Oof! I just don't know where the time has gone - November flew by in a blur of work and activities and it's been hard to a quiet moment to reflect and write down thoughts about our time here. The irony of course being that the more full and interesting our life, the more I... Continue Reading →
I fly in and out of Karachi like a whirlwind. The Pakistani International Airways flight is full to bursting, and I try to stamp down my claustrophobia as I take my seat, thankfully in the aisle. A man seated behind me chants in Arabic for most of the flight and then, on the shaky and somewhat dramatic descent, nonchalantly chats... Continue Reading →
My husband likes to plan travel around fitness. That is to say, around him competing in cycling races, triathlons, half marathons, etc. When he proposed going to the tiny town of Kufstein in Eastern Austria, so that he could compete in the local Radmarathon cycling race, I was initially a bit skeptical of what else... Continue Reading →
We set off for Lahore at six in the morning. Just me and my patient driver, who shares that he is used to these early morning trips out of the Islamabad and into Pakistan. The country begins outside the new, somewhat impersonal capital city and, despite the early hour, I'm excited to explore. Already, the sun is peeking up... Continue Reading →
Three weeks into our time in Islamabad has a science fiction quality to it. Have I time traveled swiftly into the future? Looking back, it feels like the days have flown by and suddenly I am here with new knowledge on how to get around, new favorite haunts, and new friends who are already familiar faces. Sometimes it... Continue Reading →
When we exit the Islamabad airport, the sun is already starting to rise turning the deep blue of twilight into gradient pinks along the far horizon. Our friend and a driver are diligently waiting for us outside arrivals, graciously picking us up at 4am. Despite the early hour and our long journey, we spend most... Continue Reading →
"Wow, guess where we were a year ago today?" A says, looking at his phone while getting ready for work. From my vantage point across the room, it looks like he is buried by a mountain of belongings. Stuff (clothes, kitchen things, pots, pans, appliances in their somewhat beat up boxes, shelving units, books, papers, and... Continue Reading →
Seven months into being back in the U.S. and two months before we leave for Pakistan, there is a hum of activity as the return to life overseas ramps up. It is a testament to how many visa applications I've filled out that when it comes time to fill out the applications for Pakistan, I already... Continue Reading →
