Stripmalls and 'Development'.

I hopped in Ankara Carrie’s car, put on my seat belt and we drove to a strip mall. The car was parked in a parking lot and we sat outside at one of those fancier restaurants that on the outsides of every mall in America. I looked across the parking lot and saw a Burger King and, just a bit further, was a Starbucks. There were only legitimate grocery stores in sight, no bazaars or produce stands. Welcome to reverse culture shock.

At first, the sight of a Best Buy next to a McDonalds was something I was amazed at. The same with the paved roads and traditional road stops. I’m not saying, by any means, that I’m not relishing the paved roads, but being in Ankara hit a bit too close to “America home.” It was what once was familiar. And I’m no longer really that person I was back then; wholly, at least. I once again kind of felt those desolate feelings as I did in Wilmington when surrounded by all those then universal and faceless brands and stores and missed the quaintness of running downstairs to go to the bazaar in Mingechevir. Funny, huh? I kind of love both worlds, but, obviously, for entirely different reasons. Grass is always greener and all that jazz?

I don’t think I’ll object being back in the world that I know, but it does make me question the idea of what is and isn’t developed. Perhaps a little less development wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Thank goodness for Farmer Markets and what remains of Mom and Pop shops, ey?