I Wake Up Torn
“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in...
Remembering Prince: A Purple Paisley Park in My Heart
'The girl on the seesaw is laughing
For love is the color this place imparts...
Admission is easy, just say you believe
And come to this place...
In Memory of Barış Mumyakmaz
It's with great sadness today that we've learned of the passing of long-time friend and contributor Barış Mumyakmaz.
A graduate of Galatasaray University and the...
166 Reasons Not to Leave Istanbul
These last months have not been easy. Our hearts ache for the country that has been a welcoming home away from home for so many of us....
A Moment for Istanbul
This weekend has seen the country suffer yet another senseless terror attack, leaving 5 dead and 39 injured in the heart of our beautiful,...
Broke and Lost in Istanbul
“Habitash! Habitash!”
The unfamiliar deckhand appeared as a silhouette, repeatedly emphasizing this made-up word as though I would finally understand what it meant the sixth...
That Pink Elephant Mystique: A Celebration of International Women’s Day, in...
“Silence is the worst. Whenever a thick cloud of silence descends, the yapping voices inside me become all the more audible, rising to the...
The Allure of Elsewhere
Wherever you go, there you are. And wherever you are, there is someone who wants to be somewhere else. After living in the United...
Remembering Bowie: An Occidental Ode to the Original ‘Space Oddity’
My first memory involving David Bowie is from when my Aunt took me, at age 4, to a screening of “Labyrinth”. The details are...
We Are With Istanbul
This week has been one of sadness and deep reflection for all of us in Turkey. These heinous, tragic attacks are all too frequent and...
Ten Things I Have (and Have Not) Gotten Used to about...
I have been living in Istanbul for four years. Just writing that sentence makes me dizzy.
As a Spanish expat living in this amazing city,...
A Moment for the Victims in Ankara
This weekend has seen the country suffer its worst terror attack to date, with two bomb blasts in Ankara leaving over 95 dead and 240 injured. The tragic...
Istanbul: What I Remembered, What I Forgot
Memory is a funny thing. As much as it keeps record of reality, it also creates a reality of its own. As expats, we...
Condolences for the Victims in Suruç
Yesterday Turkey was rocked by a horrific suicide bombing targeting a group of people traveling to Syria on a humanitarian mission. The victims were bright, selfless...
What I’ll Miss about Istanbul
After five years in this fascinating city, the need to finish a master’s is calling me back stateside. I have known about the move...
A Trip through Tarabya
Located in the quiet northern suburb of Sarıyer, Tarabya is home to the modern, chic amenities of downtown life as well as the natural...
Everything Wrong with the ‘Limon ile Zeytin’ Bus Etiquette Animations
You barely catch the bus. You jump on, and it’s crowded, of course. But you squeeze your way in. Stuck in between strangers invading...
Organization Profile: Jasmine Baladi
Editor's Note: Jasmine Baladi is one of the organizations at this year's We Are All Refugees event.
Jasmine Baladi is a Syrian run, non-profit organization...
Organization Profile: Caritas
Editor's Note: Caritas is one of the aid organizations that will receive funds and donations collected at the We Are Refugees II benefit concert,...
We Are All Refugees, One Year Later
Editor's Note: We asked Smilja Brown, the driving force behind last year's "We Are ALL Refugees" benefit concert, to reflect on last year's event. Below, she...
Organization Profile: Small Projects Istanbul
Editor's Note: The following is a guest post from Kristina Delgado of Small Projects Istanbul, one of the organizations involved with this year's We...
29 Quirky Things about My New Home, Turkey
Editor's Note: For those of us who have been in Istanbul for some time and have grown accustomed to the Turkish way of life, it's easy...
How to Stop Being Such a Yabancı: 23 Resolutions for 2015
Stop ordering on YemekSepeti cause you’re too scared to order over the phone in Turkish.
Stop forcing your friends to call you cause you forgot...
Fig Season
My favorite season in Istanbul is fig season. Never having seen or eaten a fresh fig in my life, I was fascinated by this...