Kemaliye
Zach and Aysenur’s engagement party was held in Kemaliye, a small Turkish village situated in a tremendous canyon. We had always planned to go there with them and to see the gorgeous landscape Aysenur raved about. Serendipitously, the timing worked out, and we trekked out to the remote region in eastern Turkey.
You have no idea what a party is like until you attend a Turkish engagement party. The food is never-ending, the drinks keep refilling, there’s dancing and cheering, and the band plays until you yell at them to go to bed (right around sunrise.) We felt like such boring Americans when we passed out at the table around 2am. We can’t hang.
Long-term travel can leave us feeling a little isolated. The constant language barrier is exhausting. The unfamiliarity of streets and neighborhoods is tiring. And Nick and I really only have each other to rely on. Aysenur family’s hospitality was so beyond amazing—and so needed at this point in our trip. We barely spoke a word of each other’s language—yet still felt so connected with them in the celebration.
Our memory of their warmth may just outshine the gorgeous landscape, delicious food and beautiful culture.
We spent our days exploring the town and it’s natural surroundings, meeting everyone in the neighborhood. The nights cooled down and we all slept under the stars on her rooftop, watching for goats climbing along the mountains. It was so perfect and crazy and beautiful. We're beyond fortunate to have shared this experience with them.
