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Merhaba! My name is Rachel Whitcomb and I’ll be spending the next 7 weeks in Istanbul, Turkey, through AIFS. I was raised in Colorado, went to high school in Maryland, and am now entering my senior year at Seattle University where I’m double majoring in History and Voice Performance. I am incredibly excited, scared, anxious, and thrilled to be embarking on my first study abroad experience!
Studying abroad has always been on my radar since coming to college but I began to worry that I wouldn’t be able to fit it in when I decided to take on my second major. My compromise was to do a summer program. I chose the AIFS Turkey program because it was the longest one I could find, I could choose from a huge variety of classes, and it was a totally unique place to study. There are also many weekend trips to visit art, architecture, and ruins including a day in Athens, Troy, Edrine, and guided tours of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, and many more! I was also looking for somewhere that would take me out of my comfort zone and get me as close to a semester abroad program as I could. I have high hopes that this one will do the trick.
One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is seeing how the people of Turkey come together to celebrate. Community and cultural activities are universal and are a huge part of why I wanted to study abroad. If I could bring a gift to my host country to tell them something about myself, I would “bring” them a music festival. I’ve been to many, and it’s a beautiful way that I see humans coming together, strangers becoming friends, through something we all love- music. Sure, we don’t get to shower, and we eat PB&J for three meals a day, but we get to dance and listen to music together, doing something we love. I’m excited to see how people are brought together on the other side of the world in Istanbul.