About Me

Hi! My name is Bassel. 

I'm a young international relations student who is, like all of us after all, a bit lost. For a very long time now, I have been interested in writing my thoughts down. For my future self to have something look back on, to clear my thoughts, to share my mind, and to tell stories. In many ways, I needed a place where I could consistently write it all down. 

I'm a so-called Third Culture Kid. A TCK. Ever since I can remember I've been moving around with my family in search of the perfect life. Modern nomads, they call us. I went through many identity crises during that time and I only recently "found" myself. By now have completely lost sight of that "perfect life" we were in search of and I've gotten too used to not staying in the same place for too long. This has become what I want. A life unattached to places, a life free of restrictions, a life independent of routine, and one prone to sudden changes.

It all started in a desert far away. In a country called the United Arab Emirates, to which most people give this confused look until you answer, "well, you know Dubai?"... Behind me are the sand dunes of Abu Dhabi, the brick buildings of Manhattan, the vineyards of Bordeaux, the ancient walls of Damascus, the music of Vienna, and now, finally, the seas of Istanbul. I bring with me the stories of everyone I met along the way, the cultures of the places lived in, and some mental issues. Ha Ha!

Not everyone approves of this lifestyle. My sister is my complete opposite in every way. She hates the fact that we moved so much. But to me, it was the best thing that could've happened to me. It allowed me to become who I am today. Woohoo! I talk of siblings a lot, yes. We're a family of 9. Seven kids and two parents (phew). I was born into chaos and now thrive in it. Moments of peace are a rarity you occasionally get when you skip a family outing.

I'm perfectly in the middle though which is great. I have three younger siblings and three older ones. We go by a girl, boy, girl, me, girl, boy, girl.  Seemed oddly planned to me when I was younger. Two of them were born in Paris, two of us in Abu Dhabi, two in Damascus, and one in Vienna.

That aside, my entertainment is in interactions with strangers. I talk to strangers like I've always known them. I'm an avid ebook-reader (or a human e-reader). Films are my favorite form of art and the cinema is my favorite place to be (hmmm not sure about that one, bass). Photography, to me, is artistic documentation that reminds me of what once was or what could have been. If I don't take a photo during the day, I'll probably end up forgetting large chunks of it unless I write it down in some other form. That's why my gallery is often just documentation of my days. But hey I don't let it get in the way of me being in the moment.

I enjoy pouring my heart onto paper (or rather on digital paper), going around the city searching for adventure (I seem to attract trouble and stories as soon as I step outside), sports of any and every kind, trapping myself in a novel, and starting new hobbies while forgetting about everything else I once started but abandoned. I'm also really interested in psychology, a.i., futurism, robotics and technology, art, and culture.

People generally would characterize me as an idealist and as an overly optimistic person. I don't like to complain, I hate asking for help and my mom says I walk around life with eyes filled with hearts. La vie en rose, eh? But one thing is for certain, I'll keep writing here every now and then until one day I have a large collection of stories I can put together for posterity. Til then and beyond, I'm Bassel!!