Well done is better than well said. So after I said I would go and see places, I actually did do so. My first little road trip was throughout the Southwest of Turkey, making a pitstop in my Mom's hometown and finishing off in Central Anatolia before returning to Antalya.

There is something serene in being on a road trip - if you don't have to drive and your only duty is to lean back. We took the picturesque coastal road. Looking at the ocean for hours felt like meditating to me. I felt lighter than ever.

Our first stop was the ancient Lycian town of Myra, the home of Saint Nicholas of Myra. Lycia is called the land of the sun, and what a sunny day it was! Despite losing an extensive amount of body fluids aka melting away in the sun, the rock-cut tombs, dating back to the 5th century BC, held onto my attention and kept my motivation and spirits high.
Raise your hand if you are a little nerd like me and are interested in background information! This is for you (and me): I read that the Lucians believed that a mythical winged "siren-like" creature would carry them off into the afterlife, so often the tombs were placed along the coast or at top of cliffs. The faces carved into the rocks are believed to represent the deceased. Unfortunately, most tombs have been looted by robbers. This must have been a problem even in ancient times since so many tomb inscriptions end with curses against intruders. So dare if you dare - but leave me out of it!

Moving on from being fascinated by ancient graves, we drove off to Dalyan, a little town right on the river Dalyan. There we met a retired couple, who lives close by and who comes here almost daily to fish. Most fishes they catch are too small so they give them to their cats, they tell us. When asked what kind of fish is common here, the answer surprised me: yellowfin bream, commonly known as the surf bream (in Turkey they call it "Japanese bream"). They told us that someone must have brought the fish here some time ago and since then it populated here. We wished them "rastgele" (good luck) and walked along the river. Here we also met Ali Baba, owner, and captain of his namesake boat and tour operator in Dalyan. His neighbor, the captain of the flowery boat on the right told me that his nickname is "Çamur Ali" (Muddy Ali). When asked why they call him 'muddy', Ali seriously retorted "Who calls me that?" A curvy mustache, a buttoned shirt (top buttons are loose to show the hairy chest), and the 'tespih' in one hand are the essentials of a textbook Turk. He looked like an actor from an old Turkish movie.

Another highlight was a visit to Pamukkale (Turkish for 'cotton castle'), a natural, mineral-rich thermal site that looks like a winter wonderland but has actually warm water running down the hillside, leaving white calcium deposits called travertines that coat the hill like a frozen white curtain. Pamukkale is considered a natural health spa thanks to the many benefits it provides for its visitors. While walking up the travertines I couldn't help but wonder how this could be real. It was just so pretty and magical.

Speaking of magic: Nothing impressed me more than watching the sunrise and hot balloons in Cappadocia. I woke up at 5 am to catch the sunrise over this magnificent landscape. I won't even try to put in words how beautiful the view was. I was mesmerized. I remember having the thought: "This is why."

In between the above-mentioned stations, we passed the sublime beach Kas, walked through old Ottoman mansions in Burdur, and saw an abandoned village, called Kayaköy (stone village).

I saw incredible places, met kind people and ate fantastic food. Once more I was fascinated by how beautiful this world is and I cannot wait to see so much more of it.

I'm not going to lie. Very naturally I questioned my decisions once it settled in that I upended my former life: no apartment, no financial income, no job, no more New York (for now). Since I made the decision to travel and live uncommitted for a while, I had to get rid of a lot of things. This was not a piece of cake to me.

Listen, we all read these internet memes saying "Do not grow up. It's a trap!", or 'I don't want to adult'. I got rid of a big chunk of adulting. No rent, no bills, no deadlines. Most of us don't know anymore what this feels like. Most of us are programmed to live a life according to due dates. And when this is gone it's unrevealing, but once you stick with it, it really becomes fun. You are a child again, but with cocktails! 

Yes, there will be a time again where I have to think (only a little bit hopefully) about the future, investments, retirement plans, 401Ks, etc. But not today, not now. And now is the only time that matters!