Istanbul, Turkey
Nov 2022
My two mates and I went backpacking in Turkey right after we were released from the army. After a long transfer flight, we arrived in Istanbul and got off the over-heated shuttle at Taksim Square. It was a beautiful November afternoon, the street was bustling and the chilly wind cooled my flushed face. As we paced across the square, Arabic music and calls to prayers blared from the minarets from all around. I looked down at the elongated shadows cast by the three of us across the pavement tiles, it truly dawned on me that I am finally free. Free from the tormenting two years that now all seemed nothing but a dream. I could not stop smiling.