an itinerant observer

I didn’t think much of it back then - Konya. A few days carved out from a longer trip. A loosely held plan. But now, years later, I can still recall how it felt. Getting to Konya wasn’t easy, or at least not emotionally. I took a ten-hour overnight coach from Gaziantep. It wasn’t just a geographic shift. It was me, testing myself. Years ago, on my first trip to Istanbul in the late 2000s, I was mugged; trapped, manhandled, left shaken . That experience embedded a quiet anxiety whenever I thought about returning to Turkey. But this trip was different. I needed to reclaim something. I wanted to prove to myself that I could be in this country, move through it alone, and feel safe. And I did. Nothing happened. Not in Konya, not elsewhere. That, in itself, was a kind of healing. Now mind you, Konya wasn’t dramatic. There was no thunderclap, no burning bush. Just presence. And silence. Not empty silence, but the kind that listens back. I stayed two nights. Walked between Rumi’s tomb an...

Introduction In a world that seems on the brink of self-destruction, the profound question posed by John Kaag in his book 'Hiking with Nietzsche' resonates powerfully: "What are the possibilities for human existence in an age determined to annihilate itself?" This query propelled me on a profound journey of self-reflection, marking my ten years in Pakistan after fifteen years in the United States. As I immersed myself in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, I began to explore the realms of nihilism, existentialism, and absurdism, searching for solace and meaning amidst the chaos and ambiguity of the 21st century. Nietzsche and Rumi The convergence of Nietzschean philosophy and the teachings of Rumi, the great Sufi poet and mystic, is a serendipitous encounter that has reshaped my perception of existence. While delving into Nietzsche's works, particularly through 'When Nietzsche Wept' by Irvin Yalom, I embarked on a journey through Turkey, traversi...