Travelogue to Istanbul (Part one)

In 2010, I made the decision to move to Istanbul, Turkey. Despite not having enough money and keeping it a secret from my family, I packed my backpack and set out for the city. On a Friday morning, I found myself waiting at Tabriz station without a ticket for the 9 o’clock train.

To increase my chances of getting a ticket, I put my name on the waiting list multiple times. As the train pulled into the station, I looked back with regret, knowing I didn’t have a ticket yet. With only eight minutes until departure, I desperately pleaded with the train agent to let me on. Other options were dwindling, and I watched as the last of the passengers boarded the train.

Just as I was losing hope, the ticket sales officer noticed me and instructed me to quickly hand over my passport and money. With a sense of relief, I received a paper resembling a four-leaf notebook and hastily boarded the train, hitting its rough iron body and saying: Thanks for taking me with yourself.

As the doors closed, I found myself sitting on the steps of the train with my backpack, not caring about the fact that I only had $110. What mattered was that I had made a life-changing decision and boarded that train in just two days’ time. This is the story of my journey to Istanbul.