Sleepwalking in Turkey

Travelling abroad is a rarity so getting invited to accompany my friends family on holiday I didn’t flinch in saying yes!

Arriving at the airport is always so thrilling, looking around and seeing the buzz of people rushing to their flights. Or alternatively seeing those shopping in the duty free sections. I always love looking around me and guessing where people are going (even though you never find out). Seeing the difference in the way everyone acts at the airport is always so exciting.

The gush of hot air hitting your body, taking you into a state of immediate relaxation indicated how we had landed in the midsts of Turkey.

After many hours of travelling to our hotel, we had made it within the early morning hours, each of us desperate to plunge into our “new home” for the week. Throwing our luggage onto the ground we all jumped into bed, falling asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.

If you know me, I am one for sleep talking/walking in my sleep. When waking up facing our hotel pool in the middle of the night, a state of confusion rushed over me for a second. Before realising how I had slept walked down 8levels clearly eager to go for a night swim!!😂( can I add being used to English weather, I was only in a vest and Christmas pants!!!! Due to the Turkish heat)

Sudden panic hit me! And I realised how due to only arriving a couple hours ago, clearly being half asleep when this was happening, I had no idea which room was ours out of the 1000s within this hotel! I ran into the direction which I felt was correct before somehow finding myself in the kitchen. Frantically still running about, I managed to see an exit out of the kitchen parlour. Which in fact was a glass door. Taking no notice of this I ran directly into the glass door, knocking myself onto the floor and leaving me with a very sore head!

Coming up with a new plan, I attempted to find the hotel lobby so I could perhaps get some help from one of the workers. When walking to the direction which I sensed was corrected, the sudden reality that I was only wearing a vest and some very embarrassing Christmas pants flashed over me. I decided for my own dignity I would attempt to find our hotel room by myself.

Only knowing our room was on the right side of one of these many levels. I timidly tapped on one of the doors. Immediately after doing this, I experienced a very bad feeling hit my gut! Due to this I ran as quickly as I could onto the next leaving, falling up many stairs ( resulting in multiple bruises the next day) I thought that I would knock on one more door before planning to sleep on the deck chairs by the pool for the rest of the night. After doing this I waited for what felt like hours, but in reality was about 1 minute before seeing my best friends dad cautiously open our hotel room door!

The relief I felt after seeing his face gushed over me, sudden confusion hit the rest of my friends family. I was welcomed back with hugs and kisses being told not to leave my bed for the rest of the night.

Every evening after this event took place, we set up an obstacle course filled with pool floats and other possessions leading to the door, so that I wouldn’t sleep walk out again!