Turk Talks Midwestern Fall
Can't take these two anywhere...
It has been two months since I arrived in the U.S. I have already experienced great things that are making this year the best year of my life so far! I love the vibe of the fall.
Leaves show us the beauty of aging and letting things go sometimes. My host mother Tammy and I really love hot summer days, and decreasing temperatures were kind of sad for us. But the family environment we created warms us and we are mostly over the yearning for summer.
My mom took me to Jacob’s Family Orchard. I tried apple cider and smelled the pumpkins and straw in the open field. Indiana has flat geography unlike my home country of Turkey. Sunrises and sunsets are different than I am used to at home. No thick forests or mountains block the sunlight through the clouds and horizon. It is beautiful.
The family environment we created warms us and we are mostly over the yearning for summer.
My host brother and I bought matching costumes for Halloween! I dressed up as an Oompa Loompa and he dressed up as Blueberry Violet. We went to our sister’s Halloween party. It was so much fun. The other exchange students and I went trick or treating in our town despite our age. An American guy said, “Oh, middle-aged people! Here is your candy.” We loved his sarcasm.
My family is a family of agriculture and has participated in FFA for generations. We went to Indy for National FFA Convention and watched my host brother Jackson getting his American degree! Despite waking up at 5 a.m., being there for him as a family gave us lots of energy.
In Turkey, people generally do their weddings in summer, but here this is not the case. I went to my first American wedding in late October which is crazy for me. It was kind of chilly, and my mom and I were shaking. We were the only ones who were shaking since we were the only ones who are in love with summer.
But I am glad I sat in and watched the wedding in that cold weather. This Saturday, my sister Katie is getting married, and I am so excited about her wedding reception. I am going to meet the other relatives of my family.
Other exchange students in my high school and I volunteered at the Pennville Pumpkin Festival. We carried pumpkins and managed the games for the kids. The Midwest is beautiful in the fall. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am excited to have lunch at my grandma’s house with my family. To conclude, so far so good!
—Adnan (YES, Turkey), hosted by the Lyons family (IN)
