Thank You! - July 14, 2010

If I had to sum up my experience in Turkey, I would do it with this picture that I took near Ephesus.

For two miles, I strolled under the beautiful canopy, which shielded me from the hot afternoon sun and which filled me with excitement of what lay ahead. I felt like I was in some kind of Garden of Eden and that anything was possible. That's how I felt throughout my trip in Turkey.

I've traveled to more than 20 countries in my life and have often been treated with kindness, but nothing in the past compared to what I encountered in Turkey.

Strangers allowed me into their homes and within hours were treating me like members of the family. People that I met on the street offered me assistance with everything from letting me borrow cell-phones, to dinner invitations, to walking a mile out of the way to help me find an address.

At first, it surprised me. Then, I came to expect that good things were waiting for me at every turn. I was never disappointed.

I can say without a doubt that Turks are the friendliest, warmest, most generous people that I have ever met.

To give you an idea of the level of generosity, during the month that I was in Turkey, I spent just four nights in a hotel. The rest of the time I stayed with families. Repeatedly, my hosts wouldn't let me pay for anything, and many of my hosts gave me keys to their homes, even though we might have met only hours before.

If you are even slightly considering visiting Turkey, go!

Because I received such generosity, I didn't have to spend much money during my month-long trip in Turkey. My donations totaled $553.95. I spent only $395 (See final expenses listed on the right side of my blog under "Images of Turkey").

Keep in mind that Turkey isn't cheap. The guide books I read said I should have expected to spend at least $30 USD a day. I averaged around $13 a day, but I was far from roughing it.

My major expense was bus travel, which makes sense because I covered more than 3,440 km (2,150 miles) in my 15-city tour of Turkey.

The only city I planned on visiting was Istanbul, where I flew into from the United States. Every other city I visited was at the suggestion of my Turkish hosts. If someone said visit a place, I felt that was the universe telling me to go, so I went. All of the suggestions were great.

So what am I going to do with the $159 this is left? As promised, I am going to give the money to the three charities that the world voted on, but I already made a decision to give some of the money to a recipient in Turkey.

Before I left for the airport, I had the equivalent of $16 left in Turkish Lira.

Rather than exchange the money, I decided to ask my host to give the money to the next Couch Surfer as a gift from the Traveling Teacher 2010 project. It seemed fitting for me to end my trip in Turkey with a small token of generosity, since I received so much kindness throughout the month. I hope none of my benefactors objects.

That means that I am donating $143 dollars to the three charities - Doctors Without Borders, Catholic Relief Services, and Save the Children.

My friend Umit was right. I asked the universe for two things - benevolence in Turkey for a month and money left over for charity. She said I was very clear about what I wanted, and the universe responded.

One of my major beliefs about benevolence is that kindness leads to more kindness, just as evil leads to more evil. I will never be able to adequately express my gratitude to my donors for making my trip possible or to the Turks who showered me with love.

I am truly touched, and all of you have inspired me to give back a little something, as well.

In addition to the $143 left over for charity, I have decided to match the $554 in donations to Traveling Teacher with a donation of my own. This morning, I mailed the following checks - $234 to Doctors Without Borders; $233 to Catholic Relief Services; and $233 to Save the Children.

This trip was never about money. It was about benevolence. Both my donors and the Turks have taught me a great deal about generosity. Thanks for your example.

So, without knowing it ahead of time, each cent that people donated to Traveling Teacher 2010 achieved two purposes - it gave me an adventure of a lifetime, and hopefully, the money will also make life better for the people who will receive services from the three charitable organizations.

One of the lessons that I have learned from my trip is the power of kindness. I don't think I will ever be able to forget the man who walked a mile out of his way to help me find an address or the numerous bus drivers who made it their mission to make sure that I arrived at my destinations safely.

Another lesson that has sunk even deeper into my soul is that anything is possible. Before the trip, I believed it, but even I had to shake my head when I realized that half-way through my trip I had more money than what I had started with in America.

For years to come, I hope to draw upon this travel experience with my students, so that the next time someone tells me he can't go to college, I can share stories from my time in Turkey. Dreams do come true. I just finished a 30-day dream.

Finally, I've learned that we all need to raise our level of expectations. Far too often, we expect the minimal out of life and get it. This trip has shown me that there are limitless possibilities awaiting, if only we believe.

Back in August 2009, I launched my blog and told only six people because I wanted to see if the site would spread. I had no idea if anyone would ever read the blog. Yet, as of today, I've had more than 3,000 visits to the site from 39 U.S. states; 36 foreign countries; and two territories.

Back in August, I had no idea if anyone would ever donate a cent to my site. Less than a year later, I was flying into Istanbul with $350 in my pocket, an amount which eventually grew to $554.

Back in August, I had no idea how I would be treated if I ever made it overseas. Less than a year later, I found myself in the midst of the kindest group of people I have ever met.

Expectations, expectations, expectations. We all need to expect more.

As I'm writing this post, my now completed trip still seems like a dream. It's a dream that might never have happened.

In the past, I've sometimes shied away from new experiences and new opportunities due to fear, inconvenience, confusion, or any of a number of other reasons.

The day after I thought of the idea for Traveling Teacher 2010, I began to immediately question it. "It will never work.....People will think it's crazy...." We've all done it.

Fortunately, I spoke to a couple of people who encouraged me from the beginning. Otherwise, I might have spent the summer in Dalton, Georgia.

I've learned it is important who we share our dreams with because those people can either spur us on to new heights or crush our dreams.

I had my share of naysayers for this project. The week before I left for Turkey, I went to a party, where someone asked me what I planned to do during the summer.

That person had traveled extensively, including to Turkey, so I was surprised by his reaction to my planned trip.

"You won't survive more than two days," he said. He then added, "In the eyes of the Turks, you will be a walking dollar," and people will take advantage of you.

How far from the truth those statements were, but if I had listened to him early on in my decision-making process, I might never have launched the blog. Then, I never would have had the thrill of finding myself aboard a floating restaurant speaking at a Rotary Club meeting in Turkey.

Before I wrap this up, I want to thank several people. First, I would like to thank all of my benefactors. For whatever reason, you decided to open your wallets and send me money. You believed in this project and made my dream possible. I am humbled by your kindness and will forever be grateful.

Second, I would like to thank all of you who gave me emotional support both during the planning stages of my trip and the trip itself. I would especially like to thank my friend Joanie, who also bought my plane ticket, and my parents, who have given me nothing but encouragement for my endeavors over the years, no matter how unusual they might seem. I love you both.

Finally, I want to thank the amazing people of Turkey. In particular, I want to acknowledge my numerous hosts, including Aziz, Büşra, Deniz, Dicle, Gökhan, Jim, Mehmet, Onur, Özgür, Patricia, Recai, Reyhan, Serdar, Tuğça, Umit, and Yeşim.

Your kindness overwhelms me. I hope to live up to your examples in the future.

When I started this project, I wanted to demonstrate to my students and to my readers that people are basically good. After my month in Turkey, I am more convinced than ever that this is true. Perhaps, some of you after reading about the kindness of the Turks might have now arrived at the same conclusion.

In August, my students return to the classroom. This fall, I hope to share some of their reactions to my trip on my blog, but for now, I'm left with the same question that I asked my kids more than a year ago - "Could a person who had no money travel around the world relying on the generosity of strangers?"

I can wholeheartedly, and filled with gratitude, say that the answer to that question is an overwhelming- YES!