Not all who wander are lost

Chapter one.

I stepped off the small aircraft into yet, another new place. I took a big breath through my nose to enhance the beautiful smells of Europe. My name is Elena, I'm 24, single my hometown is Charleston, West Virginia. Ever since my first family vacation to California when I was four, I've loved travelling. It was a new place for me to explore. And today, June 13th 2014, my Delta aircraft landed in, Istanbul, Turkey. I couldn't tame my excitement!! After I went through customs, I was on my own in Turkey.I got a cab to my hotel. Right now it is 12:09 pm in Istanbul. I looked out the window the whole way. Turkey was beautiful! So is every other place I traveled. So far I have been all over the United States, the Western Cordillera, Interior Plains and the Atlantic in Canada, Costa Rica, Paris, Russia, India, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. I am destined to travel to all the places I haven't been yet!
"Have you lived in Istanbul all your life?" I asked my cab driver with curiosity.
"Yes! I was born here, when I was 13 I started working in the small grocery store that my family owned, we had to go out of business when I was 18."
"What did you do for extra money?" I wasn't sure if that was rude or not.
"Well, I worked in a small restaurant and I helped take care of camels."
"That's so cool! Is there any place in Istanbul where I can ride a camel? It's my very first time here, I want to do everything!"
"There is no Camel riding close to here that I know of. If you ask someone at your hotel that plans the daytrips."
"Oh okay thank you!"
"Where are you from?"
"Charleston, West Virginia!"
"Your American!?"
"Yea"
"My mother left to America, 20 years ago." The cabdriver said in a sad voice.
"She left because, she didn't want to have anything to do with the grocery store. She packed up and left."
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Ah, it's okay. I don't mind talking about it, She lives in Wyoming that's all I know."
"Anyway, let's stop talking about sad stuff, what is your name? I'm Elena!"
"Adil!"
"So what brought you to Turkey?"
"Well, Adil, I recently started to travel the world!"
"Wow! Where have you been?"
"Let's see, Canada, Paris, Russia, India, China, Germany."
"I love travelling! I've been all over Europe and I've been all over South America!"
"I need to go to South America! Oh how was it?"
"It was beautiful! That's all I can say!"
Adil and I talked about countless things all the way to my hotel, we had much more in common than I thought! I love meeting new people!

"Well here we are, Four Seasons hotel! Bye Elena!"
He put out his hand to shake hands
"Bye Adil! It was really nice talking
With you, thanks for driving me!"
I got a chance to look at his taxi license,
Adil Akuz. I thought I might look him up on Facebook.