We talked earlier this week about the landscape here. In our discussion, we realized that this landscape is bit harsh because humans came in and destroyed it. In reality, this landscape is harsh because that’s what happened after the last great ice age. And seeing as how this land was fought over for milenia, presumably every group eventually adapted to the land, not the other way around. Landing in Turkey from Europe, and before that Minnesota, I can’t help but feel this is my turn to adapt. Truthfully, Turkey is harsh. In comparison, Minnesota’s plush lawns and gentle lakes seem soft and nonagressive. Here, in the repeated words of our TAs, every plant wants to kill you. But I’m realizing that if I’m going to make it here, I need to adjust to the land like every culture did before me. John and I realized we need to work with the cool morning air instead of forcing our technology to struggle through unfamiliar temperatures. We all quickly realized how much more water we need to survive here. There’s a reason why ancient societies made the choices they did, and I’m learning to learn from these choices
