Hey, girl. I am 40, and cis-male. My experience might not be reflective, but I prefer to offer some support instead of just reading this and leaving it alone.

Please know that we all do feel down, we all feel trapped, and beaten, and defeated time to time. I had a very dark period in my 20s, only solved in my early 30s.

Please know that, even if that’s not apparent, there are people that do care about you. Try to be around them more often.

Sometimes financial insecurity creates these kind of thoughts, and if that’s the case I have no easy advice. But just know that, it is not failure if you decide to put a pause on your PhD, take care of yourself, then come back to it.

Sending love!

I am not sure if this is an orientalist/racist comment (no women in streets because it is the Middle East/they are Arabs) or a super based one (it is the stronghold of the more religious/jihadist groups).

It is incredible. But only if you are into red meat. If you avoid meat, than it is horrible. You almost literally can’t find anywhere to eat.

Still good. My fave in Istanbul.

If in Ankara, Hacibaba.

If in Gaziantep, Kocak.

You can’t go wrong with those.