Halide Edib, a Turkish intellectual and freedom fighter, embarked on a contemplative journey to India in 1935, fulfilling a promise made years earlier. Her experience began with observing the Indian Ocean from her ship, a transition zone between her past and her impending immersion in India. Edib's solo voyage across the water evoked dreamlike reverie, setting a distinct mood for her arrival in a land shaped by various influences, including potential occupying forces.