I Didn’t Know I Needed This Break - Olive Season in Türkiye

After I quit my job at the one firm back in September—honestly, it had become such a toxic place—my husband and I decided to take a big step. We left Kuala Lumpur and moved to Türkiye. Before settling in Istanbul, I took a short career break and stayed in his hometown, Akhisar, just outside the city.

It was a huge change for me. I had been working for years, and stepping away from everything wasn’t easy, but deep down I knew I needed it. I spent about two months there, and it happened to be during olive season. I joined his family at the farm, we picked olives, made oil, and just spent quiet, simple days together. That time really helped me heal.

During those two months in his hometown, I stayed with my in-laws for the first time for that long. It was also my first time experiencing the olive harvest properly. At the start of the season, we focused on picking only the black, fully ripened olives, the ones to be sold fresh. Once that was done, we went back to the trees again, this time picking the rest for oil.

Every day had its own rhythm. We started early, when the air was still cool in late October, and by November it got even colder. We moved from tree to tree, slowly and consistently. In between, we took tea breaks right there at the farm, simple moments that felt like a small picnic in the middle of work.

It was nothing fancy, just a slower way of living. But somehow, in that routine, working side by side, sharing small conversations, learning the process, I found myself growing closer to them. And without realizing it, I was having a break that I didn't know I needed. 

With love,

Soli