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British Expat In Turkey - Expat Interview With Linda
| Published: | 6 Nov at 11 AM |
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Filed: Interviews,Turkey
Linda Kaya gave up her career in social work and moved to Turkey from England in 1998. She married her Turkish husband in 1999. They have lived in different areas of Turkey, having moved house 15 times to date Linda blogs at Ayak's Turkish Delight (see listing here)
Where are you originally from?
I'm from the south-east of England.
In which country and city are you living now?
I now live in remote farming village near Milas, Turkey.
How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
This is my 15th year in Turkey, just over 3 years in this village. I have no plans to leave.
Why did you move and what do you do?
I moved here to marry my Turkish husband. I am now retired, and do as little as possible
Did you bring family with you?
No, my children were grown-up, so I came alone.
How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
It's hard at first. It's a big culture shock, and I was quite homesick
Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
At first it was easier to gravitate towards other expats, but eventually I gained enough confidence to make Turkish friends. I still have expat friends too.
What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
There's nothing to do in this village except to admire the scenery. However, there are great places to visit nearby. Bodrum is only 45 minutes away, and the airport is just 10 minutes from us.
What do you enjoy most about living here?
Lots of things, but mostly the friendliness of the Turkish people. They are so warm and welcoming.
How does the cost of living compare to home?
I find it a lot cheaper living here as far as food and household goods are concerned. Petrol is quite expensive, but bus travel is verygood value for money.
What negatives, if any, are there to living here?
If I thought long and hard, maybe I could find negatives, but there are negatives wherever you live. So I prefer to overcome them and concentrate on the many positive aspects of life here.
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
I would say be prepared for life to be different, but accept and enjoy the differences. Don't try to recreate a "Little England".
What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?
The hardest part for me has been since the birth of my two grandsons who are 3 and 1 yrs old. Although I visit them as often as I can afford to, I'm missing a lot of the formative years.
When you finally return home, how do you think you'll cope with repatriation?
I have no plans to return to England.
What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?
1. Do some research on the culture and traditions.
2. Start to learn the language.
3. Travel around the country as much as possible before deciding where to settle.
4. Avoid purchasing a property until you are really settled. Renting isn't expensive. Try that first.
5. Don't be afraid to communicate with the locals. Make friends with them and so avoid being stuck in expat cliques.
Tell us a bit about your own expat blog.
My blog, Ayak's Turkish Delight was started a few years ago, more as a kind of diary for myself. It's really about my everyday life, the good and the bad. I talk about my moods, from low to high, my husband and his adventures (for want of a better word!), my dogs, village life etc. I also talk about things unrelated to Turkey. For example I have an avid interest in Spain at the moment so am publishing some guest posts by a Spanish friend. I never expected to gather loyal followers along the way, but am very happy that I have.
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
I can be contacted on my blog and my email address can also be found on my blog profile.
Linda has her expat blog called Ayak's Turkish Delight http://ayak-turkishdelight.blogspot.co.uk/ which is very worthy of a visit. Ayak's Turkish Delight has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here which would love a nice review if you can spare a quick moment! If you liked this interview with Linda, why not drop her a quick note below.
Here's the interview with Linda...
Where are you originally from?
I'm from the south-east of England.
In which country and city are you living now?
I now live in remote farming village near Milas, Turkey.
How long have you lived here and how long are you planning to stay?
This is my 15th year in Turkey, just over 3 years in this village. I have no plans to leave.
Why did you move and what do you do?I moved here to marry my Turkish husband. I am now retired, and do as little as possible
Did you bring family with you?
No, my children were grown-up, so I came alone.
How did you find the transition to living in a foreign country?
It's hard at first. It's a big culture shock, and I was quite homesick
Was it easy making friends and meeting people; do you mainly socialise with other expats?
At first it was easier to gravitate towards other expats, but eventually I gained enough confidence to make Turkish friends. I still have expat friends too.
What are the best things to do in the area; anything to recommend to future expats?
There's nothing to do in this village except to admire the scenery. However, there are great places to visit nearby. Bodrum is only 45 minutes away, and the airport is just 10 minutes from us.
What do you enjoy most about living here?Lots of things, but mostly the friendliness of the Turkish people. They are so warm and welcoming.
How does the cost of living compare to home?
I find it a lot cheaper living here as far as food and household goods are concerned. Petrol is quite expensive, but bus travel is verygood value for money.
What negatives, if any, are there to living here?
If I thought long and hard, maybe I could find negatives, but there are negatives wherever you live. So I prefer to overcome them and concentrate on the many positive aspects of life here.
If you could pick one piece of advice to anyone moving here, what would it be?
I would say be prepared for life to be different, but accept and enjoy the differences. Don't try to recreate a "Little England".
What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?The hardest part for me has been since the birth of my two grandsons who are 3 and 1 yrs old. Although I visit them as often as I can afford to, I'm missing a lot of the formative years.
When you finally return home, how do you think you'll cope with repatriation?
I have no plans to return to England.
What are your top 5 expat tips for anyone following in your footsteps?
1. Do some research on the culture and traditions.
2. Start to learn the language.
3. Travel around the country as much as possible before deciding where to settle.
4. Avoid purchasing a property until you are really settled. Renting isn't expensive. Try that first.
5. Don't be afraid to communicate with the locals. Make friends with them and so avoid being stuck in expat cliques.
Tell us a bit about your own expat blog.My blog, Ayak's Turkish Delight was started a few years ago, more as a kind of diary for myself. It's really about my everyday life, the good and the bad. I talk about my moods, from low to high, my husband and his adventures (for want of a better word!), my dogs, village life etc. I also talk about things unrelated to Turkey. For example I have an avid interest in Spain at the moment so am publishing some guest posts by a Spanish friend. I never expected to gather loyal followers along the way, but am very happy that I have.
How can you be contacted for further advice to future expats coming to your area?
I can be contacted on my blog and my email address can also be found on my blog profile.
Linda has her expat blog called Ayak's Turkish Delight http://ayak-turkishdelight.blogspot.co.uk/ which is very worthy of a visit. Ayak's Turkish Delight has an ExpatsBlog.com listing here which would love a nice review if you can spare a quick moment! If you liked this interview with Linda, why not drop her a quick note below.
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