First Impressions of 'Conservative' Turkiye Began With Culture Shocks

But we adjusted, and found differences fascinating

With all of three days’ notice, after weeks of delays, Lucia’s airline ticket to central Anatolia, Turkiye arrived in late August. She made a mad dash to pack for a year abroad and, luckily for her, left me to pack up the house, store or give away most of our earthly belongings that could not fit in two suitcases, rid ourselves of the car, and the old and enfeebled animals. She was braver than I — she would scout out Kayseri and determine if our 12-year-old son Alex and I should follow along in a month or so and try to make a life in what was billed as a “conservative Muslim city.”

For Americans still traumatized by the memory of September 11, 2001, the description was daunting. But Lucia did not let stereotypes or over-generalizations from the media stop her. Inspired by the lives of her paternal aunts, who lived overseas for years, she was ready for adventure.

Her first dispatch about five days later began with a culture shock.