Due to current political turmoil, I wasn’t able to get on a plane from JFK to Yemen last week. I struggled for 18 hours with my Yemeni family on the phone yelling in one ear to get on the plane anyway, while airport staff threatened to deport me if I stepped foot Yemen. “You’re an Arashi! You have Yemeni blood! Don’t they understand how things work here?,” “Ma’am, if you enter Yemen as an American citizen, you will be arrested and deported. We cannot advise you to get on this plane.”
I decided to play it safe. With my layover Istanbul, I stayed a few days after Eid passed and the consulate in Turkey reopened. The staff knew my family, and thankfully pulled a few strings for me to enter.
My few days alone in Istanbul were interesting, my Eid spent alone was unexpected. I was literally thrown into the city with no prior plans, no accommodations, no language and no contacts at all. But I enjoyed every minute of it. I’m glad my adventure began this way- thrown into the fucking deep end all alone, and warmed up for the rest of my long swim home.
Istanbul is a spectacular city, but I am so glad to finally be in Yemen. Let the magic begin!