We packed up our cave hotel in Cappadocia and started our drive South. We had originally debated flying between here and Antalya but decided to drive because it was cheaper. I’m so glad we did.

Our planned drive time today was about 4 hours and Nick found interesting stops along the way. As we left the touristy desert hills of Cappadocia, we drove through agricultural farm land of central Turkey. There were wide fields of wheat and cattle. Massive grain silos dotted the horizon. We could have been driving through Lubbock.

We drove through small cities. This one was very proud of their dogs, and then I remembered the name of the breed: Anatolian Shepherds. Of course it would make sense that the livestock-protecting breeds are from the farming capital of Anatolia.

Our first stop was Sultan Han Caravanserai, which was a rest stop along the Silk Road where caravans of traders could bathe, rest, and resupply. We explained this to Millie and she said “so like when we drive to Dallas and we always stop at Buccee’s?” Yes, exactly like that. This is where people used the bathroom, got snacks, and fueled up their camels 700 years ago.

As we drove, the yellow fields of dried wheat started getting greener and greener until we were in lush farmland. I started to understand why this area is known as the Fertile Crescent.

Our next stop was Çatalhöyük, an archaeological site that was on Nick’s bucket list from the moment we decided to visit Turkey. Çatalhöyük is one of the oldest discovered settlements, clocking in at 9000 years old. To put it in perspective, 4000 years older than the great pyramid of Giza. Really, really old.

This was in the middle of nowhere so I was expecting another set of ruins with no signage and no information. We were pleasantly surprised by a brand new visitors center and an excellent exhibit explaining the site. It was a perfectly designed exhibit – a mix of videos, interactive displays, artifacts, and recreations.

Nick is the world’s most meticulous museum attendee so Millie and I had time to visit the cafe while he was still reading placards. Then we went to see the actual ruins. They were 100x more interesting after learning all about them.

We drove the remaining 45 minutes to our stopover for the night: Konya. All we knew about Konya a few days ago was that it was a good stopping point between point A and point B, and that it was a big enough city to have some decent hotels. I booked the hotel a couple of days ago and Nick read about the city and learned that it’s the poet Rumi’s final resting place, and that Whirling Dervishes are from here.

We arrived at our hotel and the manager asked if we would be interested in seeing them, to which of course we answered: yes. He gave us tickets and recommended a good place for dinner ahead of time.

We headed out as the sun was having its last hurrah. We stopped to admire the beautiful mosque in the center of the city. Millie ran around joyfully while pretending my scarf was a kite. It was a perfect moment.

We had another great meal. Turkish food doesn’t miss. I keep seeing Okra soup on menus and decided to order it even though I don’t love okra. What is it with me and ordering risky soups I might hate? When it arrived the Okra was completely different than the kind I’m familiar with. Instead of slimy and seedy, they were tiny and soft; almost like soft chickpeas. I loved it.

Then it was time for the dervishes. Previously I had thought this was a performative dance but quickly learned it’s more of a spiritual ceremony. A sheikh comes out and every sound and movement has religious significance. Everything felt very serious.

We had talked up a big game to Millie that this would be a special performance of men dancing, kind of like Ballet. She was very confused when the first 20 minutes were just men in black cloaks and tall hats walked slowly in a circle and kissing the ground while someone recited a prayer. But she was patient and eventually the whirling began. It was a memorable experience.

At one point she got up and started innocently imitating them from her chair. It was very sweet. But we asked her to sit down since it wasn’t exactly respectful, and she got upset because she felt like she had done something wrong. Nick had to take her outside to cry but she calmed down quickly and came back in to watch the end.

We discussed this evening how today was a perfect example of how expectations can shape our experience on this trip (and in life). We had expected today to be a boring transit day, and instead had an incredible day of learning and rich cultural experiences. They weren’t necessarily “better” than any other places we’ve been, but they felt so much more special because we didn’t plan for them or expect them. By that very definition I’m not sure how we can design the trip for more days like today, but I look forward to them hopefully happening.