Leaving Kabul – But Not Its Spirit

As my time in Kabul comes to a close, I have such mixed feelings and it’s hard for me to capture my feelings precisely.  I am excited to go home, of course, but also sad to leave friends and colleagues, both Afghan and ex-pat, who have meant so much to me here. ...

Part of the Story of Afghanistan

Sometimes I think that all of the stories about Afghanistan have already been told.  I’ve read so many books about life here – stories about life under the Taliban, traveling with the mujahadin, and interactions with Afghans in the near and far reaches of...

In Memory of Anne Smedinghoff

I am back in DC and the first thing that I learned after getting to my house was that there had been a deadly attack in Zabul.  I then learned that Anne Smedinghoff was the young diplomat who was senselessly killed, while on her way to deliver books to a school.  Anne...