Every once in awhile, as I'm sitting on a terrace enjoying the magical skyline of İstanbul, or hearing the akşam call to prayer as the sun is starting to set, or hanging out with my new Turkish friends (canım) over çay while playing tavla and almost every single time I cross over the Bosphorus, I think to myself "How lucky am I?" İstanbul is such a beautiful city and here I am, living in the midst of it all! Truly, how lucky am I?
I had such a thought yesterday as I sat in a cafe in Tunel, reading a book (Louis de Dernières' "Birds Without Wings," superb!) in the middle of the day. I thought, "How did I get here? How did I come to have a life where I could just while the days away like this?"
I think back on the struggle I had deciding to leave my job, my wonderful friends and essentially my life in New York, the constant weighing of the uncertainty of the unknown against the comfortable routine I had become so accustomed to. In the end, my need for self-discovery and my simple but unrelenting desire for new and challenging adventures won out.
So here I am, in mystical İstanbul, the current love of my life. My life as is it now has very little to do with luck. I choose this. I MADE my own luck!
I encourage everyone to make more of their own luck in their lives, no matter how big or small. You never know what will transpire and where you might just end up!
And I must say again to my dear family and friends, thank you all SO MUCH for your amazing support and for encouraging me to follow my heart. You are each priceless and I hold you all in the highest of esteems. A special thank you to the Tunaman Parlakışık family for opening their hearts, their home and their lives to me. And of course, to my mom and dad, for letting me forge my own path in life. I love you all!
© Connie Hum 2009
Connie, you're not lucky, you're blessed. I'm sure I'm not the only friend who prays for you. I'm still hoping you find a closer relationship with God through your travels. God bless you, I'm so happy you're enjoying your life. : )
ReplyDeleteYES! i think we are all blessed with awesome adventures. we all just have to make things happen. i always believed in that. no excuses. when i was sitting in grand anse beach in grenada 3 years ago, i was sitting, amazed, thinking...seriously??? i get to do medicine and travel at the same time?? as i was staring out into the incredible view of grenada. then to UK...seriously??? when i met tejas while doing med and traveling.:) then now almost done md school...seriously?? mee!?? then you think, of course ME! this is my life! we all should be thankful of what life has to offer and make sure we take up all the opportunities, otherwise they might just pass you by...
ReplyDeletecheers to life! love ya. m.
i know my comment was sort of long, (and you guys dont know me except for connie), but i just wanted to share my thoughts on this topic and i THINK everyone share theirs as well! :)
ReplyDeleteConnie, good things happen to good people. I deeply believe in the doctrine of karma and it's very evident in your life!
ReplyDeleteThis was a beautiful post and it made me realize how lucky I am too. So, thanks for the reminder!!!
I can't wait to see where luck takes you next darling. :)
thoughts become words, words become actions, actions create your reality.... I'm soooooo proud of you Connie and how far you have come. I thought I was the wild crazy, adventurous traveling one, you got me beat by a long shot. Keep being amazing :) Love, Kat :)
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