I, Tuğçe Makarnacı, said goodbye to 8-6 office life and embarked on the trip that I started dreaming of when I watched 7 years in Tibet at the age of 12..
Why am I traveling?
It’s not like I’m on the road in such a night that I lost my mind. My passion for travel started when I was younger.. When I watched 7 years in Tibet at the age of 12, my heart moved, what beautiful places I wish I could go too. I was very excited during university time, but I always had an excuse to go and do it.
Either I didn’t have money or my passport.. That’s an excuse, it’s easy to make when you want it.. But I was always talking about my dream of traveling. Over the years I’ve been telling, everybody around me knows. Then one day a friend of mine wrote on Facebook, we talked a little bit, are you traveling, I wish I could go on a world trip or something.. I don’t remember why I looked back at our old conversations. We didn’t say a word for 2 years and I talked about the same things in our previous conversation about my dream of travel.. That’s when I realized I’m just talking and not taking a single step. I started to question myself. In fact, it was a period when I started to question myself and what was going on around me.. By the way, I realized that office life is actually not for me.. 8 in the morning 6 in the evening. Come on, it’s okay, something was always missing. My clothes, I don’t sit or stand, my rebellion. I could never be complete. I also had problems with the system at my previous workplace, I was just naive then, I was blaming other people.. I also had problems at my next job.. Here too. I realized that I can’t keep up with the system, something is broken. Everyone is suffering, everyone is talking, but no one is doing anything.. I said I will and tried to change the system; Wait wait, the grown-ups said. They said, “Either you will herd this camel or you will leave this land”.. I said maybe I’m the problem. One night, I was convinced that I bought the ticket 7 months later, both for the season and because there is no money, but I can save.
The beginning of my trip
Budget
I did not have any money on the side.. I also like to eat, drink, travel. If I stay at home for a month to save money, I will be out every night for the second month.. It doesn’t stack up damn. There was a performance bonus given by the company every year, corresponding to approximately 1 salary.. I trusted him. As a bonus, my friends also collected something between them as a farewell gift.. I went out like that. My daily spending limit is 30 TL, all inclusive.. I have a little tear. I also took a kg of Turkish coffee with me.. Saying that if I squeeze it, I will sell it. I will not starve, I will find a job, in a place to stay; I set out with full confidence in myself.. Crazy courage maybe.
About Accommodation, Work and Travel
I use couchsurfing for accommodation and workaway for work in order to extend the time and reduce costs during my travels.. But I usually stay at whatever hostel is the cheapest.. So yes I sleep in the same room with people I don’t know. It’s okay, they don’t know me. I have no hygiene obsession. I’m not the type who can’t live without bleach. I adapt easily. If I see a bug, I won’t scream and step on it. I love street food. I travel between cities the cheapest way, whatever the locals do.. Cheap flight to Airasia, train 3. It doesn’t matter if it’s a class car, a 17-hour journey on a bus, or a hitchhiking.. Yes, hitchhiking!
Morning at the airport
Route
I didn’t set my route on purpose, either.. What are the visa-free countries?. Well, among these, Thailand is the starting point of backpackers. I said ok here. I created a route in my head. If I said route; city not city, country country roughly. Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia (maybe Indonesia), India, Nepal, respectively.. I told you the plan is not for me. I’m the person who doesn’t even follow my own route. So far (2-2-2015) I have progressed as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand. I think my next stop will be Cambodia, Malaysia and India.. The main factors that changed my route are my psychology, advice from other travelers and visa situations.
Funeral dinner
Security
What are the challenges of traveling as a single woman? Is there? I am not sure. It just doesn’t make sense for people to be surprised and say how brave I am.. Which part of the world is as safe as Asia?! I have never met anyone as helpful, caring and smiling as the people here.. The homeless people you don’t look at, turn your head when you see them, come and say that you have been waiting at the wrong bus stop for 20 minutes, and that no bus stops at this stop.. In Turkey, you feel safer than Alsancak on the streets where you will take 3,5 steps to enter and speed up your steps while passing.. The man you hitchhike in his car drops you off at your destination, even if it takes a long way to get there.
I don’t want to be misunderstood, I love people indiscriminately, even friends hang out from time to time about my love for people, but the prejudices of living in a European society have penetrated my mind, albeit a little.. Until now, all my fears, all my prejudices have been a cover.. Only India remains.. Those rape news, abuses, robberies… I’ll experience it there too.
Getting lost on motorcycles in Krabi and discovering strange places
Traveling Alone
Aren’t you bored or afraid when traveling alone? I’m facing a lot of questions. I have already mentioned the security part, I will only touch on the loneliness part.. No I’m not bored. Being alone with myself does not tire me. Oh, don’t think that I’m always alone. No such thing. The day comes when a person walking on the same road is added to me, the day comes, I go to the wedding with the local people.. So I’m not alone. Being alone is not in my maya anyway. I don’t understand how it’s happening. But traveling alone is easy. Peace of mind once. Are you bored go away. No, sir, we were going to stay, but there is no one who says it’s been 2 days since we came.. I’m in the crowd when I want, I’m alone when I want. Carelessness is a beautiful thing..
What will happen when she returns?
I don’t know what will happen either.. I have something on my mind but it’s all utopian. I don’t know if. Once again, I went somewhere, once again, I work at the same workplace as you.. I don’t know what life will bring. If I had to worry about these things already, I wouldn’t be on the road anyway.. I said carefree is a beautiful thing…
