If I think back to my childhood vacations, I could describe it with one word: Antalya. I used to spend 6 weeks at a time here during summer break. My dad is from this sunny paradise in the South of Turkey.

I remember that a lot of people in Germany asked me many times why we always spent our summer vacations in Turkey or smirked about the fact. Well, here you have your answer. Vacationing in their home country is a no-brainer for my parents: They have the chance to catch up with their friends and family, it is affordable, and they have a beautiful house to stay in. Add a gorgeous beach - which is all that matters, let's be honest - and you have your icing on the cake.

Antalya is my first stop during my big travel endeavor after I quit my job in New York. It's been two years since the last time I visited this beautiful city on the southern coast of Turkey. It is September, so the skin-melting, humidity-filled heat is gone and a nice, warm, yet hot-enough-to-go-to-the-beach weather took its place.

Getting pampered by my parents, having a safe place to start my journey, after the giant leap of faith I took, was the best move.

Most of my days started with a walk to the beach and a swim in the Mediterranean Sea. My afternoons I spent with walks in the city and my nights at cafés, sipping some Piña Colada or Efes beer with my gorgeous cousins, who became such smart women (I'm their biggest fan! I mean just look at 'em). 

Antalya has a beautiful old city center called 'Kaleiçi'. It is a conglomerate of old but beautifully renovated Ottoman-style houses and shops, selling everything from clothes, oriental carpets, lamps and so much more. The streets are narrow and you see Instagram beauties at every corner (including my humble self, of course), trying to get their next best shot to boost their social media presence. Once you walked through the labyrinth of magnificent streets you end up at the coast, looking over the adjacent old port and the Middle Sea. 

The entrance or the exit to Kaleiçi - depending on the direction you go - is through the historic Hadrian Gate, which was built in honor of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 130 AD and is beautifully preserved. Yet it was very disappointing to see that the city removed the preventive glass floor, which was protecting the original pavement. 

On another day we went to Oymapinar, a dam built in 1984 to generate hydroelectric power. The reason why I went there was the incredible view from the top of the mountains surrounding the dam. Peep for yourself:

Then we went to Adrasan. Located in the west of Antalya, it is called a secret paradise, a bay of rare beauty, where you can see every hue of blue and green. It is surrounded by pinewoods and exposed to contrary land wind, which makes the water calm. It also provides snorkelers splendid alternatives since the water temperature is high and the underwater visibility is deep clear all year long. The ocean here used to be unspoiled and I spent hours diving, snorkeling, swimming in these waters, but this year, very disconcertingly, this part of the ocean was filled with plastic pieces and trash. It broke my heart to see the water so spoiled.

Emotionally the first weeks of my 'time-out' felt great, yet very unusual to me. I found myself searching for a role almost immediately. My yoga teacher was so right - again! - when she said 'Shavasana' is the hardest position. For those who don't know: In Shavasana, you lie down on your back and relax your body and mind. It’s a fully conscious pose aimed at being awake, yet completely relaxed. My teacher used to say that it is very hard for humans to just 'be' and not think. I compare my current state to Shavasana. I aim to be and just to be.

Namaste!