My Words: A new view of home

What’s funny about our visit to Europe last month is that everyone on the Wisconsin volleyball team was looking to me to be the tour guide. I wound up being as much of a tourist as they were.

Before we left for our two-week, four-country summer tour that took place June 2-14, I was asked to make a presentation to my teammates and coaches about life in Istanbul, Turkey. That was the first leg of our journey. It’s also where I was born, raised and fell in love with volleyball.

I told them about the unique culture, food, language and politics of my homeland. How Istanbul, with a population of more than 15 million, is bigger than Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City combined. How my hometown is big enough to touch two continents — Asia and Europe — and how it’s more than 2,500 years old. 

Of course, we talked about how volleyball is very popular in that part of the world and some of the best pro teams and players can be found in Istanbul. We found that out in the five matches that we played on the trip that also took us to Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland. We won three times, but all of them were really challenging. 

By the time we came back home, I’d realized that I had gained as many new experiences as anyone else on the trip. It was so much fun and educational for all of us, but my time there was special. I learned a lot about my roots, saw things I’d never seen before and came back to Madison with a greater appreciation for my two families — the one at UW and the one in Turkey — and the opportunities I’ve had thanks to volleyball.

While we were in Istanbul, I felt like a bridge between my city and my team, connecting everyone to our love of tea, our super-large breakfasts, our fascinating history that dates back to 512 B.C.E. and how friendly the people are despite living in a place where earthquakes — like the one that struck in February and affected nearly 18 million people — are common.

I would have loved to have taken the team to my home and showed them the neighborhood where I grew up, but our hotel in Istanbul was on the European side of the city and my home in the Fenerbahce district is on the Asian side. If there’s a lot of traffic, it could take two hours to get there. We got close, though. On our third night we went to watch and cheer for a former Badger, Nigel Hayes-Davis, as he played for the local pro basketball team.

My list of new experiences began as soon as we arrived. Our hotel was in the heart of Besiktas, a place I’d not explored before. We took a private boat tour of the Bosphorus Strait, which provides part of the continental boundary between Asia and Europe. That was new for me, too. We visited the famous Blue Mosque, which was built between 1609 and 1617 and is known for its hand-painted blue tiles, and the Hagia Sophia, which is nearly 1,500 years old and regarded as one of the oldest intact buildings in the world. We also checked out the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world.

I had just gotten back from winter break when I heard that we were making this trip. One of the first things I did was call and tell my parents, Ferda and Ali, and my brother, Erturk. They were so happy and excited because they weren’t going to be able to come to Madison to see us play this upcoming season. Of course, they all came to cheer us on.

Our first two matches, against VakifBank Spor Juniors and Eczacibasi Spor Kulubu, wound up being my favorite part of the trip because I not only got to play against teams and friends I knew growing up, I got to see my old coach, Emre. I was so emotional at first. I was 10 when I started playing volleyball with him. It was so cool to win that match. Afterward he gave me a big hug.

The best part of being a tour guide for my coaches and teammates in Istanbul was being able to translate conversations in English and Turkish, and if anyone had questions, I knew the answer.

My biggest surprise of the trip was visiting Slovenia. I’ve been to most of the Balkan countries, but not that one. I was really impressed with how pretty it was. The water was so clean and everything seemed perfect. The scenery was beautiful.

I’ll never forget visiting Venice. At one point we were told to go out and explore on our own. The winding, cobblestone walk ways, colorful buildings and water ways were so beautiful. Every street was amazing.

One of the most memorable experiences for our UW group was seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert in Zurich. Our coach, Kelly Sheffield, plays classic rock music during our practices at the Field House, so we all knew that we were seeing a legend. It was amazing. I like rock music, but I’ve never listened to his music before. It was amazing seeing him in person.

I feel that we’re a better team because of what we went through on the trip. There were a lot of challenges, from jet lag and different balls to another set of rules and really good opponents. We had some good practices and played like a Badger in all five matches. I think we did a great job of making adjustments as we went along.

I think the tour was a huge help for me personally. I’m still learning the technical stuff about being a libero at the U.S. college level. There are more details to keep track of, like footwork and communicating. There’s a lot more thinking.

One thing I noticed is that UW players seemed to be more passionate about competing and have higher goals than many of the players back home. The fan support in Madison is different, too. They really know us and appreciate us here. I was walking through the Memorial Union one day when some students recognized me. “We’re big fans of volleyball,” they said. I want to win for them. They give me confidence.

The most important thing to happen to us on our trip is that we became closer as a team. That was big for me because I came late to school last year, arriving 10 days before the season began. I didn’t have a chance to get to know my teammates as much as wanted to. Going on this tour gave us a stronger bond. I can be me now. I’m more comfortable and relaxed.

The rest of our summer is about getting ready for the new season that begins in August. That means lifting sessions and open gym workouts. We have a goal to be Big Ten and NCAA champions again. To get there we need to work hard.

I loved visiting my homeland and sharing a great experience with my teammates and coaches. But it’s wonderful to be back in Madison. I have two homes now.

Did you enjoy reading this? Read more My Words stories from the Badgers here.