Izmir, Turkey was the final stop on my trip around the region. Thankfully, there was a bed waiting for me at the home of a Turkish Navy officer that I met on an online travel website. Arriving in the late morning, I was greeted with a kiss on each cheek by Mehmet. He was 6 feet tall with jet black hair. Aside from his job in the Turkish Navy, he also enjoyed salsa dancing and learning Russian.

One morning, Mehmet awoke me to let me know that his parents had invited us over for a late lunch. We arrived at their apartment off of a main boulevard, and were welcomed inside as I said in Turkish, “Merhaba. bize sahip olduğunuz için teşekkür ederiz,” which roughly translates to, “Hello, and thank you for having us.” We removed our shoes, as it is customary in Turkish homes, and walked in.

My broken Turkish broke the ice, and Mehmet’s family welcomed me with an offering of Turkish tea. Gladly accepting, I sat down and enjoyed a drink that I came to fall in love with. Tea, being very reasonable in Turkey, was something I drank a lot without concern and always thanking people for it. I soon learned that tea being served to you was an invitation to friendship and the start of a conversation. The next few hours were spent sitting under a blanket with our legs crossed eating a variety of great food including burek (meat filled pastries), fruits, tomatoes, eggs, olives and other Turkish foods.

As the language barrier was quite large, Mehmet’s family and I were able to talk back in forth through Mehmet’s translations. Mehmet’s father held the biggest smile I had ever seen as he said a few words to me in English. Smiling back, I remember this was the connection that I experienced in previous travels. Throughout the meal, I had many out of body experiences which allowed me to mentally watch over what was happening. Stopping to think what I was doing, I couldn’t help my self but to be amazed. Two days before this lunch I did not even know Mehmet, and now his family was welcoming me into their home with open arms.

As we left, we shared hugs and I was given two small hand woven hats, along with a scarf for my mother and two prayer beads. These gifts are something I will cherish for the rest of my life. These presents topped any postcard because they give remembrance to an experience only I had that no one else could. This memory and my mindset as a respectful traveler paid off as this will forever be one of the best meals, and experiences, of my life.

In Turkey there is a proverb that goes, “Patience is the key to paradise”. Paradise is such a fluffy word that many times gets lost in translation. To some, paradise is that time in the day where the only sound one hears is the birds chipping. To others, paradise is sitting on an island and staring into the blue ocean with a drink in hand. Sometimes paradise creeps up on you in the most unusual situations like it did for me in Turkey.

Among many great foods I’ve tried, this story relates to what I live by and by following this openness I posses, I was blessed with a gracious experience. As a person that travels, one should act as a traveler, not a tourist, and respect the rules and customs of the region. This respect can bring great gifts.