I was 12, and my eagerness to move was exponential. As an avid youthful reader, the idea of finding a new perspective was intriguing. We landed in Afghanistan after a few stops along the way; London, Beirut, Tehran and then what I found in Kabul wa s an amazing trip in my desire to find the reality of the world. My Jr. High research on lands far away was far too little to grasp the grandeur of the experience.
My family arrived in Kabul the month Woodstock and the American Landing on the moon occurred. The American community in Kabul was very good in introducing me to some of the truths of the Afghan people, places, and history. My discoveries about the independence and belief in opportunity stem from my time in Afghanistan. When I was in Afghanistan the world was looking for answers and direction and many adventurous young people made the arduous trek to the Hindu Kush to seek enlightenment. Afghanistan is a place to gain insight from the Afghans, the travelers who journey there, and myself to find one’s place in the world. Much like many places the dichotomy of knowledge and belief is evident. My limited experience with world travels made me open to learning new ways of seeing the world, but my family heritage permitted me to accept that I was part of the experience.
My search to find a place in the sun continued along the way in my travels in and around Kabul. The shadows of the sun were intriguing, but not the actual story that I learned while I was overseas in a captivating world of old world quality with sometimes modern truth acceptance. The sights and sounds and aromas of the world there that I came to know briefly were part of the path I learned about that encompassed more than just the people and the mountains but the way life that was lived there. Babbling brooks, blue skies and reaching to the clouded skies together with the spirit to grow I gathered from the Afghan people which carried me through to see the world as a grand place to be treasured.
I found each morsel of life there a part of the Afghan spirit to be held on to forever. Traveling along Afghan roads gave me the opportunity to learn about time, when to expect the bus, when to look for change, when to work with what is available as each step has purpose and life needs to be carefully measured. Afghanistan is a place that transcends itself, its people and its beauty so that it can enrich the world with a grasp of the future yet retaining a quiet presence.
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