July 4, 2011

It's 4th of July and I'm back in the USA.

I drank tea and ate breakfast cake with a local stranger at the Kabul airport while I was waiting for the plane. I managed to ask him "Were are you going"  in Dari. He said "Mazar E Sharif". We had some other small conversation in a mix of Dari and english while eating and drinking. I was nearly detained when boarding the plane. There was a problem with the entry stamp on my Visa. Fortunately the guard let me board when I told him where I was working in Kabul.

My time in Afghanistan was awesome, challenging, difficult, rewarding, and eye-opening. I felt like I used everything I had ever learned in my life to accomplish my work and live there. It was very fulfilling. I am looking for another opportunity to go back.

The first few weeks at home were pretty weird. I was able to completely understand the language spoken by the people around me. I was able to read all of the signs and advertisements on walls and billboards. No more Bollywood movies until midnight on Indian TV. No more goospan, liver and gizzards for dinner. No more dust, dirt and mud. Back to the land of Silky Highways, Hotels, American hamburgers and Seafood.

I enjoy visting with my family and friends more than ever.

Unlimited running water, electricity, perfect highways and roads, abundant variety and selection of literally anything we can afford. Life, freedom and opportunity in USA is something unique.

 I will miss my new friends in Kabul. I want Afghanistan to become a country of free people. Because a free country really is all about the people.