伊斯坦布尔：一座洗涤你灵魂的城市_大学英语阅读

伊斯坦布尔：一座洗涤你灵魂的城市

Along the scenic route, we passed by a group of young people who were huddled together on the dock. As we watched, a paper lantern bloomed from their midst and began to float into the air. Buoyed by the candle strapped at its base, the lantern climbed up towards the sky. When I asked my Turkish friend about it, she responded that those were called “wish lanterns.” We would make a wish, and then release the lantern to the wind. If the lantern kept floating, then the wish would be carried to heaven and come true. Without another word, I hailed down a merchant to purchase one. My friends and I gathered around, thinking about our wishes as the lantern inflated. Eyes closed and hands clasped , I thought back to the message that my mom had sent me over we chat that morning. She described the first time that she visited Dalian and saw the ocean with her own eyes. It was a dream come true for her, for the rolling waves exceeded any image she could have imagined. My eyes snapped open. I knew my wish. On the count of three, my friends and I released the lantern, and off it flew. As it joined the night sky as another star, I looked to my friends and realized that my wish had already come true. As a young person in this age of globalization, the world is at our fingertips . But becoming a global citizen takes an open mind and an open heart. Sightseeing is not enough, for revealing the world’s realities only comes through interacting with peers from all over the world. And yet through the warmth of my friends, both new and old, I glimpsed the soul of Istanbul that whispered in the wind: “teşekkür (Thank you) for stopping by.”