her house, i was so happy about that, because the girls house was crowded and the often had guests staying there, so they let me have their beds and slept on the floor and it made me feel bad and embarrassed. They wouldn't let me go when i told them, but i insisted and promised to visit them. İ really settled at that time, i kept on meeting so many wonderful people who embraced me right away. İ felt and still feel so blessed! İ Thank God everyday for keeping on letting so many amazing people into my life! İ am truely blessed with a wonderful family and so good and close friends in Denmark, i have never felt more loved! My dad calls every third day and my mum as well, my dear friends tells me on a daily basis how much they miss me and love me. Don't get me wrong i do the same, instead of shopping i spend all my money on telephonecards, but i need the contact and i miss them soooooo much!
İ am so grateful for everything that i have, that Allah continues to bless me with love and friendship. İ am so grateful for this opportunity, to learn and to get closer...
İ been here for 7 weeks and i already developed so much - my iman, my islam, myself. İ feel so peaceful as im getting closer and closer.
İ miss my family and friends (did i say that already) but i also realized how lucky i am and the distance have only made my love and respect for them even stronger, even though i thought that was impossible. İ thank God for them everyday!
To be continued.....