Today we’d like to introduce you to Eren Kahraman.
eren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story is about building a life independently, step by step, in a country far from where I grew up. I am originally from Turkey, and I currently live and work in Montenegro in the hospitality industry.
Moving abroad taught me how to adapt quickly, communicate with people from different cultures, and remain strong during uncertain times. I have worked long and demanding shifts, taken on different responsibilities, and learned that progress is not always glamorous. Sometimes it simply means continuing to show up, work hard, and create opportunities for yourself even when you do not have a strong support system behind you.
Hospitality has helped me develop patience, discipline, and an understanding of people. Every guest has a different story, expectation, and personality, and learning how to connect with them has shaped both my professional and personal growth.
At the same time, I am working toward continuing my education and building a more secure future. My journey is still in progress, but I am proud that I have continued moving forward despite financial pressure, uncertainty, and the challenges of living abroad. I hope my story can encourage other young people who feel they are starting with fewer opportunities. You may not control where you begin, but you can still work toward where you want to go.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I became old enough to truly understand my surroundings, I realized that I was growing up in an orphanage. Other children had mothers, fathers, and homes they could return to. I did not have a stable place where I truly felt that I belonged.
The orphanages where I spent my infancy and childhood were not always in good condition. I grew up surrounded by changing rooms, people, and rules. Just as I began to adjust to one place, I would be moved somewhere else and expected to begin again. As a child, I could not fully explain what I was feeling, but I always carried the sense that no place was truly mine.
Later, I was adopted by a family. For the first time, I believed that I was not simply a temporary guest in someone’s home. For the first time, I thought, “Maybe I finally have a family.” I believed it with the complete trust of a child.
However, after approximately one year, I was taken back and placed in an orphanage again.
For a child, being returned is not simply a change of address. It leaves behind a question: “What was wrong with me?” That question stayed with me for many years.
I also learned about my father’s death while I was living in the orphanage. Later, my biological mother wanted to take me into her home. At the time, I wanted to believe that it was because she loved me. I wanted to believe that a mother would naturally want her child. Much later, I came to understand that her main interest was connected to the inheritance my father had left behind.
I stayed with my mother for approximately four months. During that time, I experienced physical violence. A home is supposed to be a safe place, but for me, it became another place filled with fear. Eventually, I ran away and went to the police by myself. It is difficult to explain what it means for a child to seek protection from the police because home is no longer safe. After that, I was placed in an orphanage again.
These experiences deeply affected my understanding of family, trust, and belonging. Throughout my life, I have had to make many important decisions alone. I did not have someone I could call when I was afraid, someone I could ask, “What should I do?” or someone who could help me recover after a mistake.
Because of this, I had to grow up much earlier than I should have. I made good decisions and bad ones, but I always knew that I would have to carry the consequences myself.
Today, I am trying to build my own life in Montenegro. I pay my own rent, bills, and daily expenses while also trying to save money for university. Education represents more than a diploma to me. It is the possibility of creating, with my own hands, the security, stability, and future that I did not have during childhood.
Most of what I earn is enough only to maintain my present life. Even so, I try not to abandon my future. I do not have a family that can pay my tuition, support me when I struggle, or provide a home to return to if everything goes wrong. Every step I take depends on my own work and the decisions I make.
For many years, my experiences made me believe that I might never belong anywhere. In the orphanage, in the home of my adoptive family, and later with my biological mother, I wanted to believe that I had finally found a home. Each time, I had to begin again.
My life is not yet a completed success story. I am still facing uncertainty and searching for a way to continue my education and create a secure future. But I am no longer waiting for someone else to give me a home.
As a child, I was repeatedly moved from one place to another because of decisions made by other people. Now, for the first time, I am trying to decide the direction of my own life. My greatest hope is to build a life where I am not merely allowed to stay, but where I can finally feel that I belong.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I currently work in the hospitality industry in Montenegro. My main focus right now is gaining experience, saving money for university, and creating a more stable future for myself.
Working in a hotel has taught me discipline, responsibility, teamwork, and how to handle pressure. At the same time, I am trying to continue my education in hospitality and hotel management, because I want to grow beyond my current position and eventually work in management, guest relations, or hotel operations.
Right now, I am focused on improving myself, building a professional future, and turning the difficult experiences of my past into motivation rather than allowing them to define my limits.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I currently work in the hospitality industry in Montenegro, but outside of work I am also interested in street photography. I enjoy capturing real, unplanned moments, everyday people, and the atmosphere of the places around me.
Street photography allows me to observe life differently. I am drawn to small details, emotions, and moments that most people might pass without noticing. For me, photography is a way of telling stories without words.
Right now, I am focused on improving my photography, building a stronger portfolio, saving money for university, and creating a more stable future for myself. In the long term, I hope to combine my interest in people, travel, hospitality, and visual storytelling.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alonedarkpowerr?igsh=MW5yMzRuaHVhdTFwbg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/khrm.erenphoto?igsh=MXFtaHl2NW9vNXRhcg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
