Istanbul, Interrupted: One Day, a Lifetime of Feeling

A stopover, a city, and a quiet moment that moved me to tears

I never expected Istanbul to stir something so deep in me.
It was meant to be just a stopover—nothing planned, nothing fancy. But some places don’t need an itinerary to leave a mark.

One of the little rituals my husband and I enjoy is winding down at night with travel vlogs—specifically, people exploring Turkey. He was born there but hasn’t been back in years. I’d never been. Not even once. But the way he talked about it… the food, the energy, the history—it felt like a place I already had a connection to. So when my flight home from a business trip in Europe stopped over in Istanbul, he gently encouraged me to stay for a night or two. I said, “One day is enough.”

Now? I wish I’d stayed longer.

The arrival: chaos and kindness
I landed in Istanbul on the last day of Eid. It was packed. Roads were blocked, and my driver couldn’t get me directly to the hotel. People were everywhere—shoulder to shoulder, moving like one huge current. Later I found out that over five million people were in the city that day. Five million. Locals, tourists, all celebrating.

But even in the chaos, there was kindness. My hotel was just behind the New Mosque, and my driver—who could’ve easily left me—stayed by my side until the hotel staff came out to help with my bags. That moment, small as it sounds, stuck with me.

The mosque, the stillness, the tears
I was exhausted. I’d just come off a three-day business trip—back-to-back meetings, standing for hours, walking from one hall to another, seeing one customer and business partner after the next. It was nonstop. But when I looked up and saw the mosque… everything went quiet.

There was this stillness, this deep calm that washed over me. I couldn’t explain it—but I started crying. Right there. Surrounded by strangers and crowds, I felt something shift. I wasn’t tired anymore. I was overwhelmed in the best way.

The place I wanted to share with him
We’ve travelled a lot together—America, France, Switzerland, other parts of Europe and Asia—but if there was one place I wanted to visit with my husband, it was Istanbul. It was Turkey. Not just because it’s beautiful. But because it’s his. His roots. His story.

And even though I was alone, walking the streets of his city without him, I felt connected to it… and to him.

The mosques that made me feel small in the best way
The mosque was massive. Quietly powerful. These buildings have stood for centuries. They’ve watched empires rise and fall. Governments come and go. Generations pass. They’ve been tested, damaged, restored—and yet they remain.

Standing there, I felt small in the most beautiful way. Grateful, humbled, and completely in awe. These places have seen so much, and here I was—just one person, passing through. And yet, I’ll never forget that moment.

What I hope you take from this
Some trips are about sightseeing. Others are about something else—something you can’t really put into words. Istanbul wasn’t about ticking off a list. It was about feeling.

And I hope you find places that do the same for you.

The kind that catches you off guard, moves you quietly, and stays with you long after you’ve left.

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