okay so here's the thing - i landed in rize three days ago with basically no research, my laptop, and the dumbest packing decisions of my life. it's 10.5 degrees outside, it's been raining since i stepped off the bus, and i'm currently typing this from a tea house where the owner keeps staring at my screen like i'm committing a crime against productivity. but honestly? this might be the most alive i've felt in months.

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Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: if you want the real turkey, not the tourist version - absolutely. it's raw, it's green, it's constantly wet, and the tea is stronger than your morning coffee.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: no. like, shockingly cheap. i paid 80 lira for a massive lunch with like six dishes. my Airbnb is 200 lira a night.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: people who need sunshine. people who hate rain. people who think travel means taking photos of themselves in front of monuments. go to istanbul instead.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: honestly? maybe may/june when it's warmer but before the summer crowds. or september. don't come now unless you want to embrace the gloom like me.

the coordinates 41.19, 40.98 put me in rize province, which is basically where turkey gets really tall and really green and really, really wet. someone told me this region gets like 200 days of rain a year. i thought they were exaggerating. they were not. the humidity is 91% right now and i feel like i'm breathing through a wet towel. my jacket never dries. my shoes are permanently damp. i bought a second pair of socks and i'm already regretting not buying five more.

local guy at the bus station: "you come here in november? you crazy. we don't even like november."

but here's what nobody talks about - the tea. the tea is everywhere. every shop, every house, every random corner has someone pouring çay. it's not optional, it's cultural. i sat down at one of these tiny tea houses near the central market and the guy just put a glass in front of me without asking. it was 5 lira. five lira. that's like 15 cents. i almost cried. as a digital nomad, finding good wifi and cheap living is the whole game, and rize is winning.

i'm working from a small hotel near the coast right now. the wifi is... let's say "consistent but not fast." i can do calls, i can upload stuff, but video editing is out of the question. i heard from another remote worker at the hostel that there's a coworking space near the university that's actually decent, so i'm going to check that tomorrow. the pressure is 1016 hpa which apparently is normal, but my ears keep popping so i don't know what normal means anymore.

the food situation is insane. i went to a local restaurant last night and pointed at something on the menu and got this massive plate of grilled fish, rice, beans, and like four different salads. it was maybe 60 lira. that's under two euros. i literally cannot spend money here even if i try. the local experience is so different from the touristy parts of turkey - nobody's trying to rip you off, nobody's pushing souvenirs, it's just... people living their lives. i saw a local market this morning with the most insane produce - these massive hazelnuts (this region is famous for them), tons of tea leaves, weird herbs i couldn't identify, and the freshest fish i've ever seen. a local woman told me to try the hamsi (anchovies) which are apparently a big deal here in november. she wasn't wrong.

the safety vibe is really good actually. i walked around at 9pm last night, no issues, no weird vibes. the streets are quiet but not scary. everyone says hello. i felt more unsafe in some parts of istanbul honestly. a local shopkeeper warned me to watch my phone in crowded areas but that's just regular big city logic.

the weather is the real challenge though. it's not just cold, it's damp cold. the kind of cold that gets into your bones and just stays there. my hoodie is not enough. my rain jacket is not enough. i need a full arctic setup and i brought a denim jacket. i am the dumbest traveler alive. i had to buy a sweater from a local market and it doesn't really fit but it's warm so who cares. the temperature max is literally 10.51 and it feels like 9.99 which is basically the same miserable number. i checked the weather app and it says rain for the next five days. i bought a cheap umbrella from a street vendor and it already broke. this is fine. everything is fine.

nearby cities - i could theoretically do a day trip to trabzon which is about an hour away by bus. someone told me there's a really famous monastery there (sumela monastery, apparently carved into a cliff) that i should see. but the weather is making me not want to move from this tea house. also the bus station is like 20 minutes walk and in this rain that might as well be a marathon.

the tourist vs local experience here is wild. there's basically no tourists. i haven't seen another foreigner since i got here. everyone stares at me but in a curious way, not a hostile way. kids wave. old ladies smile. nobody speaks english which makes ordering food an adventure. i learned the word for "thank you" (teşekkürler) and now i say it to everyone and they look so pleased. the language barrier is actually kind of nice - it forces you to just... be present. no doom scrolling, no constant checking of my phone. i had to learn to communicate with my hands and facial expressions and it's exhausting but also kind of freeing.

the coffee situation - okay, so turkey has this thing called turkish coffee which is basically sediment in a cup and you either love it or you hate it. i love it. there's a tiny coffee shop near my hotel where the guy roasts his own beans and it's 15 lira for a cup and it's stronger than anything starbucks has ever produced. i had three yesterday and my hands are still shaking. as a coffee snob (okay, i'm not actually a coffee snob, i just drink a lot of coffee), this is my kind of place.

coffee guy (through broken english): "you like turkish coffee? american coffee is water. this is real coffee."

i'm going to be honest - i didn't plan this trip well. i saw cheap flights, i saw it was in turkey, i booked it. i didn't check the weather. i didn't research anything. i just showed up with my laptop and my passport and a prayer. and honestly? that's kind of the point of being a digital nomad, right? you just go. you figure it out. you adapt. and so far, i've adapted by drinking too much tea, eating too much fish, and buying a sweater that doesn't fit.

the sea level is 1016 which is apparently normal, and the ground level is 987 which means we're slightly below sea level? i don't know, i failed geography. what i know is that the black sea is right there and it's grey and moody and exactly what i expected from this region. i walked along the coast yesterday and it was beautiful in a sad way. the waves were hitting the rocks and the rain was hitting my face and i thought - this is the most dramatic weather i've ever experienced and i'm just... here for it.

some practical stuff - if you're thinking of coming here: bring rain gear. bring layers. bring a waterproof bag for your laptop because the humidity is no joke. the wifi is usable but not great, so manage expectations. the food is cheap and amazing. the people are incredibly friendly. the weather will test you.

i'm going to stay for another week maybe? i want to see the tea plantations (this region produces like 60% of turkey's tea), i want to go to trabzon for the monastery, i want to find that coworking space. i want to see this place when it's not raining, if that ever happens. a local told me it rains for 40 days straight sometimes. i laughed. he didn't.

so yeah, that's rize. that's the black sea coast. that's where i am right now, typing this with cold fingers, drinking my fourth tea of the day, wondering if my socks will ever be dry again.

would i recommend it? only if you can handle the rain. only if you want something real. only if you're okay with not having a plan.

if you need sunshine and structure and all-inclusive resorts, go somewhere else. this place is for the chaos seekers.

and apparently, that's me.

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check out some resources if you're thinking of visiting:

- tripadvisor for rize
- yelp rize
- reddit turkey travel
- lonely planet black sea
- wikitravel rize
- atlas obscura - sumela monastery

Cold, Wet, and Completely Unprepared: A Digital Nomad's Rude Awakening in Turkey's Rainiest Corner

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