Enes Erdem Yuksel: On a Journey for 5 Years
Enes Erdem Yüksel (25) had to leave home after an argument with his family 5 years ago. From that day on, he started living a full-time traveler’s life by buying various equipment with the money he saved at the places he worked. During this time, he visited 70 cities and 7 countries. Yüksel’s 71st stop was Diyarbakır, known for its historical riches.
Yüksel stated that he discovered every corner of Turkey starting from the Mediterranean region. Expressing that he set off from Kahramanmaraş, Yüksel said, “I hitchhiked from my hometown, my highland village, to Mersin via Adana and Osmaniye. I saw the Mediterranean for the first time in Mersin. That day, I realized that I had to make this journey. I had an experience that I had never experienced in my life and it made me very happy. When I experienced things that I had not experienced for years in a few months, I realized that this was real life. I have been trying to stay in the warmest and coolest places for 5 years. I have the equipment that I need to survive with me. Thank God, I can travel and meet new people.”
“I Visited 7 Countries Outside of Türkiye”
Emphasizing that the 71st city in Turkey is Diyarbakır, Yüksel said, “There are currently 10 cities left. I hope to visit these cities in time. I just returned from Serbia. After returning from there, I plan to visit Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır and Mardin. I was in Şanlıurfa three days ago and arrived here yesterday. I visited 7 different countries outside of Turkey. I took a plane to places I could not go to by hitchhiking and hitchhiked to the villages of those regions. I started with Georgia; I explored there for 1.5-2 months. Then I returned to Turkey and went to Iran via Doğubayazıt. I stayed there for 87 days and visited more than 45 cities. Then I went to Kosovo and visited old Ottoman cities. I went to Macedonia and Albania and discovered the magnificent nature of Albania. “I also worked in Montenegro for 1.5-2 months and accumulated beautiful memories.”
“Good thing they fired him”
Expressing that he does not need money, Yüksel said, “I continue my journey by hitchhiking. If someone hitchhikes me, I have the chance to find a place to stay. Most of the time, I can find something to fill my stomach. I bought the necessary equipment with the money I saved. I am on the road with a sleeping bag, hammock and other accommodations on my back. I have been living this life for 5 years and I know what is a burden and what is not. I am a full-time traveler. I have made a lot of effort for my family and tried to do everything they wanted. However, I was young and when I could not fulfill some things, the arguments grew and as a result, I was kicked out of the house. Now, I have accumulated enough beautiful memories to say, ‘I am glad they kicked me out.’”
