Yiğit Tekdemir, a 20-year-old Turkish student, moved to Miami at 17 to study engineering and start building a life on his own. After three years away from his hometown, Antalya, he finally went back to Turkey and introduced his family to his Latin girlfriend.
Being far from home changed the way he sees family and connection. One of the moments that impacted him the most was celebrating Christmas for the first time with his girlfriend’s big family.
“I had never seen a family so united and full of joy… I never imagined it could feel like this,” he said.
Even with all these changes, he stays connected to his roots through cooking. Making tiramisu, inspired by his grandmother and with his own touch of Turkish coffee, helps him feel close to home no matter where he is.
This story was orginally published on Medium.
