DocAndersen
Istanbul once called Constantinople and before that many other names. The capital of the western Roman empire and later the capital of the Ottoman Empire. A city built with a grand wall. But more importantly, a city built on the Starts of the Bosphorus. The narrowing of the waterway leading into the Mediterranean Sea, allowing the now country of Turkey, to control who came in and out of the waters of either side. The team I was working with took me to the Asian side of Istanbul and the European side, where these pictures are. We met with a couple of customers, and in the time in between, we went for Turkish Coffee overlooking, or looking at the straits!
I spent a lot of time in Europe on the trip that ended in Istanbul. Paris, Brussels, Prague, and final Istanbul over two full weeks of traveling. Paris and Brussels were with teammates, Prague and Istanbul ended up being a solo trip. Our team’s name was the Red Bull team, so whenever we saw the logo or a Redbull could, we took pictures. The last picture in Istanbul at the outdoor café where we had Turkish Coffee that day, was of the Red B Bull refrigerator. I know throughout that trip that I got really tired. It is hard, sometimes when you traverse the globe to remember where you are at the moment. Each of the countries I listed had a wonderful team that showed me their countries.
But waking up in the middle of the night, you find yourself disconnected. Home is a place you know when you wake up. A hotel room is not home, no matter how many things you carry with you. It doesn’t make a difference. You wake up in that hotel room and begin the process of figuring out where you are. Many are the same, if you, like I did always stay in the same type of our brand of hotels. I stayed globally or in the US in a Marriott hotel. That meant I would know quickly that I was in a hotel. They have similar setups globally. But where the hotel was, often was the next step. In the middle of the night when you are groggy and tired, thinking doesn’t work well. I would have my phone charging by the bed. I always had a calendar appointment to open, showing what city I was in! That day I awoke in Istanbul!
