I think the year was 1984 and I was only 11 when I first made this model kit. Before I explain you how I made this model kit at that age, I will tell you the story of this kit.
Many years ago a Transport Company office called OKAN NAKLIYAT was located next to our house. Their office window was infront of us and there was a Metal Truck Model behind that window (the model was same like the picture above).
From time to time I was looking at the truck model and drawing it’s big size pictures. I dont know why but my interest in the trucks began at an early age. I was drawing truck pictures at school and at home. I remember that sometimes I was showing these pictures from the window to the office next to us. They realized that I was interested in trucks a lot and decided to give the metal truck model to me as a gift. This has been an indescribable pleasure for me. No more I was going to watch it from the window because it was mine now.
One day the owner of the company called Mr. Reha took me to their Truck Garage that was located at Merter. I saw too many real trucks that I have never sen up to that time. Immediately I sat in one of the truck and took the photo below.

What a coincidence that this was the same truck they have given me as a gift. In this case I think that it was the most beautiful event that a child could imagine at that age.

The ones (trucks) that I drew were completely in front of me. I do not know how many days or months passed after this picture, but one day while I was walking alone on the streets I stopped in front of the biggest book store of that time called “Sanders Kitabevi” and began watching the train behind the shopwindow. It was not a small train. As I can remember now it was a working big train model that was running inside the shop from one side to another. The rails were hanging down the ceiling and the train was travelling on the same track again and again.
While I was watcing the train I realized that there was something on the shelves of the store. I indistinctly saw a model kit box. When I entered the store I saw that it was the same truck that was given me as a gift and the one I sat and took photo inside. It was a model kit. The kit was there but I did not have enough money to buy it. I can remember that time like it happened yesterday. My mother and father was out of city for a business trip for 2 days, and as I learned later they had left the installment of the school in front of the mirror in our house. How can I know that it was left for my school??? With the excitement that I saw the model kit, I put enough money in my pocket and returned to the store where I saw the kit. All these things happened in 1-2 hours. Now if you ask me to do it again I dont but I can understand how I did it that time with the childness inside me.
I bought the kit and returned to the home. That evening all the details came out easily when my brother asked me how I bought that model kit although I did not have any money?? Without knowing the school installment was spent for it. He did not like the situation and asked me to return the model kit back to the store and have the money back.

Can you Imagine how I felt happy because I got the model kit that I wanted but in the evening how I felt sad because I had to take it back to the store to get my money back ???
For the 3. time I went back to store and kindly asked them to get the kit and give my money back. Although I told them the situation they refused to get back the item. I was happy because the kit was mine again.At least I tried but not succeed.
Fortunately I got the model and somehow the installment was paid to the school. Dont ask me the details because I dont remember
Although my experience was not enough to make that complex model kit, I succesfully made it. I think the difficulty level was 5 and an experience was required to do so. All decals applied carefully. Because I did not have any painting experience before , I made the kit without painting it. As a result of inexperience I broke some of the important parts but mostly fixed them with different materials. Because I had such memories about this truck, I kept it carefully until now. I am happy now because I have a chance to compare today’s model kits with that model also it makes me remember my childhood and inexperience days…
I was excited and happy when I bought my first model kit. After years passed I began buying my favorite truck model kits one by one from different countries. Now I have a huge collection of truck model kits. When I look up them I remember the day I bought my first kit and the happiness I lived. From 1 kit to the collection of hundreds of kits…

At the moment I want to go back to my childhood but I am afraid this is not possible.Possibly my life will not be enough to make up all these model kits but one thing I know is all model kits I dreamed of when I was child is mine and in safe now