i know it's hard

Semesters always seem to bleed into each other, despite the registrar-chiseled start and end dates. Nevermind my trip(s) back to America, this first week of classes feels a lot like a continuation of the last fifteen. Beyond the basics (registration, classes, syllabi), there are the new students to enjoy. I, for one, have three new exchange student roommates (strangely all from New York. Our Internet network is called NewYorkGiants. Don't judge). With new students, there's excitement in the city, interest in the culture, and willingness to try new things. It's been refreshing for me, to say the least.

Somehow, between these bleeding semesters, I snuck Ayasofya and Dolmabahce Palace into my schedule. Beautiful sites are even more beautiful when there aren't heaps of tourists crowding them. Dolmabahce is ornate and delicate and immense. Perfect for any sultan.

Different than Dolmabahce, Ayasofya moves you. When you walk in, your  breath can't help but escape you. Beyond being monumentally sized, the church-turned-mosque-turned-museum is painstakingly beautiful. Despite the wear and tear from history, the spirit of this bastion of religious worship shines through, perhaps as powerful as it was in the beginning. Needless to say, a place that warrants a second visit, in the least.

So, as a new semester begins, I'm trying to move into it as if it's my first: with excitement and an open heart. I know it's hard to forget the experiences and memories made during the last five months, but I know there are more to be had. I just need to keep reminding myself of that...