In 2010 Lisa Morrow moved to Istanbul with her husband Kim, permanently. Having already lived in the city and Central Anatolia before, on top of travelling extensively throughout the country, she was sure the transition would be simple. However while Turkish culture seems easy to understand, you only have to scratch away the surface and the complexities can be overwhelming.
When they arrived in Istanbul Lisa was still trying to overcome the effects of her mother’s death and struggled to know who she was. Her feelings of uncertainty were exacerbated by dealings with Turkish real estate agents, bureaucracy and cultural differences, as well as friendships with Turks who seemed the same as her but were in fact very different. The stress of getting settled was only just starting to abate when she had to rush Kim to hospital and then received bad news from home.
When the dream of living in a foreign country is rudely shattered by gritty reality, you have two choices. Turn tail and run or bravely face what life throws at you. Welcome to a roller coaster ride through the unpredictability of life in Turkey.
Lisa is a Sydney, Australia born sociologist, author and travel writer. She’s lived in Kadıköy on the Asian side of Istanbul with her husband for many years. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, CNN Travel, The Guardian, BBC Travel and elsewhere. Lisa shares her insights and experiences on her website Inside Out In Istanbul, her three other books, Inside Out In Istanbul, Exploring Turkish Landscapes, Longing for Istanbul and alternative travel guide Istanbul 50 Unsung Places. Istanbul Dreams was first published under the title Waiting for the Tulips to Bloom.
