I found this quote and something inside me moved – like a shutter opened by a sudden gust of wind – to remind me of a more carefree time. No restrictions. No fear.

“Regular maps have few surprises: their contour lines reveal where the Andes are, and are reasonably clear. More precious, though, are the unpublished maps we make ourselves, of our city, our place, our daily world, our life; those maps of our private world we use every day; here I was happy, in that place I left my coat behind after a party, that is where I met my love; I cried there once, I was heartsore; but felt better round the corner once I saw the hills of Fife across the Forth, things of that sort, our personal memories, that make the private tapestry of our lives.”
― Alexander McCall Smith, Love Over Scotland

Istanbul was where we saw ancient and modern side by side, experienced both kindness and brashness from strangers, and felt the clash of two cultures vying for recognition and national identity.

#yougottaloveinstanbul

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