Back home at last!

Well, I'm finally back home stateside. What an adventure this last few years has been! My mom came to visit during my last weeks in Kyrgyzstan and got to meet a lot of my friends there. We went up to Song Kul in Naryn, an alpine lake where shepherds take their herds to pasture in the summer, and did a little horseback riding and stayed in a yurt! Our hosts with Community Based Tourism made us a delicious fish dinner (see photo below).

And when it was time to head out, having Mom there with me made it a little easier to leave the village. We said teary goodbyes to my Kyrgyz "moms", my counterpart Dinara and my host mother Zauresh, and took the 6 hour taxi ride to the capital. I saw Mom off and had a fun few days hanging out around Bishkek with friends. Then on Wednesday, I flew with two other volunteers until NY and took the last leg home alone. All in all a 30 hour trip that managed to fit into one day thanks to time travel--er, I mean time zones.


So I guess this is the end. It is has been wonderful to be able to share this experience with you all. Thank you for the endless support I've received for my projects and through personal correspondence. What a difference it makes to know that friends at home have got your back through all the challenges and can share in the good times too. I hope to see you and catch up in person soon! And if anyone is thinking about joining Peace Corps, I would strongly recommend it! :)