Half of a Year

It's hard to believe that it has been six months since I was packing bags full of clothing and gear for my move to Afghanistan via Virginia. It has been a period of time filled with the joy meeting and working with some wonderful people. I am sure that I have met some people that will be friends for the rest of my time.

It has also been a period of frustration watching the international community flounder in its support of the future nation of Afghanistan. A common question asked by Afghans when you meet them for the first time is "How long do you plan to be here?" It is a valid question. We, the occupying Westerners, blaze into a country and expect an entire culture to change overnight to a completely foreign way of thinking. How long will we be here? I wonder...