Born and raised in Istanbul, I moved to the States in 2001 where I spent my whole adult life; Washington DC and San Francisco respectively. Never planning how long I would stay, I took it one year at a time, not really knowing where home was.
I never had the opportunity to live in Turkey as an adult; 2-3 week trips twice a year gave me a glimpse of what life was back at home, but I never felt part of it. While I am 100% Turkish, I have also become the person I am in the US.
After 10+ years of living in the US, I decided to move back home. I could have easily continued living in San Francisco and let another decade go by. By keeping this blog, my goal is to be aware of how I feel and share my struggles re-adjusting to a life from which I’ve been removed from for so long.
I am moving back to a place that is both familiar and unknown; because I never want to regret not having lived in Turkey again.
Seza Bali
