Two Stops Past Siberia

I’ve had this feeling occasionally of late. I don’t usually blog about things so little, but this one is just striking.

My time here in Kyrgyzstan has just now surpassed, completely, the time I’ve spent in any other country besides my own. I was in China roughly this long, but as this mark was approaching, I was leaving. Here, I am not leaving any time soon. I’ve got lots of time here still.

And this is my life. I’ve friends to visit in other parts of the country, good friends. Last week some friends came to visit me, and over twelve hours, we climbed a mountain. We had bought our food from the bazaar ahead of time. It was normal. That was the amazing part. I am living in Kyrgyzstan, at the local level, I am supremely happy. This is my life.

I was waiting outside of the local Internet café waiting for a computer to open up with a friend, and it struck me again. We were standing outside, talking, laughing. Just like any two friends would anywhere on earth. This is my life. It is not some vacation or holiday. It is life. I love it, and it is simple, and easy, its just life.

When I talk to some people who work here, foreign professionals, making real money, they generally see this as a place to work, and then go home. They generally pay to live with the comforts they are used to, and lament many of the things they miss.

As Peace Corps volunteers, however, we seem to be a curious breed. Not shoestring travelers just passing through, or professional expats, we’re just people. We’re just foreigners living here, generally, in a way close to local standards. Yes, we too will go home, but for this volunteer, at least, life here doesn’t seem to be as a pausing moment before I go back to my regular career, my real life.

This is life. That’s all. Its wonderful. Its that simple.

Originally Written September 22nd, 2009