Going Cold Turkey on Starbucks

Starbucks Yalikavak Marina Bodrum Turkey

Cold Turkey

As I get more and more ensconced in Turkish life, I’m coming to terms with the things and experiences I have gone Cold Turkey on from my former life.

I went cold Turkey on my friends, cold Turkey on the modern conveniences on-tap in LA, and cold Turkey on the way of life I’d become so accustomed too. I also gone cold Turkey on being understood and being able to understand the locals I encounter.

Amazon PrimeI went cold Turkey on Amazon Prime shipments. Whatever I wanted, I could order it online from Amazon. Some items arrived the same day, others within 2! I’m currently in the throes of Amazon-withdrawal. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.

I thought I was going to have to go cold Turkey on my daily Starbucks fix too.

Back in LA

In our LA neighborhood we spent a decade with nothing but residential apartments and drug dealers roaming the streets, but finally the gentrification of the area began. We got a heads-up of it’s impending arrival, when a sign appeared at the main road “Starbucks Coming Soon!”

It was the beginning of the end for our ramshackle neighborhood, and in our final years there, the 2nd hand-hand and charity shops were replaced by gourmet restaurants, hand-made soap shops and artisan bakeries. Even, the old run-down bowling alley got a face-life – and is now a cocktail hot-spot.

We resisted for a while, but it didn’t take long for us to became regular visitors to our local Starbucks. Getting our daily fill of branded caffeine before we headed to Turkey, a land awash with tea drinkers.

Starbucks in Bodrum

Bodrum is too far to travel just for a Grande Americano, so we knew a Starbucks would be a special-occasion beverage whenever we were in Bodrum’s Marina area. So I’d resigned myself to going Cold Turkey on Starbucks. And I was truly ok with it. I’m a fan of the local coffee houses in the village and love supping on a Turkish Coffee, although the way I drink my coffee it’s over in a flash and I’m left wanting more. I’m a coffee addict and there’s no denying it!

Starbucks Yalikavak Marina Bodrum Turkey

Imagine our surprise when we ambled around Yalikavak Marina one afternoon wrapped up against the cold in more layers than King Tut, only to be treated to the sight of that iconic Green Starbucks logo.

We made a bee-line for it. Some things never change .. no matter where you buy a Starbucks ….. their paper cups still leak!

Part of me hates that this American iconic chain is here in Yalikavak … and part of me is secretly pleased that I have a choice.

One thing Red and I agree on is our mass-dislike for the generic-nature of California. Every area has the same chain of shops, and life is all cookie-cutter convenience and commercial enticements.

I’m ok that Startbucks is tucked away in the Marina … I just don’t want it to start encroaching into the village itself.

What we love about the area is that it’s eclectic and has a personality …. as soon as a big chain gets its footprint cemented into the main part of town, will be the time we put the house on the market.

I know you can’t stop progress … but if we could just corral it a little, I’d raise my coffee-cup to that.

Sunset in Yalikavak

On a positive note, the coffee kept us warm while we waited for the sunset to appear.

Sunset in Yalikavak Bodrum Turkey

Well worth sticking around for. And just as a bonus, I bought a bag of Starbucks coffee to take home as a treat for my French Press.

Starbucks arrives in #Yalikavak. Is it friend of foe? I don't mind progress, as long as it's hidden away and out of sight, and doesn't spoil the quaint charm of the village. #Turkey #Bodrum Share on X

 

Author: Roving Jay

Jay is a project manager who swapped corporate life for a nomadic existence as a travel writer. She works with authors and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their self-publishing goals and reach their target audience through content marketing. Jay has published a series of travel guides, a travel memoir, and nonfiction books about travel writing. She housesits and volunteers around the globe with her husband, a Hollywood set painter, and she’s never more that 10 paces away from a wi-fi connection.

4 thoughts on “Going Cold Turkey on Starbucks

  1. Forget Amazon, look at Hepsiburada.com. They have everything, deliver fast, and have a simple returns policy – the courier comes and picks up the unwanted item from you. i.e. better than Amazon.co.uk
    I said I’d leave Bodrum when the first McDonalds opened.
    BacktoBodrum recently posted..Bodrum Encapsulated.My Profile

  2. Oh wow, I thought you were going to say there was a Starbucks in Bodrum – but Yalıkavak; that’s interesting. We never got with the Starbucks thing, really – we went to one in Istanbul a few years ago and didn’t have a clue what was going on. 😀 Guess it’s assumed everyone knows the system. Fethiye is completely awash with ‘speciality coffee’ joints but fortunately, for now at least, most of them are local businesses. Glad you’ve found your coffee place though. 🙂
    Turkey’s For Life recently posted..Christmas Gift Ideas With A Flavour Of Turkey – It’s That Time Of YearMy Profile

  3. Starbucks, every time i heard that name one word always came up in my mind expensive, thats the reason why ive never spent more time there.

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